Don’t Go On Empty

With my husband’s new job I don’t have to work a couple extra hours a week. This is great, since even without that added pressure, I tend to put too much on my plate, run in overdrive, etc, and then I end up feeling burnt out. It always ends up biting me in the butt. A wave of exhaustion or stress. Or just feeling run-down!

So recently I’m working on not over-working.

But it’s not just leaving on time and not trying to fit more into my day. It’s also allowing myself to not rush my work with the intention of getting more done. Since I notice that when I do too many tasks, or over-extend mentally, even if I don’t stay late, I still feel that wave of mental exhaustion after.

We all want to have a reserve. Like if we go home from work and we are stuck in a traffic jam. How will we react if we are at 0%? Versus, how will we react if we are at 20%? Or if someone cuts us off on a line—same question.

Most likely, we’re gonna get more upset if we are at 0% versus 20%.

And what I’ve noticed is I have to save 20% (or more!) for coming home to my family. Doing some chores after work. Being more loving toward my husband. And having energy for when my 3-year-old comes to me whining and climbing on me.