Burnout… How I care for myself.
Welcome back, I'm happy you're here.
There is no easy way to say this, I woke up in a nasty funk. I felt possessed. I'm usually pretty even keeled and this was not even keeled. In the past I would've tried to push through and ignore the discomfort, but not today. Today I plan to acknowledge it and hold space for it. After my morning yoga and still feeling emotionally icky, I knew I needed to move my body even more. I put on my shoes and went for a walk in my neighborhood, climbing the hills, and smelling the flowers.
Physical activity keeps me sane.
Nature grounds me.
I learned years ago that we always have a choice. We may not like the consequences, but we always have a choice.
Some things I chose in this moment:
don't judge this funk as good or bad
don't ignore it and try to push through
acknowledge the discomfort and lean in to it
get out and move my body
be kind to myself
Being angry at our discomfort isn't going to help us feel any more comfortable. I'm walking, moving through my discomfort. I'm climbing hills and my heart is racing. I'm listening to a calming meditation, my mind is slowing down. I see snapdragons, flowers I used to love pinching open in my grandmother's garden. Now I'm thinking about my grandmother and I see a heart shaped shadow. Slowly but surely, I'm feeling a little more “normal,” even keeled.
While I was in the thick of it, I kept thinking “this too shall pass,” nothing lasts forever. I was also remembering the book written by Amelia and Emily Nagoski, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. When we find ourselves in a state of stress, it's important to complete the stress cycle. They write:
“The good news is that stress is not the problem. It's how we deal with stress—not what causes it—that releases the stress, completes the cycle, and ultimately, keeps us from burning out. You can't control every external stressor that comes your way. The goal isn't to live in a state of perpetual balance and peace and calm; the goal is to move through stress to calm, so that you're ready for the next stressor, and to move from effort to rest and back again.”
6 evidence based strategies for completing our body's stress cycle:
Physical Activity (this includes screaming and punching pillows)
Creativity
Laughing
Crying
Physical affection
Deep breathing
My invitation for you:
Think about a recent time you were stressed.
How did you choose to respond to it?
Were you judging it?
Were you ignoring it and hoping it would magically go away?
Which of these strategies do you feel will work best for you and how can you pre-plan for the next time you're stressed?
Physical Activity
Creativity
Laughing
Crying
Physical affection
Deep breathing
Our problems don't go away until we acknowledge them. How would you like to acknowledge your stress?
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Thanks for reading! I look forward to seeing you next time.
With so much gratitude,