burnout

The Subtle Signals: How to Know When You’re Off Track

Bardees, Leave a comment

How do you know you are off track? 

What are the signs that you are not at your best, out of shape, or not doing well?

This is a list of what my goals group shared when I asked this question, and I added some of my own: 

  • Clutter at home or office.
  • Food rotting in the fridge.
  • Ordering Junk Food/Takeout.
  • Laundry accumulates and, if done, remains on the couch for days.
  • Skipping positive practices like gratitude journaling.
  • Forgetfulness.
  • Pains in your body.
  • Getting sick again.
  • Not going out in the sun.
  • Not walking or moving body.
  • Feeling sleepy most of the time and dragging oneself to places.
  • Skipping skin routines.
  • Skipping showers.
  • Oversleeping more than usual.
  • Not answering other people’s messages for days.
  • Not initiating contact with other people.
  • Forgetting what it means to feel inspired by an idea.
  • No curiosity or excitement.
  • No music in your life.
  • Easily irritable.
  • Snapping at others.
  • Road rage.

What are your signs that you are off track? 

Define your list, and when you notice one of the signs, let it trigger you to ask yourself, “What do you need?” over and over, and then wait for the answer.

After that, take action.

I love to ask myself this question on paper and write whatever comes to mind.

Sometimes, the answer is to ask for help. 

The Subtle Signals: How to Know When You’re Off Track

Magic and Energy

Bardees, , Leave a comment

A good night sleep, a rested body, a healthy gut and an alert mind, are some of the natural things that most of us enjoy every day but take for granted. When they go missing, however, we lose our magic.

We don’t have enough energy to process data or people. We find it hard to avoid road rage caused by a reckless driver who cut in front of us. We get edgy with our boss for making a very reasonable request. We feel needy when a loved one does not answer right away. We more than dislike online schooling and any newly assigned homework like the plague. We seek food for comfort that can’t be grasped. Our attempt to save our energy turn us into whiny selfish human beings. We feel like we lost the capacity for kindness or understanding. We take things personally.

This happens when you miss a good night sleep or two.

Imagine this state expanding over days and weeks. This turns into burnout. No time for self-care turns us into exhausted cynics. We feel we can’t make a difference and the light of hope dims in our eyes.

If you feel that what I described is how you feel most days, I am here to tell you 2 things. First, you are not alone and second, given your circumstances, it is still not natural to feel this way, no matter what others tell you.

You are meant to thrive. You are meant to feel hopeful. You are meant to feel your goodness and extend it to others.

Name it to tame it. This is burnout, and it happens when you put aside your needs and take care of the needs and demands of others for too long. It is not sustainable. You need to take care of you first before taking care of others.

Start your healing by asking yourself what are you depriving yourself of? And whose opinion are you depriving yourself for?

You need a break to just be, to give your soul some space to breathe unrushed, so that your body could restore the energy it lost.

Your magic will return when your energy returns. You and your world deserve you at your best.

We need your magic. Take care of you.

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Blog Post title inspired by this.

Magic and Energy