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Whew! It was a process but worth it. I know I'll never get that deep into burnout again. Once you know how it feels you can course correct quickly.

When you're already worn down taking care of yourself can feel just like another task or chore you have to complete. When I was in the middle of my burnout I had the hardest time doing the most basic things and I rolled my eyes every time someone told me that I just needed to prioritize myself. Gee. Thanks.

So, when you're in the middle of chaos sometimes the best thing to do is start small.

▪️ Leave work behind. It's more difficult for some than others but it's important to clear space for fun and rest. This will take time and practice so start now.
▪️ Some of us don't get anything done unless it's planned..even fun. Make sure to check out your schedule and find a block of time you can take for yourself. Sometimes it's a morning you can sleep in, an afternoon you can spend at the park, or an evening for a hot bath. The key here is to know ahead of time that you can depend on this time for yourself.
▪️ This might be the biggest point: do not beat yourself up afterward. Of course you could have been doing other things during that time. The key is to begin to look at your down time as productive time because it is. Productivity is not sustainable without rest. It is essential.

So, the first week of 2023 is wrapping up, and plenty of people are not feeling as refreshed as they hoped they would after the holidays. I have to admit, this short week felt loooong.

I'm not saying it's burnout, but it definitely could be. So many are facing stressors from all angles. Work has been crazy since COVID. Things are "getting back to normal," but nothing is really normal at all. Inflation is adding pressure, as is wild weather across the US.

The thing about burnout is that it's not as simple as you'd hope. It's not specific to just work or home. We're experiencing both, and they both influence your mental health. The symptoms also overlap with other issues, making it difficult to pin down.

Here are 5 symptoms of burnout to help you identify what's going on. I'd add that burnout can affect all areas of your life even if you're not experiencing stress in each area. For example, if your job has left you fried, you are likely to lose drive and interest in the things that can usually bring you joy. You're maxed out, and that leaves you drained and overwhelmed. The first step is identifying the issue and the catalyst, and then you can take control and make adjustments. I spent YEARS burned out. It doesn't have to be that way.

Here's the thing. Change is hard, even positive change. Most of us are wired to avoid it. Ever known what you have to do but felt unable to do it? It's normal. If you're working on change and it feels wrong and tough know that it's not a sign that you're doing the wrong thing. It's going to feel that way and you'll feel better. This hard part, it's necessary. We don't change without going through it.

It's taken me a bit to get it together but our troop is finally kicking off the year this weekend. I'm so excited for what we'll do and I don't even know what that is yet... it's girl led so they'll do the planning. I'm just here to make it happen. I kinda fell into the leader role but it sure has been a great experience.

Never too late. Do that thing you've been thinking about doing.

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Anyone else have a perpetual pile of dishes?

One thing I didn't consider when I first started working from home was the increase in dishes from eating alll my meals at home 😳 and the amount of dishes we had when we were all home during COVID lockdown 🤬!?!

The art supplies came with the kid and are also always present.

If only I had started saying this word much earlier in my career. I had no idea how empowering it was. I'm not sure exactly where I picked it up but I had myself convinced that success was on the other side of doing it all. It's not. It's much more likely that success will be easier to attain once you start saying No.

People often suggest you say no to the things that don't serve you or that you don't enjoy. What do you do when you enjoy all the things or are interested in trying, learning, and doing all the things? No can also be a "not right now". I didn't want to say no to volunteering because it's important to me but when I was writing my dissertation I could not spend extra time on anything else. So I had to say no to that for the time but picked it up as soon as I could.

For some of us saying NO takes practice. Boundaries were soooo hard for me to initiate but now it's one of the best ways I clear room for the things I want and need to do.

Sundays are such a conflicting day. Last day of the weekend, first day of the week. It's looked differently over the years; recovering from fun Saturday nights, endless days with a newborn, brunch dates, and getting ready for the next week.

What you do with the time matters less than how you feel about it. If you're going to relax, don't ruin it by feeling guilt. Take it, enjoy it, and allow it to re-energize you. I usually spend some time grocery shopping and prepping meals for the week. If I don't, I end up regretting it all week long. Some time on Sunday so on Tuesday I can grab a quick salad for lunch or throw together dinner between after school activities.

Maybe for you it's yoga to feel grounded going into the next week or getting caught up on the laundry so everyone has clean socks. Whatever it is, be intentional with your time and energy and you can avoid feeling Monday dread or disappointment about your weekends. Enjoy!!