No, it's not just you. 'Time confetti' is making everyone exhausted.

Hands up if this sounds familiar: You're constantly juggling a million things on your to-do list but never feel like you have actually achieved anything.

You're burnt out, exhausted and feel like shutting down completely because there's just too much to do, and you feel overwhelmed.

And at the end of the day you're shattered, yet can't point to a single meaningful thing you've completed all day.

Are you with me? Welcome to the world of 'time confetti'.

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What exactly is time confetti?

Time confetti is a term coined by author Brigid Schulte that perfectly captures the way our days are broken into tiny, fragmented moments. Instead of having solid blocks of time to focus on what truly matters, we're constantly switching between checking emails, replying to messages, juggling household chores, picking up kids, and attempting to meet work deadlines.

Lisa Lie is a organisational coach and told Mamamia, "Time confetti is real, and it's why so many people finish the day exhausted but unsure what they actually achieved."

"You're constantly switching tasks, reacting to pings, juggling a million things… but never getting into deep focused work," Lie said.

It's like having traditional confetti thrown at your calendar — what should be meaningful chunks of time become scattered, colourful but ultimately messy little bits that don't amount to much.

Why we're always exhausted without achieving anything.

Cognitive overload is real. Every time we switch tasks (which for many of us is approximately once every three minutes), our brain has to completely refocus, burning through mental energy like my credit card at an end-of-season sale.

Studies show it can take up to 23 minutes to fully regain focus after an interruption. Do the maths — if you're interrupted every 10 minutes, you're essentially never reaching your cognitive peak.

Multitasking is the biggest lie we tell ourselves. I used to pride myself on my multitasking abilities. "Look at me on the treadmill while answering work emails and mentally planning dinner!"

Spoiler alert: I was doing all three things poorly. Research shows our brains aren't wired for true multitasking. Instead, we're rapidly shifting between tasks, exhausting our cognitive resources and leaving us feeling scattered and drained.

Even during supposed "free" moments — waiting for the kettle to boil or standing in a lift — we're filling them with productivity. Checking messages, ordering groceries online, or mentally ticking through to-do lists.

The result? A creeping sense of busyness without accomplishment, and ultimately, burnout.

Why does this happen to us?

The always-on culture is killing us softly. The pressure to be productive every second, combined with the ping-ping-ping of notifications, makes it nearly impossible to set boundaries between work and rest.

As someone who often scrambles notes on my phone when I can't sleep at 4am, I understand the struggle of the digital leash.

Especially for caregivers (often mums), the mental load never stops. There's always another load of washing, another form to sign, another appointment to schedule.

This constant responsibility means uninterrupted time for self-care or meaningful activities becomes as rare as finding a perfectly ripe avocado.

Is there any hope for us?

The good news is, yes — according to Lisa Lie.

"Productivity isn't about doing more — it's about protecting the time to do the right things properly," she said.

"Most of us procrastinate because the task feels too big, too boring or too vague. The fix? Shrink it. Don't have 'write the report' on your to-do list — just write one sentence. Action beats avoidance, and small wins create this great feeling of momentum."

"If everything's urgent, nothing gets done properly. One of the biggest (and easiest) things that's worked for me is time-boxing the things that matter — literally blocking out 25 minutes to write, think, or tackle the thing you keep avoiding," Lie advised.

"You'll be shocked by how much brainpower comes back when you give one task your full attention. I also block out one meeting-free day each week and plan which projects I'll focus on — kind of like meetings with myself to get the important stuff done."

So next time you feel inexplicably drained despite not having done anything "big" — be kind to yourself and maybe give 'time boxing' a try instead.

Lisa Lie is the founder of Learna. You can hear more from her on Instagram or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Feature image: Created with AI Google Labs.