“Sometimes the most urgent and vital thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest.”
Ashleigh Brilliant
Beyond the Quote (115/365)
If you’re at the point of burnout, that doesn’t mean that you’re just physically tired or that you’re mentally fatigued… being burned out means that your body has shut down because all of your domains of energy have been depleted—physical, mental, and emotional. And when your body shuts down, you have no choice but to listen.
You can push yourself to keep going when you’re tired, or even when you’re exhausted, but you can’t push yourself to keep going when you’re shut down. Have you ever tried using a computer when it’s shut down? Yeah, the same thing happens when you try to use your shut down body. If you’re at this point then it means it’s time to listen up—because your body is pissed.
Recovering from burnout is no quick-fix process and it’s important that you take burnout seriously and confront it for what it is. This is not something that’s just going to go away on its own while you try and carry on with life like it’s “business as usual.” Doing this will only make things worse and prolong the time it takes to recover. Have you ever tried physically challenging an injured muscle? Didn’t go too well did it? Well, trying to challenge a burned out body is only going to cause similar, non-helpful, prolonging issues.
Furthermore, I think it’s also important to point out that burnout is not something that should be perceived as a “weakness.” You’ve met one of your upper limitations! This is a learning opportunity and you should pay attention to that. This is the time when you should be asking yourself how you got to this point; what you could have done differently; what warning signs you might have ignored; and how you might better prevent this from happening again in the future. Plus, don’t forget that it’s during our periods of rest—which is the period that you’re undoubtedly going to have to enter in order to recover—when our body only ever builds strength.
We don’t build strength when we’re engaged in the act of working out—we build strength when we’re sleeping and recovering from those workouts. We don’t build mental resolve when we’re in the middle of a problem—we build resolve by expanding our thinking and by patiently and deliberately returning to those problems over an extended period of time. We don’t build emotional resilience when we’re in the middle of an emotional storm—we build that resilience when we’re calming ourself down and reflecting inward after the storm.
These are the most important first steps on the road to recovery from burnout—acknowledging it for what it is, seeking to understand it with honest and deliberate self-inquiry, and giving yourself the space and time your body will need. Again, this is not something that you can just choose to be done with. Recovery from burnout is a process that will only resolve itself on its own accord. Just like that injured muscle that we referenced earlier, you will need to make some necessary modifications in your life that will allow you to stay shut down and focused on healing.
As far as what you should be doing? If you didn’t already gather as much—nothing like what you were doing before. Maybe: sleeping; eating plenty of healthy, wholesome foods; going on walks; spending time in nature; unplugging from the world; journaling; long-hot showers; drawing; etc. Beyond that, instead of listening to your monkey mind this time around, try listening to what your body has to say to you—it’s much more communicative than you might realize. It’ll know what will be best. Good luck!
Don't Let the Motivation Stop There...!
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