Why Content Planning Feels So Heavy (And How I Use AI to Make It Lighter)
The other day, I sat at my desk with my notebook open, pen ready, coffee growing cold. And nothing.
My brain felt frozen, but not the good kind of pause, more like being stuck in a fog. The pressure to come up with content, to post something meaningful and polished, had stolen the joy out of the process.
I could hear the swirl of thoughts that always seem to show up in those moments:
Overwhelmed. Stretched thin. Doubting everything. It’s a lot.
Why Content Planning Feels Heavy
When I think back to that blank page, it’s not really about the notebook or the plan. It’s the weight that sits behind it.
For so many of us, content planning has started to feel like feeding a monster that’s never satisfied.
You post something… and right away you feel like you need to be thinking about the next thing. It never ends.
Then there’s the burnout that comes from trying to do all the things at once. Blog. Instagram. LinkedIn. Email. Pinterest. You know the drill. Every platform whispers, “You need to be everywhere,” and suddenly the simple act of showing up feels like an endless treadmill.
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the tech anxiety that comes with it all. Which tool is actually going to help me, and which one will just become another tab I’m paying for?
Underneath all of it, there’s this quieter, more vulnerable layer we don’t talk about as much:
What if I’m not enough?
Research shows 70% of us suffer from imposter syndrome, and for women, that can be especially crippling.
No wonder pressing “post” can feel like pressing “expose.”
And maybe this is the hardest part: somewhere along the way, we lose the joy. The thing that used to feel creative and full of meaning turns into another heavy task on the list.
The Gentle Shift – Letting AI Help With Content Creation
Here’s the thought that started to change everything for me:
What if the problem isn’t you?
What if the way you’ve been taught to plan content was never built with your rhythm in mind?
What if there’s another way, a way that makes things lighter?
How I Use AI to Make Content Planning Lighter
When I finally let myself experiment, I discovered that AI (when used gently) could be a partner, not a pressure cooker.
Here’s how I use it now:
Gentle brainstormer:
Instead of staring at a blank screen, I ask AI to give me 10 loose ideas. I don’t copy and paste. I just let it spark something. It feels like having a low-pressure brainstorming buddy who doesn’t judge my messy thoughts.Quick outliner:
When I do have an idea, AI helps me shape it into a rough outline.
Not a perfect draft. Not something polished. Just a structure so my brain doesn’t have to hold it all at once.Organizer:
AI also helps me group ideas so my content feels like a rhythm instead of a mountain.
That way I can see a whole month at a glance without feeling like I’m chasing my tail.
The key here?
I’m still in control.
AI doesn’t take over my voice or my creativity; it just lightens the mental load so I can breathe again.
The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything
Here’s what I keep reminding myself:
Your business should fit your life, not the other way around.
If you’re running yourself into the ground trying to keep up, something’s off. Taking a break isn’t failure, it’s fuel.
When I started leaning on AI as a gentle tool instead of a scary, overwhelming “tech thing,” content planning started to feel like something I could do one small step at a time.
We’re all just figuring it out, one gentle step at a time. And I see this shift every day.
A client I worked with recently told me she used to feel paralyzed every time she sat down to plan her content. After we tried a few of these AI-supported prompts together, she sent me a voice memo saying, “I don’t feel stuck anymore. I can actually breathe.”
That’s what this is all about.
Not perfect. Just lighter.
This mirrors what I've learned about building websites that feel authentic – when the foundation supports your natural way of working, everything else flows more easily.
Your 15-Minute Content Planning Reset
If you're feeling stuck right now, try this gentle approach:
Minutes 1-5: Brain Dump
Open a document and write every content idea floating in your head
Don't judge, just capture
Include half-formed thoughts and random inspirations
Minutes 6-10: AI Partnership
Ask AI: "Help me organize these ideas into themes"
Let it suggest connections you might not have seen
Use its suggestions as starting points, not final answers
Minutes 11-15: Gentle Planning
Choose 3-4 ideas that feel most aligned with your energy right now
Schedule them loosely (no pressure to stick to exact dates)
Set one small next step for each
Remember: This isn't about creating a perfect system. It's about creating breathing room.
Final Thought: An Invitation
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If content planning feels like a weight you’re tired of carrying, I get it. You’re not behind, you’re just juggling too much at once.
What if we untangle it together?
A simple first step: I created 20 gentle prompts you can use with AI to help you brainstorm without the blank-page panic. They’re free, and they’re designed to help you find your own words again.
And if you want to go deeper, that’s exactly what we do inside my Content Creation Intensive: we sit side by side (virtually) and shape your content together. No overwhelm. Just a gentle rhythm that finally feels like you.
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Let’s take one gentle step today.
