Not too long ago, I read that according to the International Classification of Diseases, burnout, specifically from chronic stress in the workplace, is now a legitimate medical diagnosis. Reading this made my heart ache. How is it possible that we, humans, allow ourselves to reach the point of chronic stress? We probably can think of many reasons to be stressed. But, rather than focusing on that, let’s shift our attention toward the positive things that you can do, add, or change in your life to promote more joyful living.
In my own experience, when I feel that I have too much on my plate, I try to focus on what matters most: me. Why? Because once I start feeling overwhelmed, I know that I won’t have the emotional capacity to move on with my day. I’m not talking about selfish attention, I am talking about self-compassion. The next time you’re feeling stressed, try these three simple steps:
Step 1: Pause. Instead of feeling self-pity for ourselves, we can imagine taking the suffering, giving it a hug, and saying, “I’m having a difficult time. What can I do right now to care for myself?” Even with everything going on in our busy lives, until we recognize it, we can’t fully move on and let stress go.
Step 2: Reconnect. When we show ourselves kindness and appreciation, we open the door to look inside and offer ourselves what we need. We cannot take care of others, or even be productive, if we don’t take care of ourselves first.
Step 3: Reset. My dad would say, “Our human condition is complex,” and he is right. We have a lot of complexity to deal with: emotions, judgments, believes, frustrations, etc. And, if we could only accept our human condition that things won’t go perfectly all the time, and that’s okay! We will make mistakes and feel disappointed, but we have the capacity to look at our human condition and see that, deep down, others want to be happy – just like you. When I say “reset,” I mean starting over. Give yourself an opportunity to restart right where you are. After all, life is not a race, but an opportunity to create.
