Have you ever felt completely exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally? Do you feel like you’re being pulled in every direction from the moment you wake up until you go to bed? Overwhelmed, overstimulated, overworked, and just plain over it? If so, you’re not alone.
I have been feeling stuck in survival mode, just trying to make it through each day. Doing my best, but never feeling quite good enough. In a world that constantly glorifies hustle, it’s tough to surrender to slowness. We can feel guilty for resting or having some me time when our days are packed with responsibilities. But sometimes we have no other choice, because the alternative would be to implode.
“Hurry is violence on the soul.” – John Mark Corner
Taking time for ourselves is not selfish. It’s so important to use whatever time we have to center ourselves and recharge. This will help us be less reactive, frustrated, or snippy over seemingly small things. Whether it be by meditating, working out, reading a book, or watching Netflix, our only responsibility in these moments should be to replenish our tired souls.
Another thing that’s so important is setting boundaries to maintain a healthy work/life balance and prevent burnout. This could mean not responding to emails or messages late at night or taking a break during the day instead of working through lunch. We shouldn’t feel guilty for setting these boundaries, because they ultimately help us perform better.
If we’re feeling stuck or unhappy about our circumstances, we should consider changing them if we can or changing our perspectives if we can’t. Happiness is a choice. We need to wake up every morning and decide to be happy, despite our circumstances. If our happiness it dependent on our lives being exactly how we envisioned them to be, then we’ll never be happy.
So, let’s be kinder to ourselves. Let’s slow down when we need to, set boundaries where they’re needed, and stop expecting so much from ourselves. Each day, we can choose peace—on our own terms. And that choice, however small it may seem, can make all the difference.
