From Pressure to Peace – Leaving Burnout Behind by Pennie Hunt

I bet you have felt it. You aren’t motivated. You feel drained and exhausted. The enthusiasm you once had for your work is gone. You have lost interest in productivity or performance. You are stressed, overwhelmed, and you feel hide-in-the-closet hopeless!

You might add to that list physical problems like headaches and insomnia. You see yourself stepping away from social activities, procrastinating, and the person you see in the mirror is moody and irritable – even to you!

You have lost or gained weight because you are so busy and pressed for time that your diet has suffered. You skip meals or grab easy food and eat on the run. You may notice that food, caffeine, or alcohol has become a closer friend than it used to be.
You wonder if you are depressed, but you don’t have the energy or the power to concentrate long enough to research what is wrong, so you convince yourself that it is just YOU, and if you move faster and do more it will get better.

Here is a news flash. It isn’t YOU. All those symptoms can be bundled into one word- BURNOUT!

This state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress can be caused by work stress, family stress, caretaking of aging parents and/or children, or a combination of all of it. In our fast-paced world, “life” can cause burnout. Symptoms can vary but may include those I mentioned above – and more.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. A recent article in Forbes stated that burnout is at an all-time high with 66% of America’s employees experiencing some level of burnout. I also wouldn’t leave out students, stay-at-home parents, and retirees. Burnout can strike all ages and stages of life.

So how do we balance our lives and begin living in bliss instead of burnout? How do we move from stress to simplicity? From havoc to happiness? From chaos to calm? How do we pursue the path from pressure to peace in our lives?

This is where you might be thinking I am ready to give you the golden ticket, the perfect solution, or the map that will guide you to reach that place of peace and bliss. I am sorry to say I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer.

I have many decades of life experience. And yes, I have had more than one pocket of time that I experienced being frazzled or overtired – the words used years ago before burnout became popular. What I have learned is that some situations will change with time. When I was a stay-at-home mom with 3 young children, I had times when I thought I couldn’t change one more diaper, stay up one more night with a sick child, or manage one more fundraiser for their school. But I did and my children grew up. I look back at those days with love- it still makes me tired to think of it- but I cherish the sweetness of that time.

I also remember almost ten years of leading an organization, traveling, working 60-hour weeks, and commuting almost 2 hours every day. My burnout became real. When health issues and life tragedies hit me, I decreased my work time, decreased travel, and commuting, and began practicing self-care. 

What I stress to you is this- you must do what works for you. Pay attention to your body. Very little in life is worth giving up your health for. Make time to eat right and exercise. If you cannot cope or deal with depression, see a professional if needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and put yourself first.

Cut down your “Hafta” list. We believe we are indispensable and hafta do everything. There is very little in life that you hafta do! Yes, I realize most people have rent or a mortgage, so you hafta have an income and if you have babies – you hafta feed the babies! But take a deep look at everything on your hafta list and chisel it down!

Look at your job or career. Are you doing what you love? Is there a way to improve your current situation? Is your boss open to conversations about change? If none of this works, refresh your resume- it may be time to find success elsewhere.

It takes time to create a life you love, but it is possible. Finding the right balance between what you hafta do and what you enjoy doing is attainable. Burnout can make you feel like a failure or imposter, but you are not. You are just on the path from pressure to peace as you leave burnout behind.
Enjoy the journey!
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                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                            Focus on what matters in life.
                                        Create a life of balance and peace.
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​YOUR TURN...        
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                                                                 Thank you!  ​
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