This post was actually supposed to go out yesterday, but I stopped work early and didn’t write it.

Here’s why:

I could tell I was about to burn out for the day.

Even though I hadn’t hit the end of my work hours for the day…

(which are specifically designed to prevent burnout)

…I could feel in my body that if I did one more thing, I’d regret it.

I’d feel completely drained & spend a couple of hours after work on the couch, trying to recover.

That means I wouldn’t have any energy to really enjoy my free time, and instead would be spending my evening recuperating so that I could wake up, and work all over again.

So even though I had important, money-making things to do (aka write this email!)…

…I listened to my body, ignored my schedule, and signed off of my computer and walked away so that I wouldn’t burn out and regret it for the rest of the day.

Can I ask you a question?

How often do you ignore your body and its needs because you’re prioritizing your schedule?

It could be as simple as waiting an extra 15 minutes to pee…

…or waiting an extra 30 minutes even though you’re absolutely ravenous (maybe even lightheaded) and you want to eat.

Or, it could be as serious as knowing that you’re already tired and burnt out for the day…

…but working an hour past that so that you can hit a deadline.

If you’re guilty of any of these, I need you to hear this:

If you want to really overcome your burnout, you need to learn how to listen to your body…

…and you need to meet your body’s needs.

A lot of times we talk about how our jobs and our responsibilities are what make us burnt out.

And while yes, part of that is likely true – there’s a part of your burnout that you can control, too.

Because even if your responsibilities lessen and your work becomes more humane…

…if you’re ignoring your body and its needs – whether that’s food, a five minute break, a bit of sunshine, or to close your laptop early at the end of a stressful day…

…there’s a good chance you’ll still feel burnt out, depleted, and like you have no energy left at the end of the day.

Let’s be honest:

Building this connection with your body can feel really hard because we’ve been raised to ignore our body’s needs in service of getting shit done, being productive, and maintaining our (completely overstuffed) schedules.

It requires a ton of practice, a lot of internal work to feel safe doing less, and a lot of soul searching to unravel all the ways you’ve been taught that you have more value, or you’re “good” and “worthy” when you’re being productive and get shit done.

This is why I spend so much time on helping the leaders of color:

❤️understand how much work their body really has capacity for before it burns out
❤️build better boundaries with themselves & their work so that they respect that capacity
❤️build tools to navigate the internal drama that is bound to come up when they start respecting themselves & doing less.

It’s because it’s possible – and you deserve – a life where you are energized, enjoying your life, and feeling less stressed…

…no matter what your work is or what you do.

Looking for some support, then get on my calendar and let’s see if we’re a great fit to work together!

xx,
Gieselle