BURNTOUT

Hi there! Trust you all are having a fabulous week already. I am super excited as this is the ”numero uno” post on thecommunity.ng. First off, regards to my younger brother for literally dragging me on-board, I must say I am truly impressed with what I see. I’ll try to be as brief as possible because actually, I really don’t know the character limit.

I had a couple of occasions where I ran on an empty tank. At the end of every day, I would collapse into my bed and pray for a few hours of sleep, only to find my mind so wound up that sleep wouldn’t come. When the alarm went off the next morning, I would force myself out of bed, dreading the demands of the day ahead. Fuelled by cups of coffee and a strong sense of responsibility, I would take on every request for one more meeting, one more volunteer need, one more social gathering all the while daydreaming of running away from my cell phone and sampling new cupcake flavours. Or maybe I would change my name to Sister Mary Something-or-Other and join a convent and live a life of simplicity with nuns who also happen to perform Broadway shows. Too bad I was too tired to decide which one was the more viable option. (Hey, no judging my sleep-deprived daydreams!) I was overworked, over-caffeinated and overwhelmed. Eventually, I found myself infected from head to toe with a widespread epidemic: burnout. Yup…. That’s right…. I had the “burnout”. As with any physical ailment, there are symptoms associated with burnout. These warning signs start popping up everywhere, but we’re often too tired to take notice. See if you recognize any of these symptoms • Feeling mentally scattered or frustrated or constantly distracted. • Having difficulty sleeping consistently because you can’t “turn off your brain.” • Having trouble psyching yourself up for another day of working/volunteering/parenting/facing difficult people. • Seeing people as interruptions or a drain when you would usually find them energizing or engaging. • Having a hard time making small, insignificant decisions, like where to go for lunch or which movie to watch Here’s what we’ll do • Commit your routine to the hands of the Lord. Trust the Lord for divine strength (Isaiah 40 vs 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength…) • Learn to prioritize- Have a ”to do” list • Avoid time wasters- Individuals who want to talk about irrelevant issues • Keep in mind your health is more important than ‘’the work’’. Eat right and Sleep right! • Do not set unreasonable targets.