I came across an old story this week about two lumberjacks racing to see who could chop more wood.
One worked flat out all day, never stopping.
The other disappeared for an hour, came back, and still chopped just as much, sometimes more.
When the first asked where he went, the second said, “Home. To sharpen my axe.”
It reminded me how often I see the same pattern when I’m working with women in my Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy programme here in Gloucestershire.
They’re not drinking because they lack willpower, they’re exhausted.
They keep going when they’re already running on fumes.
One more email.
One more job to tick off.
One more thing that can’t wait.
By the time evening comes, their system is spent and the drink looks like relief.
But it isn’t. It’s a shortcut.
It dulls the edges for a while, but it doesn’t restore anything.
Sharpening the axe is about pausing before you break.
Noticing the signs of depletion and choosing something that steadies you — rest, boundaries, space, connection.
That’s the work I do with women, helping them recognise the point of overwhelm before the glass feels inevitable.
The pause isn’t weakness.
It’s maintenance.
It’s what keeps you steady enough to choose differently.
👉 If this resonates, maybe it’s time to stop swinging the axe for a while. Rest isn’t indulgence, it’s prevention.
There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s just something you’re ready to see clearly now.