When What You Were Doing Stops Working
Updated: Jul 9
This piece is the fourth part of the Making Life Workable series —
a lived exploration of what happens when something doesn’t feel quite right anymore,
while everyday life continues around it.
Each part looks at a different moment in that experience —
not to tell you what to do, but to help you notice what might already be there.
You don't need to read this series in order. Just start wherever something feels familiar.
If you're new to this series, you're welcome to continue reading here. If you'd prefer to begin at the start, Part 1 is here.
Part 4 - Why things that used to feel manageable can start taking more out of you
You’re still doing what you’ve always done.
But it doesn’t feel the same anymore.
It takes longer.
It drains more.
And you can’t quite work out why.
There isn’t always a clear moment when something stops working.
It doesn’t usually arrive as a decision.
Or a big realisation.
It’s quieter than that.
At first, things still look the same.
You’re still doing what you’ve always done.
Still getting through the day.
Still showing up where you need to.
But something in how it feels starts to shift.
Things that used to feel manageable
start taking more out of you.
You notice yourself:
taking longer to get going
needing more space than you used to
feeling more drained by things that once felt ok
feeling more on edge than usual
snappier than you want to be
Not all at once.
Just enough to notice — even if you keep brushing it off at first.
And it can be confusing.
Because nothing has obviously changed.
The same responsibilities are there.
The same expectations.
The same routines.
So it’s easy to assume:
I just need to try a bit harder.
I need to get back on top of things.
Maybe I’ve just got a bit off track.
And sometimes pushing through does help — for a while.
It gets things done.
Keeps everything moving.
But it doesn’t change how it feels underneath.
You’re putting more in.
But it’s not feeling any easier.
And over time, that gap becomes harder to ignore.
You might start to notice:
that you’re getting through the day,
but with less left at the end of it
that things feel heavier than they should
without a clear reason why
that you’re doing the same things
but they’re not feeling the same to do
And this is often where you start wondering
if the problem is you.
What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I handle this like I used to? Why does everything feel harder than it should?
But what’s actually happening
is often much simpler.
What you were doing
was helping you get through.
But it may not be supporting you
in the way you need anymore.
And those two things aren’t the same.
Something can keep life moving
without making it feel steady.
And when that gap grows,
it starts to show up in how everything feels.
Not always as something clear.
Not always in a way you can easily name.
Just as a quiet sense that: this isn’t really working anymore
And that can be hard to trust.
Because even when something doesn't feel right anymore,
there may still be no obvious reason to change anything.
Just a growing awareness
that what once helped you get through
is now taking more out of you than it used to.
And that’s often where things begin.
Not with a plan.
Not with a decision.
But with noticing.
Noticing something isn’t working is one thing.
Realising how much effort has been going into trying to make it work is often another.
This sits within Emotional Wellbeing — where emotions are treated as information, not something to fix.
Emotions don’t need solving. They need space to move.
Whatever brought you here today, I hope you leave with something that helps life make a little more sense, or perhaps opens the door to something you hadn't noticed before.
🧭 Where To Go Next
🔗 Browse by Experience — explore what feels most familiar.
🔗 A Note From Jen — reflections that put words to experiences many people struggle to explain.
🔗 Begin Here — understand this approach and where to begin.
🔗 Find What Fits — explore resources, support and practical next steps.
✉️ Get updates by email — receive new reflections and resources as they're shared.
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