A Different Approach To Burnout

In the last week I've spoken with multiple women who've told me they are exhausted, overwhelmed, and feel like they have NOTHING left in their bucket.

Is that you, too?

I look around and see a lot of indirect messages and pressure to dive in, make up for lost time, and to be happy and grateful and excited that we can again gather and hug and travel and go back to "normal."

I'm guessing a big part of you IS happy and grateful and excited.

And it's also okay if you are completely burned out. Or uncertain about what's really "safe" (anyone else's blood pressure spike a little every time you hear the words Delta variant?!?)

Or feeling stressed about returning to normality in general.

Because, let's face it, our "normal" wasn't particularly healthy -- on so many levels, both individually and collectively.

There's a good chance you were burned out before the pandemic ever started - and now that burnout is even deeper.

I've thought a lot about this lately. About burnout and exhaustion and disconnection from ourselves.

There's a lot bubbling up inside of me and I have no doubt I'll be sharing more with you over the coming months.

But for today, I want to share one conclusion I've come to about the antidote for all this exhaustion and overwhelm:

The cure to burnout is listening to yourself.

Listening to your body, your needs, your desires, to the still small voice inside of you.

And then doing the sometimes hard - and also freeing - thing to follow that voice.

Because burnout IS from the uncertainty and fatigue of the last year and a half.

And burnout is also from denying yourself. Denying what your body, heart, mind, and soul need. Denying your deepest desires.

Burnout is from constantly performing your life. It's from proving and pleasing and perfecting everything to the nth degree.

There is physical burnout. And then there is soul-burnout.

They are both real. And deep.

And the cure for both is the same -- LISTEN TO YOURSELF.

How do you do that?

Sit quietly for a few minutes. Do nothing.

Maybe you sit on your porch looking out at the trees, maybe you lay on the floor with your eyes closed. Whatever feels good.

Don't worry about emptying your head of all thoughts or doing anything "right." Just get still and be quiet.

See what arises. What is your body telling you? What is your true inner voice whispering to you, whether in actual words or just a feeling or deep knowing?

What do you need?

Maybe your first need is sleep. Maybe you're craving quiet. Maybe you need movement.

Maybe it's a deeper rustling about a bigger change needed in your life.

Whatever it is, follow your knowing and take steps towards the need.

I know, that part can be hard.

Usually those steps are about saying no, setting boundaries, or letting go of being responsible for everyone or feeling like doing something just for you is selfish (Dive deeper into all of these in my free video series, The Three Steps To Recover From Burnout - And Stay That Way).

Or if the rustling is deeper, it's about having the courage to stop and examine what that means.

You can do it. Let your courage be bigger than worry and fear and guilt.

The quiet still voice inside of you may not be loud, but she is STRONG.

YOU are strong.

P.S. This blog is focused on you. Also know that burnout is not your fault. There are things you can do to take control — and external systems and pressures are exerting themselves on you every single day. So no shame, blame, guilt, or feeling like you’re “bad” as self-care. Listen to your needs and do what you can to follow those needs. Every single time you say no or set a boundary, the system shifts just a tiny bit. I fully believe this will create a revolution of change over time. A slow revolution. Changing the world, one unhurried step at a time.

If you want help managing through burnout, check out my free video series, The Three Steps To Recover From Burnout - And Stay That Way. The videos will give you actionable steps you can take today to feel better and make lasting change.