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Meli's avatar

I'm in burnout now. I like how you've separated the types of self care and appreciate that you've provided examples of when there is too much of one and not enough of the other. What would you say the healthy ratio (when not in burnout vs in burnout) is for people? I'm assuming that Nourishment would be at least 75% of what is usually required so we can continue to manage our life. At the moment I have so much that needs to be done to support myself but not enough energy to do it all and continue with recovery. I had just worked out for myself that my push to continue to do things that were productive - even though I'm not able to work - is actually draining me at the moment. However, when I stop completely I start to spiral towards depression. Finding the right balance to recover from burnout is proving a challenge. Please let me know if you have any suggestions that might help speed up recovery. For context, I'm 52, found out I was ADHD 2 years ago and now ASD 2 diagnosed last month. I'm determined to build myself up in a way that is respectful and authentic to who I really am and allow the masking that has been draining me to fall away. I realise this is a long term project but would appreciate anything that will increase my capacity to earn income in the near future.

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Daniel Wendler's avatar

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling burned out, and I'm glad that you're doing what you can to recover and keep pushing forward :) There's no perfect ratio, I think it's based in where you are currently. So if right now you feel like you're not getting enough nourishment, trying moving towards 10% more nourishment and see if that makes the right difference - and keep doing that until it feels balanced.

Of course, self-care is only part of the puzzle. Getting care from other people is critically important. So if it feels like you're working as hard as you can and you're still struggling, I'd really recommend that you recruit some support. Maybe think about therapy or a support group, or asking a friend or family to help you out. You deserve people to have your back!

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