burnout: the big bad wolf

"Storm Clouds" by Sarah Lee (source)

I have mentioned in my previous posts how I am dealing with a few things at the moment (or rather, perhaps, not dealing, but weathering), and burnout is the main thing.

And I just wanted to talk this out a little. Because burnout is kind of a scary thing if you haven't experienced it before - or even if you have. It kind of takes over everything, at least it does for me, and you find yourself wondering if it will ever. actually. leave. (note: it does. eventually.)

It has been about three weeks since I realised that I was burnt out, and I have to say that I thought I would be okay by now, and I am beyond frustrated that I am starting my new year feeling exhausted, grumpy, overwrought, and anxious. And yes, a little bit sad. It's not really the way I wanted to start 2016.

I have been having little windows of feeling okay, even feeling a little driven and excited about plans for 2016, and then it's like the fog descends once more and I just have to sit down and wait for a bit longer. 

Because fighting the fog never works, guys. There's nothing to swing out, nothing to yell at (everything gets a bit muffled anyway), and nothing to - in extremely desperate situations - bite. You're kind of just fighting against yourself a little bit, and that doesn't feel too good. It leads you to feel frustrated with yourself, and sometimes even lash out at the people you love - which makes you feel even worse and more frustrated.

The thing is, I know how to deal with burnout, even if I sometimes forget. The way to deal is to go to basics - whatever this means for you. Do the bare necessities, and then remind yourself of things that have made you happy in the past. For me, that means returning to gentle morning routines with incense, yoga, green smoothies, and meditation. It means rereading things that make me feel the warm fuzzies, and, yes, going through my belongings and getting rid of the things that no longer kindle my interest or inspire me.

And I think also reading about how others have gotten through burnout has helped me, so in the interest of sharing that there are a few links below to help out. If you have burnout too, I wish you all the best in your recovery. 

LINKS
http://leoniedawson.com/burnout-how-to-recognise-it-how-to-fix-it-how-to-get-better-at-it/

http://leoniedawson.com/stuck-in-a-rut-10-ways-to-get-out/

http://www.fluentself.com/blog/not-hating-on-yourself/what-you-do-when-you-feel-like-dirt/

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