The Version of You That’s Tired..
One for the road..
Hey there,
Can I ask you something?
Have you caught yourself saying, "I just don't feel like myself anymore."
Maybe you're less patient. Less motivated. Less social.
Maybe you don't laugh as much as you used to. Maybe you've started wondering if you've changed.
And honestly?
Maybe you have… but not in the way you think.
When your nervous system has been carrying stress for a long time, it starts conserving energy. The things that once felt easy suddenly feel hard. Replying to a text feels like work. Making dinner feels overwhelming. Even deciding what to watch on Netflix somehow becomes another decision your brain doesn't want to make.
It doesn't mean you've become lazy.
It doesn't mean you've lost who you are.
It means your nervous system has been working overtime.
Imagine driving your car with the gas light on for weeks. Eventually, it isn't going to perform the way it normally does. You wouldn't blame the car.. you'd recognize it needs fuel. The same goes for you. Burnout has a sneaky way of making us believe we've become "less."
Less fun.
Less patient.
Less capable.
Less ourselves.
But underneath the exhaustion... You're still there. The goal isn't to become a different person. It's to help your nervous system feel safe enough that the real you has room to come back.
This Week's Burnout Bar Reminder
You are not your burnout.
You are a person experiencing burnout.
There's a difference.
Try This This Weekend
Think back to a version of yourself that felt calm.
Maybe it was before kids.
Maybe it was last summer.
Maybe it was just a random Tuesday three years ago.
What's one small thing she loved doing?
Reading.
Gardening.
Walking.
Listening to music.
Could you spend ten minutes reconnecting with that version of yourself this weekend?
Not because you have to.
Because you deserve to.
One for the Road ☕
You haven't disappeared.
You've just been buried underneath responsibilities.
The real you is still in there.
She just needs a little room to breathe.
From The Burnout Bar
If you've been feeling like you're constantly running on empty, check out my free workshop:
Because when you understand why your body responds the way it does, you stop blaming yourself for simply being human.
See you next Friday,
Jenna
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
| The Burnout Bar |
Less Survival. More Living.