this edition of the [no hustle] huddle went out on Monday 24th July 2023

Sometimes I feel so tired that I know sleep will do nothing but make me realize how tired I am … ever felt that? It’s like when you’re hungry but go so long without food that you simply forget about your hunger.

But then you have a snack and BOOM! All those hunger pangs kick in.

That’s how I see burnout. Most of the time, it isn’t obvious. It just kinda creeps up on you over weeks, months, or maybe even years. It starts with a few too many “yeses’” and before long you are tired. Then exhausted. Then an existence beyond exhaustion. No amount of sleep seems to matter when you reach this point.

If anything, it just makes you feel more tired.

Same with meditation or exercise or an afternoon of nature & lonesome thoughts.

When you reach burnout, a few mindful “snacks” like these will not suffice. You need a proper meal. But, unlike food, you don’t get what you need from a single plate.

To overcome burnout, you need to make grand changes. Not fill your cup with drips here and there, but plunge it under the tap. Yet that’s easier said than done in today’s hyper-fast world. Harder still when you have responsibilities like work, business ownership, parenting, partnering, and whatever else.

Life passes you by in a whoosh. And just like that, without you even knowing it… burnout. One day you’re fine. Then another, you realize you’re not.

So what can you do?

Well, I have something for you. Not a solution or miracle cure per se, but something that may help you take control of the aspects of life you get to control.

But before we get to that, here are some links to cure those mental hunger pangs.

nom nom ??

from the [no hustle] community

5 [no hustle] Lessons From ‘Live Your Truth’ — One of my all-time favorite reads, this book brings me back from the brink when I go to battle with burnout … here are five of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from this fine read written by an inspiring mind. 

5 Books To Help You Build Whole Life Balance — Speaking of fine reads… this list of books gives you a chance to overcome burnout, full of stories, strategies, tactics, and more. Will all five books be right for you? No! Will one or two give you what you need in the here and now? Yes!

3 actions to take this week

? bookmark this → I’m a big fan of Mark Manson and his no-nonsense approach to life. He hits the nail on the head here when he suggests that “because we can have an opinion on something, we feel we should have an opinion on something” — both this article and video are gold, so I hope you check it out. But the point here is that opinions (our own and the swamp that is everyone else’s) are a huge component of the relentless rat race of burnout we all find ourselves in. Minimizing them goes a long way to regaining some sense of control.

? watch this → We’re addicted to validation … this is how Nathaniel Drew begins the video, and, as above, it hits the nail on the head of our modern-day relationship with burnout. So often we are so worried about being right or not missing out or being seen as this or that that we overthink, over-consume, and overanalyze everything. And this, my friend, leads to one place and one place only … burnout.

? DO THIS → take some time, TODAY, to do something you live — there need be no point or reason… if it brings you pleasure, do it (bonus points if it happens to be something that allows you to think and set your mind to wander).

this week’s featured book

Burnout To Breakthrough by Eileen McDargh — I couldn’t write an email about burnout without featuring my friend Eileen’s wonderful book (which is all about that dastardly disease) … She’s a fine writer with some exceptional experiences (and advice) to share. If burnout is something you’re tiptoeing around, this *may* be the book to bring you back from the edge of the ledge.

?️ pass the mic

While writing Beyond The Pale, I wanted to grab a chat with Jules Shroeder about our relationship with mind + body + spirit. She’s an amazing person who has truly lived life, creating a wonderful podcast in Unconventional Life.

Yet while chatting with Jules, she highlighted this notion of finding and committing to a HELL YEAH! Anything but should, in time, become a NO!

When it comes to burnout, gravitating toward these 100 % yeses’ is one of the most powerful steps you can take. Because the reality is, most things in life are a maybe at best. And it’s all these maybes that lead us to burnout. 

Let go of these and your life becomes much easier.

? drop the mic

Burnout creeps up on you. It’s difficult to feel it. You just get so used to IT that you crack on with life and do what you need to.

Chances are, that’s the place you are in right now. Many of us are.

Most of us, in some way.

It’s the harsh reality of modern-day living. It’s fast-paced. The expectations are more expected. Yet many of the same rules and dynamics remain the same. It leads you to spin countless plates as try to keep up and be “enough”.

If you can relate, know you’re not alone.

To an extent, this is part of our existence in today’s world. It is The Hustle. It’s the grind. It ain’t go anywhere and there is only so much we can do to control it. In fact, all we can truly do is become aware of it.

So that *something* I hinted at earlier is simple … take a step back!

Breathe.

Reserve some time to reflect on how you currently feel.

That’s it. No solution or miracle cure. Just a reminder to question your current situation and get clear on how you feel. Out of ten, how burned out are you?

Gaining awareness is the first step. It doesn’t achieve anything, but nothing else can happen until you do this. And until you do this, it will keep eating away at you.

A good night’s sleep here and there won’t help. Neither will meditation or yoga or the occasional walk. You need to make changes, but what those changes need to be depends on you, your situation, and how bad your burnout currently is.

Give yourself the gift to gain clarity on that today. 

Thank you for reading. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s edition of The Huddle. If you have and know someone who needs to read it, forward it to them. 

Until next time, thank you for being you ?

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