Why Burn out, when you can just stop

I too have these moments, you wake up or you even go to sleep with that feeling - when you can always sense that tomorrow….. tomorrow might be a day. Maybe the day before was hectic, maybe you didn’t do all you could, maybe you just need more time, or maybe you’re just tired. But what do you do, even with that feeling pulling at you that you need to devote time to you, that you need to take a break, that you’re moving too fast and doing too much - with all this - you still keep going. 

Why is that? 

Do you feel like you’re going to miss something if you sit something out? If you take a day to rest? 

Or do you feel like you’ll be disappointing people if you don’t show up? 

A lot of people do this with work…. It’s almost like, people are afraid to use time that’s rightfully granted to them. Your chair will still be warm when you get back and your space will still be yours! I always tell people - no job, no amount of money - can pour back into your mental health if that same cup your pouring from is essentially being emptied by the thing you are trying to show up for. (Might need to read that twice) 

So what is burn out…

in the clearest of terms - that feeling where you know that you are pushing yourself, that feeling where your fighting what your body is telling you, that’s feeling where you feel like you’re crashing and you can’t fight the collision - yes, this is burn out. 

The crazy thing about experiencing burn out, it doesn’t just happen….. it’s not something that just comes…… oh baby there’s warning signs - your body will tell you more than enough times to take a break, to sit down or to simply rest. Now when you choose not to listen, that’s when your body will begin to shut down for you. 

What does burn out look like?

Burn outs can look like a few things - all physical mental and emotional

• Disconnecting from things you love or normal task you enjoy

• Extremely fatigue 

• Emotional and random breakdowns

• Agitated 

• Imposter Syndrome & self doubt coming in stronger than ever

• Inability to focus on the things we typically enjoy

• Disconnected…. All together

• You start having trouble finding the joy in things 

Start listening to your body, when your body is trying to tell you something, especially if that something is to rest.

• Take breaks - they are important

• Don’t try to do too much in time that you know you do not have 

• Focus on one thing at a time and be devotional and intentional with the time energy and effort you’re putting in

• Don’t be afraid to have accountability partners, if you are someone that gets overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help

• Set some alarms! 10 minutes every hour

• Rest when you are tired

• Stretch and move your body if you feel you have stagnant energy

• Take time off 

• Set boundaries (with yourself too)

“You can’t fill the cups around you, if your well is dry”