The Burnout Wake Up Call in Life
Life’s journey often feels like an intricate dance, a delicate balance between societal expectations and personal desires. For women globally, this dance is made even more complicated with the constant societal pressures pushing us towards perfection—an ideal so elusive and vague, it often drives us towards a state of burnout, dimming life’s pleasures and obscuring our true purpose.
What is burnout in our lives ?
We’ve all been there at some point. The crippling exhaustion, the sense of disillusionment, the feeling of being trapped in a hamster wheel going round and round. This is burnout – a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Often, it’s the consequence of trying to meet unrealistic expectations, whether they come from society, our families, or ourselves.
What are the signs that we are experiencing burnout?
Recognizing burnout can be tricky, given how society glamorizes ‘busyness’ and ‘hustle’. Nevertheless, some common indicators might include constant fatigue, a sense of cynicism or detachment, a decline in productivity, and feelings of ineffectiveness. Additionally, we might find ourselves lacking the energy or enthusiasm we once had, feeling unaccomplished regardless of our achievements.
How can we cope with it?
Overcoming burnout begins with recognizing it. Listen to our bodies, honor our emotions, and allow ourselves to seek help if needed. Practice self-care and self-compassion – they aren’t luxuries but necessities. We might also want to reassess our boundaries and our priorities. What matters most to us? What brings us joy and fulfillment? Allow these answers to guide you in your journey to recovery.
Do we have the power of decision? Is this it?
Absolutely, we do have the power of decision. It may feel overwhelming at times, especially when societal norms and expectations weigh heavily on our shoulders. Yet, we can choose to press pause, to step back and reassess our path. We have the power to rewrite our narratives, to choose pleasure over pressure, to define our version of success.
This power of decision-making, this prerogative to redefine, is not just an abstract concept—it has real-life implications. Let’s take a journey into a personal story that illuminates this power of decision-making and the pursuit of pleasure over perfection. Let us share the amazing message of our founder, Anshu Singh, regarding her personal experience dealing with burnout in her life.
“They say that things must go completely downhill, into a deep, dark space, to make us change. My life went exactly there. I wasn’t happy, and I wasn’t sure of my existence, my purpose. When I asked myself, “Why am I living like this?” The answer was that the pressure of my mind and my conditioning was making my life hell.
Then one day, I woke up and had an epiphany—a breakthrough slowly emerged from breaking down. I knew that I needed to search for the meaning and purpose of my life and so I went on a spiritual journey of discovery. I got on the path to awareness and realized that I wanted to take ownership of my life and be released from the shackles of my mind, the expectations of my parents, and my conditioning. I had a knowing that I needed to seek out pleasure in every moment of my life; to really live each and every second of every day to its fullest. That’s now my purpose: to inspire as many people as possible to live a wholesome life filled with vitality, happiness, and pleasure”.
The journey from pressure to pleasure is not a one-size-fits-all path, It is a deeply personal and transformative process that demands honesty, courage, and resilience. The societal pressure to achieve perfection might be strong, but remember this: the power to decide, to redefine, and to choose is stronger—it resides within you.