I made this t-shirt design because we all get stressed, depressed, and pressed. But did you ever wonder why some days are so much worse than others? It’s because you only have so much to give every day, and if you go over your energy budget, it’s your mental health that pays the ultimate price.
So let’s get rid of those icky feelings of burnout and focus more on putting our energy where we need it most. Below are a few recommendations that can help.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY WHEN IT NEEDS A BREAK.
There are many ways we can feel tired, and it all depends on the person on what kind of activities will burn them out the most. Maybe you’re mentally exhausted from being too social, emotionally drained from a bad breakup, or physically wiped out from taking care of everyone in your life but yourself.
An easy fix, take more naps. This is a game-changer, and it’s so fucking essential. My 2-year niece is a fucking monster without one, so why do grown-ass adults feel so weird for taking a mid-day snooze? Next time you feel a panic coming along, lay down even if you don’t feel tired. You might be surprised how often you just pass out and wake up feeling refreshed and more patient.
BEING BUSY DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.
Stop overworking. That workaholic lifestyle is not cute. Even if you are busting your ass extra hard right now, know that it is impossible to keep that kind of momentum going for very long. Then if you add things like kids, multiple jobs, and the torture of aging, those burnouts will happen more often, not less.
You don’t want to be in your 70s looking back and see a life full of overtime instead of actually enjoying your life. Be more realistic with your time and include some self-care in your to-do list too.
SELF-CARE ISN’T ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU CAN BUY.
Taking care of yourself should not cost money because superficial things will only give you that temporary dopamine hit and fade quickly. Things like face creams, bubble baths, online shopping, and makeovers are just ways that capitalism has convinced us that its products are the solution to our boredom and unhappiness. They know it’s just a temporary bandage (not even the cute Hello Kitty ones either).
The kind of self-care I’m talking about is ensuring that your basic needs like eating and sleeping are covered. This will help you feel better faster and have a longer-lasting positive effect on your mood than any shopping spree.
Also, there is always good old-fashioned therapy, and I don’t mean venting to be your best friend or boyfriend. Stop trying to self-diagnose from TikTok and go to a professional. If you lack the funds, check out some of these free therapy resources from this article.
DIVE INTO SOMETHING THAT FILLS YOUR CUP BACK UP
People have hobbies for a crucial reason, to make life more enjoyable. But at least with my generation, I’ve noticed that many people once they leave the life of forced extracurriculars from high school, those hobbies drop off more and more as you get older. But we need them to relieve stress.
Stressful energy is a build-up of nervous, angry energy that has been building up like plaque in your heart. This is what is making you feel colder, more furious, and sadder as you go along with your day. Too much energy loss, and you will lose interest in the things that once made you feel good about yourself.
But if you take time out of each week to continuously do something for yourself that gets you excited, that burned-out feeling can be a thing of the past. This can be anything from writing in a journal, gardening, coloring, painting, sports, and so many other things.
I would say the main thing to be careful with is when your hobby becomes your job (like me), you might not get the same joy you once had once you feel the need to post everything you do and try to keep up with the black hole of social media. Nowadays, I find myself doing things besides art to fill my cup back up, like reading, skating, and my recent obsession with indoor trampoline parks.
KNOW WHAT DRAINS AND RECHARGES YOU
It sucks that we don’t learn how to take care of our mental health in school but for some reason, knowing everything about the Nile in Egypt was essential to my education. So we have to do this shit on our own because the stress of life is not going away anytime soon. We need to learn to be resilient and protect our energy even after the most heartbreaking weeks.
I would recommend making a list of the things that stress you out, along with all the things that make you feel calm and happy. That way, when you know you have a day full of energy killers ahead of you, you can better dictate your time to spend less on the stress and more on things that make you say fuck yes!