Burnout, Crashing, and the Balance of Stimulation

A friend messaged me today.

She was asking me about burnout and crashing and the balance of being under and overstimulated.

Here is my reply:

I have so much experience of that. My whole life! I have pushed myself to my edges, I have maxed myself out. Awareness is the answer - learning to get to know yourself. To know your edges. Notice when you get close to them. When you feel yourself getting stretched, you notice before you feel fried. It’s easy to get into a cycle of exhaustion, illness, and critical judgment. Self-judgement is the worst. It’s harsh and mean.

To get the best out of yourself, you need to be gentle with yourself. When you know yourself, you can know what is and isn’t ok for you. Then, you have the power to know what you need and how to get the best out of yourself.

Don’t make yourself wrong or let others judge you on their version of normal.

You are not normal! You are amazing! Treat yourself as the rare and precious person that you are!!

No one ever got burnt out doing what they loved. They got burnt out overgiving and undernourishing. They got burnt out working to the beat of someone else’s drum. Obligated to someone else's dream.

It's easy to buy into other people's dreams. To become a facilitator of other people's lives. And then you find yourself staring into the bathroom mirror thinking - what about me? When do I get to do what I want?

The answer is simple. Simple but not easy!

You have to make yourself a priority. Easier said and done right? Only you can give yourself what you want. Understanding and fulfilling ourselves is our only job! It’s your job to get to know you. It’s your job to learn to like you, to love you, to do you

A question I am playing with at the moment is: “How am I the source of my own suffering?” What are you tolerating? Where are you sacrificing yourself?

Once you start asking yourself this question, all kinds of things will come up. You will start noticing where you need nourishment. Nourishment can be in the form of nutritional food, emotional understanding, or thoughtful planning.

This year is going to be a big year. Look after yourselves out there!

If you need a hand getting a plan - we still have a few 2024 Purpose Planners left. If you want some space to get clarity, to nourish yourself then join me at my Repotted Retreat on February 9th - 11th.