be put to it
To be under strain, stress, or difficulty. Our entire team has been put to it to finish the project before the Christmas deadline. I need a vacation—I'm really put to it lately.
put to it, be
Be confronted with a severe difficulty, as in I was put to it to finish this book on time. This usage is derived from the active sense of put to it, that is, "force or challenge someone to something." [c. 1600]