The Middle Path ~ Voices of the Collective
When You Feel Stuck in Burnout
You’re going through the motions, taking care of everyone else, doing what needs to be done, but somewhere along the way, you’ve become disconnected from the person underneath all those responsibilities.
And maybe you’re wondering, How did I get here?
Stop Treating Your Needs Like They’re Optional
Any get-help-quick site or Reddit thread will tell you the same thing:
Burnt out? Do these 7 things to get your life back on track.
More often than not, it’s a regurgitation of the same few tips.
Get plenty of sleep! Prioritize your self-care! Say NO! Meditate. Workout. Just don’t, duh.
Don’t get me wrong. These are all great interventions for managing the symptoms of burnout, but they aren’t necessarily addressing the fundamental issues that get us here in the first place.
You can’t meditate your way out of being chronically overworked.
Burnout in Healthcare Part 2: Why Self-Care Isn't Enough
Part 2 of Burnout and Healthcare
In my last blog, I talked about burnout in healthcare and why self-care alone isn’t enough to fix it. Vacations, workouts, massages, and time away can absolutely help, but they don’t change what you’re walking back into when you return to work.
I also talked about boundaries and how important they are in protecting ourselves from burnout. But before we can know what boundaries we need, we have to understand what is actually draining us.
That starts with getting curious.
The Emotional Transition into Motherhood: Understanding Matrescence
No one tells you that motherhood isn't just the birth of a baby.
It's the slow unraveling of the woman you thought you were.
One day you wake up and realize the life that once fit so naturally no longer does.
Your body feels unfamiliar.
Your thoughts are louder.
Time bends in strange ways.
The things that used to matter don't seem to carry the same weight, yet you can't quite grasp what matters now.
Beat the Back-to-School Sleep Struggle: Start Tonight!
The Step-by-Step Back-to-School Sleep Plan
Instead of a shocking wakeup call on the first day of school, start preparing now with these simple steps:
Shift in increments: Move bedtime up by just 10 to 15 minutes every other night. Keep creeping it earlier until you hit the sweet spot needed for a school-day wake-up call.
Ask A Therapist: Romantic Partner Edition
My partner and I try to do what everyone says: we communicate but just end up fighting. It makes me feel hopeless that just trying to talk makes it worse.
Will: First off, I am so appreciative of resilient people who know that change can be good, even if it isn’t good at first. Bad patterns are hard to break on their own so having a set back when getting out of your comfort zone to fix things can be exhausting.
“Communicate” is one of those bits of advice that’s far easier said than done. If you and your partner get too heated during discussion, you could try a few things.
Burnout in Healthcare Part 1: Why Self-Care Isn't Enough
Burnout and healthcare seem to go hand in hand. If you work in healthcare, you've probably heard the same message over and over: Prevent burnout by practicing self-care.
While vacations, workouts, and massages are absolutely helpful, they're often a Band-Aid solution to a much deeper issue.
How to Manage Athlete Mental Health During the Off-Season
For many athletes, the off-season is a welcome opportunity to relax and decompress. It's a chance to step away from practices, competitions, and the constant demands of training.
For others, it's much more complicated…
Managing this downtime is just as important as preparing for the season itself. Taking care of your mental health during the off-season helps you return to competition feeling healthier, more balanced, and ready to perform your best.
During the off-season, try these tips to make your break both enjoyable and effective.
No, I Will Not Be Giving Up My Cleaning Lady
Later on during our call, when the topic came up again, I acknowledged how this would indeed be a big spot for us to save money. But the strain this puts on the relationship I have with my husband and daughter is not worth the savings. I will take on another day of clients if I have to before I let go of my cleaning lady.
Everything Is On Fire. Now What?
The fear of the unknown and unseen. More importantly, the fear of the unlikely. Anxiety. From our most primitive state, fear was what kept our ancestors alive. Now we’re here, doomscrolling our way through the 21st century and anxiety has evolved from sabertooth tigers to finances and thinking too long at night about that interaction you had last week with the stranger at the store and they probably thought you were mean or weird or something…