spread oneself too thin
Take on excess
To spread oneself too thin is to take on more commitments than one can handle well, diluting time and energy across too many obligations.
The image is of butter or paste spread so wide it barely covers anything: Between work, volunteering, and three side projects, she's spread herself too thin.
The result is exhaustion or mediocrity across the board.
- overcommittedPledged beyond capacity
- harriedPersistently tormented or pressured
- franticWildly anxious or desperate
- spinning platesBalancing rotating dishes aloft
- frazzledMentally and physically depleted
exhausted · running on empty · overworked · stretched · stretched thin · stress · overburdened · burnout · taking on water · boundaries · saying no · delegation · overtaxed · overwhelm · juggling · dropping the ball · underperformance · strained
spread oneself too thinfocus
Concentrated attention point
concentrate · specialize · put all one's eggs in one basket · zero in · go deep
spread oneself too thinset boundaries
Define acceptable behavior limits
say no · pace oneself · pick one's battles · quality over quantity · underpromise