PRACTICE STOPPING

“MANY OF US HAVE BEEN RUNNING OUR LIVES. PRACTICE STOPPING.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Vietnamese Monastic & Peace Activist

It seems very timely to be writing a post about burnout given the time of year and the stressors that have existed within 2023. Seemingly, very few are immune to the lethargy, fatigue, and detachment that we feel because of the intensity of our everyday demands. Familial, occupational, emotional, physical, and relationship-based pursuits require overwhelming amounts of ourselves just to remain functional. As such, just like a running shoe after countless kilometres, we begin to wear down and are not able to function as optimally as we recognise that we should.

The question then becomes:

“HOW DO I RE-INVIGORATE MYSELF IN THE FACE OF THIS BURNOUT?”

This, within itself, does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. Nonetheless, a recognition of the goal-oriented nature of our society, and the temptation that we often feel to push ourselves beyond our bandwidths in the pursuit of success is paramount. By giving into this temptation, we are essentially telling ourselves that our accolades are more important than our health. We then limit ourselves from formally enjoying the product of our hard work as our body and mind are not in a position to do so. To compare this to the quote above, we often run beyond the point of exhaustion without internal acknowledgement of the ground that we have covered.

My understanding of this idea is that the intentional practice of ‘stopping’ is very much aligned with self-compassion. A singular moment of self-care can drastically alter the trajectory of our day. By bringing a present awareness to this practice, perhaps this is the path to lessen the fatigue that we can feel from our everyday demands. It is pertinent to note that this self-compassion can take many forms. Maybe it is doing something that utilises our imagination, maybe it is physical activity, maybe it is simply letting somebody know that you are not coping well or that you need help. These acts of self-compassion are often not easy to prioritise, however they yield more benefit than we can often fathom.

My challenge to you all at the pointy end of this year: “Practice Stopping” and be kind to yourself, in whatever way makes the most sense for you.

PRACTICE STOPPING

WRITTEN BY MYLES CHERRY

Director / Registered Psychologist at The Gray Area