Stretched thin. Out of bandwidth. Beyond tired. Out of #$%@! to give. So over it. Exhausted.
How many times have you said and heard some version of these sentiments over the past weeks and months. Too many I bet.
One morning I was placing a rubber band on my drinking glass (to keep track of it and cut down on dirty dishes), and I marveled how far I could stretch it and how it snapped back to normal - day after day.
Of course we're not rubber bands, but it's a nice analogy for what's happening to us when we are in a chronic state of stress. Before we become stretched too thin for too long and "break", we need to do something that allows us to temporarily snap back to normal. In the book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Emily and Amelia Nagoski explain why it's important to complete our stress cycles and how to do it. A key take away is the idea that our emotions have a beginning, middle, and an end. And, if we do not move through our emotions we risk getting stuck in a stress cycle resulting in emotional exhaustion and burnout. Imagine your emotions traveling through a tunnel and coming out the other side as what helps us to snap back to normal.
The authors suggest these research-based ways to work through your emotions and break the stress cycle:
1. Exercise
2. Deep breathing
3. Socializing
4. Affection
5. Crying
6. Laughing
7. Creative expression
In this month of Thanksgiving let's support each other through our emotional tunnels and meet on the other side to count our blessings.
Be well. Be safe. Be hopeful.