Barre with Justine

I love to be busy.

As a people-pleaser, I will say yes to nearly every new opportunity and will try to make everyone happy. In my heart, I know this isn’t a realistic or healthy way to live but it wasn’t until my Dr. told me that my life was making THEM feel tired that I realized just how burned out I felt. She gently told me that it was taking a toll on my sleep and my health, giving me a moment to reflect on how crazy things had become.

Perhaps you have had this same experience? Life is busy but you are managing okay, surviving the mornings on multiple cups of coffee until something throws it all off….a hockey practice is mixed up, you are late for dance pickup, or a child is being “lots of naughty”* in her kindergarten class and the ear doctor appointment that has been postponed for months reveals that the ear infection from the spring is still causing hearing loss for her (last week for me!).

As I said to my Doctor, I just don’t know where to pare things back. Sports are so important to my son and he’s dedicated and driven when he plays. My daughter’s dance is a year long commitment and it brings her happiness. My littlest is only in one gymnastics class a week. My husband and I both work full-time and have additional roles in fitness and rugby that bring us joy. Add in church and trying to carve out time with friends (that never seems to happen) and it can feel like there is no wiggle room to breathe, let alone relax.

I know I’m not alone in feeling like this but I am struggling to find ways to cope when my energy and enthusiasm crumble. There’s a feeling that everyone our age with kids is experiencing the same depleting existence, so it becomes normalized. I also think sometimes that staying busy helps me avoid anxious thoughts but that’s a story for another day!

The worst part of feeling depleted is that I guide people through relaxation exercises multiple times a week but can’t find it in my own life.

I would love to hear your own thoughts on burnout – do you feel it too? How are you managing? Have we normalized a level of busyness that is unsustainable?

For me, I’m digging out some of my favourite books about meditation and relaxation including:

• The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson (a classic!)
• Meditation Made Easy by Lorin Roche
• Self-Care for Moms by Sara Robinson

I’m also so grateful that my colleague, Laurie, organizes a meditation session each week through Teams so that we can carve out time to breathe and find space in the middle of the week.

Thanks for reading this more personal post and I wish you all a restful rest of the week!

*when I picked up my oldest child from daycare years ago, she told me she was in trouble for being ‘lots of naughty’!!