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There’s a lot of talk in our culture about burnout, and you might be experiencing it right now, too. At one point, you remember feeling vibrant and alive, energetic about your work and your life, but now things feel a little blah.
If we look at an actual fire, we can find some clues on what we need to get our flames burning bright & strong. While there’s no one-size-fits-all cure, here are three questions to help you begin your journey to healing from burnout.
- Do you have enough air? Fires require oxygen to thrive, and so do you. Do you have enough margin built into your life? Are you taking breaks at work, doing fun activities that give you a chance to catch your breath, and giving yourself enough time to sleep and eat well and exercise? All of these are crucial for your well-being.
- Are you burning the right materials? In a fire, some things burn rapidly; others burn steadily. Some release toxic chemicals when they’re burned (never put treated wood into a fire for this reason!). Some things will create a lot of smoke. Not everything that you put into your fire is created equally. If you find that your fire isn’t burning how you’d like, consider what is in it: do you actually like this job? Are the people in your life building you up or are they creating toxic fumes? Are there distractions that are only creating smoke, blocking your field of vision from what’s important? Consider how you can fuel and care for your physical body with good food, hydration, and sleep. Evaluate what media you’re consuming and how it makes you feel. All of these steps are looking at what’s actually creating the fire that you’re attempting to burn.
- Are you taking up enough space? If your internal fire isn’t burning as hot or bright as you’d like, it could be because you aren’t giving it enough space to grow and spread. Consider if you are keeping yourself small unnecessarily, whether because of your own fears or because of your environment. Trust that you won’t lose control if you allow yourself to expand and take up the space you deserve.
You have a unique contribution to this world. You are the type of person who wants to be thriving and building a life that feels good. You have things that you want to accomplish and a way that you want to impact the world. In order to truly do that, you have to find a sustainable, non-burnout way to manage your life. Hopefully these questions will help you get back on the path to reclaiming the full power of your fire.
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