Breaking Away from Burn-Out
Leaving the race comes before the reset
Stepping away has power.
Stepping away forces a re-set you didn’t know you needed.
Stepping away is clarifying.
Filling your senses with fresh and novel stimulations does a fine job of cutting tired old circuits so that new wiring can begin to do its work.
Stepping away doesn’t need to be fancy. Walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood near home can probably do the trick just as well as, say, walking five miles along Copenhagen’s canals.
Having stepped away recently, I’ve been reintroduced to its value—the necessity, actually. My brain has gotten awfully tired; I’ve been grinding away for so many months. And I reached a point where I couldn’t tell the difference between what I wanted to be doing and what I though I was supposed to be doing.
But there is a difference. An important one.
And nothing tires you out—burns you out—quicker than performing tasks out of a sense of duty rather than in pursuit of joy and satisfaction.
Truth be told: I have been feeling quite burned out.
So my “step-away” time came in the nick of time.
And now I’m back. And I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to change about how I spend my time, the priorities I set, and where my energy goes.
I’m on the look-out for the activities that don’t serve me.
I have not yet decided what this re-set will look like. And I suspect it will take months to materialize…in part because I have so many commitments lined up!
But I can honestly say that I’m resetting my intentions.
This post is short…by design.
More to follow.
My new novel TENT CITY, is getting some amazing reviews —and now you can download the companion BOOK CLUB KIT, a rich resource for discussing the book!
“Amy L. Bernstein’s powerful novel reflects modern times with a twist, offering powerful insights into groups that used to work together and now find themselves seemingly at odds, but connected in unusual ways.
“The food for thought generated by this social and psychological examination will prove especially compelling for readers seeking literary reflections of present and future dilemmas surrounding haves and have-nots, simmering frustrations on all sides, and the raise of poverty that both births Tent City and portends its ultimate collapse, as well.
--D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Breaks are healthy and essential! Looking forward to your novel!