When overwhelm leads to burn out,
You’re aware of the tremendous load you carry in life. There’s so much adulting that you feel responsible for: bills (obviously), your career trajectory, building wealth, commitments to your families, friends, organizations, schools, and work. You feel an ever-present pressure to get involved, stay involved, and make a difference.
It’s not just that you feel you have no time to spare, with the hats you wear, the balls you juggle, and the schedules you manage, you feel like you don’t even have time to think or rest. The down time you do have feels guilty pleasure…like an escape from the demands. You feel guilty for both taking the time to escape, and how angry you are if you can’t take it.
You’re aware that you need to slow down or make changes that would lighten your load, but you don’t know how you could do anything different without everything falling apart. You feel like stepping away from anything that you take care of is going to mess things up for other people. You’ll let them down. And disappointing other people is an emotional weight that’s heavier than what’s on your plate right now, so you might as well keep doing it all. Not to mention, you are the only one who knows how it all needs to be done.
Because let’s face it, if you don’t take care of it all, then who will?
And that’s the part that keeps coming up for you, because just underneath that question is the awareness that you are taking care of it all, but who’s taking care of YOU?
You feel like it’s finally time to establish boundaries and take care of yourself, too. You know you deserve it, and yet it’s so difficult to do. Sometimes it feels like establishing and maintaining boundaries is just One More Thing that’s added to your plate. Isn’t it supposed to make your life easier and lighter? Yes, it is.
I’m here to show you why it isn’t and how it will.
You are not crazy, you are not making any of this up, and you are not imagining things. The feeling you have is your inner wisdom telling you what your nervous system needs to make the next right step for your health and wellness. Our culture has trained us to override these internal nudges so society can function at top performance. But communities can not be well unless the people who make them are well themselves. Taking care of yourself first allows you to pour into the community you love with sustainable energy.
it’s time for The Unlearning.
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If you are navigating a moment that feels pressured or unclear, you do not have to sort it out alone.
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Use this form if you are navigating a situation that feels complex, pressured, or unclear and want to explore what kind of support might be useful. This can include questions about The Unlearning, Leadership in Practice, or upcoming workshops.
