Like the title? I was inspired by Charlie Mackesy’s book. Before we start today post about dealing with burnout, I want to give a shoutout to my international readers. WordPress allows me to see which countries are viewing my content, and right now my top views are coming from some surprising places. Shout out to my readers in India and Singapore, thank you so much for checking out my blog and reading. Additional shoutouts (besides the US) go to the UK, Iraq, Cambodia, Myanmar, New Zealand, and Sweden. I hope my Google Translate plugin is doing a good job if you aren’t reading it in English. I appreciate all of you.
Today’s post is about a parable of sorts. It says that if you put a frog in boiling water, it will jump out. But if you put it in cool water and slowly turn up the temperature, it won’t notice the danger until it’s too late. I don’t know if it’s true. I’m an animal lover and not interested in testing the validity of the metaphor.
What I do know is that burnout is real, and that it doesn’t happen in a day. When things are going alright and you have a bad day, you know, “This is bad. I’m so stressed and overwhelmed.” When you are working working working 2 jobs and trying to make your blog/jewelry business successful, and don’t get a break, you don’t realize how not okay you are until it’s too late.
Then you find yourself unable to do anything because your brain and body are waving the white flag saying, “Please stop.” Then you can’t do anything. You have this list of all the things you know need to be done, but you can’t bring yourself to make anything happen. So, I just sat there feeling like a failure. I think, “If I can’t do my dishes, how am I ever going to go to Iceland?” It doesn’t really make sense, but it’s how I felt.
So, I did nothing for 2 days. I worked my short shifts at Subway and did nothing. Then suddenly I was like, “I’m going to put clothes away,” and I did! Then I said, “Maybe I can wash a few dishes,” and I did that too!! Then I showered, and I also washed my face!! Sometimes you just need rest. Sometimes, just like the frog, you don’t realize you are burnt out till it’s too late. It’s never too late to be kind to yourself though.
I also know that being kind to yourself is a lot easier said than done. So how do we start? Firstly, you have to allow yourself to do nothing guilt-free. It’s called rest, and it’s actually kind of fun if you can not feel guilty about it. Secondly, give yourself grace. Your problems aren’t going anywhere; they will wait for you. I promise. Lastly, try to forgive yourself for whatever you feel guilty for.
I’m so tired of feeling this way, but I can’t shake the guilt. I feel like if I could, I’d be doing so much better. Not to mention work has been a non-stop marathon the past 2 days, but no matter how much I get done, there is still more to do. And then I come home, and there is even more to do. There’s nowhere safe with no expectations. I have to make that space for myself, and I can’t do it.
I don’t know how to make a space with no expectations yet. I wish I did. What I do know is that I can’t keep pretending I don’t feel the heat. Maybe I don’t know how to jump out right now, but I’m not a frog, and life is not a pot of boiling water, so I have time. Time to keep trying, keep talking to my therapist, and keep trying to give myself grace.
Because that’s the only way out of the metaphorical boiling pot, and as long as I’m trying, there is hope. As long as you are still here, still showing up, and still doing the best with what you’ve got and what you know- there’s hope. Hope is what reminds us that there’s more to life than where we are right now.
Thanks again to all my readers. I really appreciate you, and I hope this post was able to encourage you even a little bit. I wish I had answers and an easy 3-step plan to get rid of burnout, but I don’t. All I can offer is hope, and I hope that is enough. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of this post. I would love to hear from you. Until next time, hang in there.
Sincerely,
LIBD
The Frog, The Water, And The Burnout
