spread yourself too thin

You spread yourself too thin when you are so busy that you barely have time to take care of yourself. In other words, you have so much to do that you find yourself not having enough time to sleep, eat or even just take a rest. The result is often extreme stress and exhaustion, which could result in some physical ailment. When you notice a friend so busy they seem like they're spreading themselves too thin, you might want to offer some advice: "Don't spread yourself too thin. Remember to give yourself time to rest."

like this:

A: Hey John! I haven't seen you in a while. How's it been?

B: I've been really busy. I started working part time, and this week we have exams.

A: Are you eating well, man? You look like you've lost some weight.

B: Well, sometimes I don't even have time to eat.

A: Don't spread yourself too thin, man. You have to take care of yourself.

B: I know. I'm actually thinking of cutting back my hours at work this week.

A: You should. I spread myself too thin last year, and I ended up getting an ulcer. You have to watch it.

B: I know. I'm going to start taking breaks, and I'll try to schedule in some workout time.

A: Awesome. Good idea. Alright, man. Talk to you later.

B: Take care.

ailment - sickness

cut back - reduce; decrease

ulcer - stomach pain caused by stomach acid irritating the lining of the esophagus

esophagus - the long tube that takes food from your mouth to your stomach.

workout - exercise

hiatus - absence; break

It's good to be back after a three-week hiatus. Honestly, I felt like I'd been spreading myself too thin, which is why I decided to take a break from blogging. Now, I've caught up with my other projects and will do my best to keep up with our quick lessons twice a week. So spread the word, and keep coming back.

See you soon.

Joe Yu

from the small guide site and The small guide To Improving Your English