“In life, we juggle five balls: Work, Family, Health, Friends and Integrity. Only one will bounce back if dropped.” — Brian Dyson
I walked into 2021 scared shitless. Well, since I became an adult, I would say this was the first year I approached with anticipation of at least four significant life changing events. I did have an emotional roller-coaster of a year where I juggled and dropped a few balls but overall, I would say it was a good year. Let me start with the burnout story.
Elasticity and Burnout
“Sometimes we get so caught up trying to accomplish something big that we fail to notice the little things that give life its magic” — Anon.
In simple English, the Law of Elasticity (Hooke’s Law) states that the extension of a spring or wire is directly proportional to the force applied, provided the limit of proportionality is not exceeded.
Yes, I am convinced I had physically and emotionally exceeded my limit of proportionality and also my elastic limit. As such, I was indeed burnt out in 2021.
According to www.webmd.com, burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. It is a result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical and mental stress. Burnout keeps you from being productive. It reduces your energy, making you feel hopeless, cynical and resentful. The negative effects of burnout spill over into other areas of life — home, work, social life and can also cause long-term changes to your body — making you vulnerable to illness.
I experienced all the markers of burnout for most parts of the year but because hard guy, hard guy, I kept trucking on precariously until my body started failing. I even caught and battled with COVID-19 at some point. Before I sought help with the burnout, I decided to wield the big stick at my own self and pull the brakes.
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” — Eddie Cantor
Anyway, I remain grateful for the gift of discernment and flashes of serendipity. I am now working on a few of the debilitating habits that led to the burnout. I hope that in 2022, I am able to be disciplined enough to stem the tide and live a more meaningful and fulfilled life. I hereby implore you all to pay attention to your own markers in the new year, working to ensure you too do not burnout inadvertently. I particularly like the simple “Three R” approach for dealing with burnout. I hope you can use it as a guide.
Recognition: Understand your personal law of elasticity. Know what your limits are and watch for the markers of burnout in your day to day activities at home or at work. Love yourself.
Reversal: Restore your elasticity. Try to undo the damage by managing your stress and stressors. Also, seek support as necessary. Love yourself.
Resilience: Maintain your elasticity. Set and respect your boundaries. Take care of yourself daily — physically, emotionally and mentally. Love yourself.
Regrouping and Service
“The sun is a daily reminder that we too can rise from the darkness, that we too can shine our own light” — S. Ajna
My birthday is usually a good time to make resolutions and promises to self (and sometimes to others). As such, I want to use this medium to shop for accountability partners. As I seek restoration to the aspects of my physical, emotional and mental health in 2022, I would like to work with whoever is willing to spread the gospel of good health and wellness.
To be clear, I am looking to start something (I don’t quite know what it is yet). Perhaps a community or a movement that helps people work through stress and burnout in the different aspects of their lives. Participants in this something could be health and wellness professionals, program managers and coordinators, financial contributors etc. If you are interested in working with me on this, please shoot me an email: odiong@gmail.com
Regardless of the burnout and the one or two downers, 2021 was a good year after all. I am grateful for the opportunities for learning on my numerous literal and figurative trips during the year (I will share the pictures soon). As always, I hope we all live through 2022 to be able to look back and be thankful for the year we were able to create internally and externally.
Happy New Year.
Odiong