How to Get Things Done When Grief Leaves You Drained
Keep reading this post to learn:
How to determine what’s truly essential and let go of the rest (without guilt!)
Simple ways to prioritize your well-being when everything feels heavy
Why communicating your needs and delegating tasks creates space for healing
Losing someone you love is one of the hardest things you’ll ever walk through. Grief is exhausting. It’s overwhelming. And it can make even the simplest tasks feel impossible.
After losing my Grandma, Toy, in November 2024, I felt lost in my own life. She wasn’t just my Grandma—she was my best friend, my safe place, the glue that held our family together. I couldn’t imagine living in a world without her.
For months, my grief consumed me. Everything other than spending time with my family felt like a waste of time. But I still had responsibilities to show up for. My business is the sole financial source for my family, which meant I couldn’t just hit pause indefinitely.
At the same time, I knew I needed space to grieve. I couldn’t push through at full capacity, pretending everything was normal when it absolutely wasn’t.
So, I had to find a way to honor my grief while still keeping my life moving forward. And if you’re in a season of grief, I hope this helps you do the same.
A Reminder Before We Get Into It
Grief looks different for everyone. It doesn’t follow a timeline or a guidebook, and there’s no “right” way to move through it. Some days, these tips might feel helpful. Other days, you might not have the energy to do anything but cry on the couch—and that’s okay.
This isn’t about forcing yourself to be productive. It’s about creating margin in your life so you have the space to grieve without feeling like everything is slipping through the cracks.
That said, here’s what helped me.
01: Determine what’s essential and let the rest go (without guilt)
One of the biggest lessons I learned? Your capacity is not the same when you’re grieving. And you can’t expect it to be.
For months, I struggled with this. I kept trying to show up at the same level I did before my loss, but I just couldn’t. Eventually, I realized I needed to strip things down to the essentials—to focus on what truly needed to get done and let go of everything else (and I can’t stress this enough: without guilt).
Here’s what that looked like for me:
Rescheduling deadlines — I pushed back anything that wasn’t urgent. Most deadlines are flexible if you ask!
Pressing pause on big projects — My team and I had been planning our first Hustle Sanely BFF retreat, but I knew I didn’t have the capacity for it, so I put it on hold.
Letting go of non-essential tasks — I had to give myself grace for things like lower-than-expected planner sales because I didn’t have the energy to market like usual. My business didn’t fall apart, and I know I’ll get back to my usual strategy in time.
If you’re in a season of grief, I encourage you to do the same. Go through your commitments and ask yourself: What’s truly essential? What can be put on pause? Give yourself permission to let things go without guilt.
02: Prioritize your well-being in the simplest ways
When my grief was fresh, I didn’t have the mental or physical energy for much. But I knew that if I completely neglected my well-being, I’d feel even worse.
So, instead of trying to do everything, I focused on the absolute basics that would help me function.
For me, that looked like:
Getting enough sleep — Going to bed early, sleeping in when needed, and not feeling guilty about it.
Nourishing my body — Prioritizing meals that made me feel good instead of defaulting to skipping meals or eating junk.
Moving in gentle ways — Instead of my usual workouts, I leaned into family walks and light stretching.
I also leaned hard on Hustle Sanely 5 (HS5) to help me prioritize what mattered without feeling overwhelmed. Simple things like my 15-minute daily tidy-up routine helped keep my space in order without requiring much effort.
If you’re grieving, I encourage you to identify the 2-3 things that most impact your well-being and focus on those. Keep it simple. Give yourself lots of grace.
03: Communicate your needs and delegate as much as possible
One of the best things I did while grieving was clearly communicating my needs and delegating as much as I could.
My husband, Adam, knew how much I was hurting, so he completely took over everything in our home while I navigated my grief. That allowed me to focus on just two things: grieving and running my business.
I also communicated with people outside my home:
I texted my pastor to let her know I was stepping down from my monthly volunteering at church.
I told my friends that texting felt overwhelming, so I might be slow (or completely unresponsive) for a while.
I leaned on my team to handle as much business-related work as possible.
People can’t support you if they don’t know what you need. Be honest. Be clear. Ask for help when you need it. You do not have to do this alone.
Final thoughts on “getting things done” while grieving:
At the end of the day, grief is hard. It’s heavy. And it doesn’t have a timeline.
Some days, you might feel like you can take on the world. Other days, even brushing your teeth feels like an accomplishment. Both are okay.
If you take anything from this post, let it be this:
You don’t have to do everything. Determine what’s essential and let go of the rest.
Take care of yourself in the simplest ways. Focus on small, manageable habits that help you function.
Let people support you. Communicate your needs and delegate what you can.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Grief is an ongoing process, and you are doing the best you can.
ILYSM. 💛
If this post resonated with you in any way, I’d be so grateful if you shared it on your Instagram story and tagged me @jessmassey and @hustlesanely. You are not alone, and I’m holding space for you.
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