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Let's talk about burnout and practicing patience. We've all heard burnout can come from two things, either: 1) just plain doing too much or 2) not doing enough of the things that light you up. But what if you're doing all the things, and some of those things glimmer for you, but you're still suffering from burnout? I feel like this is a real problem for those with side hustles or who are pursuing creative endeavors on the side of their regular-degular, which would be the case with me.
I know I'm experiencing burnout when I catch myself rushing through my project so that I can just get it done already and move onto the next thing. That's a tell-tale symptom that I've taken on more than I can reasonably achieve with the time available and set my expectations too high. I'm learning that when that feeling of frustration starts to kick in, that's when I need to take a step back and allow myself some rest.
For me, rest means I allow myself the time to practice the art of doing nothing. No agenda. No timeline. No guilt! The no guilt part is the hardest part for me! It's so hard to stop, or slow down, when I already feel behind. I have to make myself take a minute and tune into my mind and body and ask myself why I'm experiencing resistance. What would better serve me in that moment? Essentially, I take notice of what I've been doing a lot of. Then, take time to do the opposite. Maybe I find myself needing a mind-numbing veg out day or two of movies to distract my brain because I'm over-thinking. Maybe I've been feeling trapped in the grunt work, and I need to get out for a change of scenery. Maybe I've been doing a lot for others as well, and I need to pamper myself for a bit.
I've been through this cycle enough times in my life that I know I will be able to get back into flow once I rest. In fact, one of the ways I stop guilting myself for taking rest is by reminding myself of that truth. That, and I remind myself that I can't really ever be behind on goals and projects that I've imposed on myself! Patience is required. Patience can be a very difficult thing for me to practice when so many creative ideas are racing through my mind constantly and every day that I'm not creating feels like I'm getting farther from realizing my dreams. Recently, I've found a way to catch myself and reframe that thought. I have to remind myself of the dreams that have already come to fruition. They too took time and patience, but I did get there! As long as there is forward momentum in the grand scheme of things, I feel like not only will my projects be realized, but I'll also get better at practicing patience and allowing myself to rest before I get to the burnout stage.
If you've been burning the candle at both ends and find yourself frustrated and uninspired, I hope you're able to write yourself a permission slip to take some time to rest and restore, or at least find a few tidbits from my experience to help you in your journey.
Much Light & Love,
Gawa