The chime of the alarm filled my sleepy mind but the weight of my body felt like a concrete slab, too heavy to lift. It had been a long week and pushing through felt like rolling a boulder up a rocky mountain.
Rather than forcing myself to get through the entire day and creating a bunch of sub-par work which I may wind up redoing anyway, I decided that a 15 min pause would be the most productive thing I could do.
I sat down and set the timer for 15 min. Once my eyes were closed, I centered and started to repeat the phrase “I surrender,” over and over. I could feel the tears welling in my shut eyes until they began to burst out and flow down my cheeks while my body began to relax.
I desperately needed to give myself permission to be F***ING HUMAN and then about 30 seconds later I was ready to continue on with my day.
When we continually push through, we eventually reach a breaking point. And worst yet, rather than creating a comfortable and safe place to feel our emotions, they often wind up bursting out at the worst times imaginable.
What tools help you counter exhaustion? Do you have a strategy on how and when to use your tools to avoid burnout?