Bouncing Back from an Overwhelming Season
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Have you ever had a season that just ran you into the ground?
Like you couldn't handle even the simplest of tasks and found yourself on the verge of tears? If so, you're not alone. I have definitely been there too. In fact, that was exactly how I felt this fall. Let me share with you how I’ve been bouncing back from that overwhelming season and finding balance once again.
This Fall…
This Fall, my speaking schedule became increasingly demanding. I didn’t give myself enough of a break between speaking engagements… and realized that I’d been weighing the speaking gigs that required me to take a flight more heavily than the ones that did not. I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.
And it wasn’t just my business. It was my day job, too…
For years, I’ve juggled them both, and quite effectively. But it’s easy when your business doesn’t have a lot going on. It’s easy when there aren’t a lot of people depending on you in your business. I was able to pivot my energy and my focus and easily get back on track because I wasn’t easily going from one busy season into the next…
Before I knew it, I started noticing the telltale signs of burnout. I was in a constant state of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. I remember one night in October leaning my head against my refrigerator and breaking down in an overwhelmed. Yes, the overwhelm was more due to circumstances in my day job, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that I couldn’t keep working as hard as I was working and doing as much as I was doing. It felt like I had hit a wall and couldn't push myself further. It was clear that I needed to make some changes before my health suffered even more…
The signs I noticed that told me I needed to make changes
Exhaustion. I’ve had exhausting weeks and exhausting trips before, but I was in such a state of exhaustion from day-to-day that it really felt like it was holding me back. I didn’t have the energy to work out, despite having a workout routine for years. It got bad…
Skipping my time off. I have worked 6 days a week for a long time. My day job required me to work Sunday through Thursday, and I often worked Fridays in my business just to catch up. Saturdays have been my non-negotiable day off for years now. Yet, more and more, I was finding myself not only working right up until I went to sleep, but working on Sundays too.
Repeated sickness. I have been sick 3 times this Fall. Usually, it’s odd for me to get sick at all and one of these illnesses last for over 2 weeks. Again, that’s not normal for me.
Emotional breakdowns. I mentioned before that night back in October. After a really long night in my day job, I found myself looking at how much else I had left to do…and I broke. I was overwhelmed and all I could do was lean my head against my refrigerator and sob. I haven’t had a moment like that in years and that was perhaps the biggest sign that something desperately needed to change…
Some of the places that I’ve been focusing to help me get back to myself…
My goal since then has been to make massive changes to my life. Both large and small. I’ve focused on cutting down on my workload, regaining my self-care practices and habits and more. But, I don’t want to hand-wave here. I want to tell you the specific things I’ve been doing to get myself back on track because I do, as I write this, feel better than I have felt in months.
Focus on sleep. Getting enough rest has been #1 for me since I had this aha. For me, sleep is and has always been a miracle cure. If I feel a tickle in my throat, a long night of sleep is usually enough to shake it. So, I locked in my sleep. I optimized my bedtime, my sleep environment, and more. For the last month, I’ve been sleeping for 8 hours a night on average—my Eight Sleep does not lie!
Getting back into an exercise routine. I’ll admit that this one has been hard, especially with a new bought of illness hitting me in early December. But, I’ve been prioritizing movement as much as I can and a big part of this has been opening myself up to realizing that any movement is good movement. It didn’t just have to be throwing around weights in the gym. It didn’t have to be a 45-minute walk. It didn’t matter if it was stretching or somatic exercise. Any and all exercise that I was able to put in counted…and that was a big shift for me to make mentally.
Healthy eating. I have been trying my damnedest to get back into eating more healthily and relying WAY less on eating out. And, I’ll be the first to admit it’s taken some discipline. I’m imperfect still, but what I’ve been focusing on is a) roughly planning out my meals, b) getting in WAY more protein so that I stay full, c) grocery shopping 1x a week, and d) at least doing a little bit of meal prep. I’ve been loving pre-made egg, bacon, and cheese breakfast sandwiches, slow cooker chili, and big salads with lots of added protein.
Embracing flexibility. One of the most important lessons I learned during that overwhelming season was the value of being flexible with my to-do list. I realized that it's perfectly okay to reschedule tasks and adjust deadlines when necessary. By giving myself the freedom to be flexible, I reduced the immense pressure I was putting on myself and focused on what truly mattered.
Daily Downtime. Honestly, this has been huge and it really depended on me embracing flexibility in my to-do list. It's so stinking easy to forget the importance of taking breaks and giving ourselves time to recharge. That's why I made it a point to take daily downtime—my mornings, evenings watching Netflix, ensuring that I actually take 24 hours off each week, etc. During these moments, I completely disconnected from work and did what brought me joy…and relaxation. Whether it was curling up with a good book, going for a leisurely walk, watercoloring, listening (and dancing around) to music…whatever! IT was like my daily dose of joy and these small moments of self-care played a crucial role in helping me find balance and replenish my energy.
Bouncing back from an overwhelming season is a journey that requires self-awareness, self-care, and flexibility. We have to have the awareness to recognize when we’re pushing too hard and when our body is telling us that. We have to have the self-awareness to know what we can take and what we can manage in terms of our self-care. We have to non-judgmentally evaluate how much is to much! But, by doing so, we can regain your energy, find balance, and thrive once again.
Remember, it's absolutely okay to ask for help and seek support when needed. You don't have to go through it alone—in fact, you shouldn’t. Take care of yourself, and always remember that you deserve to prioritize your well-being above all else.
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