Rest Assured: More Is More
THE BEST CURE FOR BURNOUT IS MORE REST
By Erica Hunter
As women-wives, mothers, sisters, friends, employers, entrepreneurs, and beyond-we rely heavily on checking tasks off our daily to-do-lists. We make it our priority to dot every “I” and cross every “T”, and often carry on the “SuperWoman Syndrome”. It is important to really understand that in order to adequately and consistently care for our loved ones, we must first care for ourselves- adequately and consistently.
A nap every now and then, a birthday spa day once a year, and an overdue Manicure and pedicure are all nice ways to show yourself a little love, however, in contrast to the amount of pressure we’re put under to accomplish every day, it’s simply not enough.
If we constantly allow ourselves to over commit, over perform, over stimulate and under nourish, we can begin to experience a level of burnout and anxiety and stress can consume our minds... if we let it.
I remember my season of burnout; it hit me out of nowhere, so I thought. I remember talking to my therapist in tears with a list of things I was experiencing but did not understand. I wondered why I was so tired all the time and why I couldn’t get anything accomplished during that time. She looked at me, with concern in her eyes, and said, "Even Jesus went on the mountain to rest." Then it clicked, almost like an inner light bulb lit up. I thought, “If Jesus can take time out for a mental break from saving and healing people, then I surely should do the same.”
Especially as women who make decisions that impact people connected to us, we have to be proactive in taking care of our mental, physical, and emotional health to operate at our optimal potential and prevent burnout. We have to prioritize rest, take our “Super Woman”
capes off sometimes and learn ways be okay with what we can not immediately handle or change. INVEST in your self care- research and hire a qualified therapist, schedule more self-care days as opposed to squeezing in self-care moments, create a self-care routine and stick to it! Make caring for yourself a priority instead of an afterthought.
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