How to Pause When Your Perfectionism Wants to Make a To-Do List

A Survival Guide for Mental Health Professionals Who Forgot We Also Have a Nervous System

It’s May! Which means two things:

1. It’s *#Mental HealthAwarenessMonth
2. You’re probably on your third cup of coffee, rescheduling your own therapy (again), and wondering when, exactly, you last took a breath that wasn’t part of your guided imagery homework.

Let’s talk about it.

The Ironic Productivity Spiral

You, a trained mental health professional, know better. You preach rest. Boundaries. Mindfulness. Yet when you try to pause, your brain whispers, “But what if we used this time to reorganize the telehealth password spreadsheet?”

Enter: the Ironic Productivity Spiral. It’s where your best intentions to rest become a covert operation to do even more, but in a comfy hoodie.

And that, Edgy Learner, is why we wrote this survival guide.

How to Pause (Without Making It a Project)

1. Turn Off Notifications (Yes, Even the Clinical Ones)

Your client notes will survive 45 minutes without you. So will the group text about laminated DBT worksheets.

Silence your phone. Shut your laptop. Turn off the thing that dings. If your body flinches when your inbox pings, it might be time to reclaim your nervous system.

2. Hide Your Planner From Yourself

You’re not going to “accidentally” schedule a dentist appointment, meal prep, clean the linen closet, and outline your next CEU workshop if your planner is literally under the couch.

Go ahead. Put it under the couch. Or in the freezer. Wherever your overachiever instincts won’t find it.

3. Schedule a Nothing Session

That’s right. Block off an hour, write “Nothing” in your calendar, and respect it like it’s a court subpoena.

And no, you may not use that time to brainstorm new treatment interventions. Sit outside. Stare at a wall. Lie on the floor and question your life choices. That’s the magic.

4. Acknowledge That You’re Also a Person

This one hurts a little. But here’s the thing: just because you’re a therapist doesn’t mean you’re exempt from needing therapy, rest, or an unhinged cry in the Trader Joe’s parking lot.

#Mental HealthAwarenessMonth isn’t just about our clients. It’s about us, too. You’re allowed to need what you so generously give.

Final Thoughts (Before You Turn This Into a New Self-Care System)

If the idea of pausing makes you uncomfortable, that might be the clearest sign you need it.

So this month, instead of adding one more strategy to your mental health toolkit, try subtracting. Take the pressure off. Take yourself off-call. Take a breath.

Your license will still be there tomorrow. So will your to-do list. But you? You might just feel a little more like yourself.

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month. Now go do nothing.

(And if you need CEs that don’t drain your soul, we’ve got those too. But not right now. Now you rest.)

*Mental Health Awareness Month is observed every May and was established in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA) to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote mental wellness across the U.S. While MHA leads the national effort with annual themes and resources, organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also play a key role—sharing stories, advocating for change, and supporting communities throughout the month. Together, they help spotlight the importance of mental health for everyone, including the professionals who provide care.