I have been quiet for a while on the social media and have not been heavily posting/sharing things like I used to before. We as humans have a tendency to over work most of the times and then end up being burnout – a state of physical & emotional exhaustion. I am here exactly trying to talk about my mental health and why I ended up into the state of burnout. This is something about which I have never talked before, but when I look around me, I realise that it’s not just me & I am not alone. There are many out there who experience the same but not everyone talks about it. I should definitely stress this point here that sometimes it is important to talk through things.
Mental Health is something many of us ignore to match the daily race of life. To prove ourselves on professional front we end up working additional hours. To maintain being a star in front of others (who see you as a role model), you make sure you are doing what you have been doing for years – it can be generating community content, mentoring, helping others on professional front, keeping up to speed with the latest trends in the industry, etc. In the end you forget about yourself, you ignore who you really are, you forget what defines you, you miss out doing your favourite thing like painting, going out in your garden checking on your plants. But is it really worth? Is it worth doing so much by keeping at stake your mental health?
Let me tell you something from my personal experience. Most of the things that you overdo are done under pressure. When you see people around you are up to speed and you are lagging behind, you overdo. I will admit here, I have done the same multiple times and have felt that burnout. I ended up being in the state where I feel exhausted most of the times.
- I feel Tired.
- I feel like Not Doing anything.
- I feel like I am Failing.
- I feel Upset.
- I feel Regret for not getting up to speed.
- I feel frustrated.
Is all this really doing any good to me? Is this really improving my health in any way? Absolutely not. This is making my health no better but worse. I am spending more time in blaming myself rather than working on myself. I have started to think more negative than positive. All the things that I am not good at overpower me rather than focussing on what I am really good at. I am slowly loosing all the zeal in me that I had before. I am slowly loosing the person in me who took everything as a new challenge, had a positive attitude and came out strongly in return. I have stopped seeing the person in me which I have been always proud of. Just want to highlight here that – It’s ok to feel low this way. Always remember – Nothing is permanent! Out of all this going around me, I still understand that:
- I am not weak.
- I am strong.
- I have the power to change.
- I still have the zeal in me.
- I have the potential to return.
Last evening amidst nature, I started thinking if I should look at myself in such a negative way? Should I blame myself for something that is not in my hand? Should I think myself of a imperfect person? Definitely not. Blaming yourself is never a way. Stop blaming yourself and work on yourself. Train your mind and body for a healthy lifestyle. Remember – Imperfect stands for I am Perfect. Everyone is perfect in a different & incomparable way. Every Sunset is followed by a Sunrise.
When I think about this side of me I immediately start feeling positive. I am not a Robot. I am human. I have feelings. I don’t have to feel happy all the time and it’s Ok. This all of a sudden makes me realise that –
- It’s ok to take a pause.
- It’s ok to say No.
- It’s ok to lag behind.
- It’s absolutely ok to not keep up to the latest industrial trends. Can always go back and update myself.
- It’s ok to miss out the weekly social media posts.
- It’s ok to not feel like doing anything.
- It’s ok to stop worrying about everything for a moment.
If you lag behind in a certain area, that doesn’t define your failure. Learn to Accept that you are being you. You are allowed to set boundaries for yourself so that you can rest and heal and rejuvenate. Everyone has a different story, so never ever compare your journey with theirs. They had their own challenges and you had yours. Make sure you give yourself ample of time. Prioritise yourself. Nothing is important than You! It’s ok for others to go ahead of you. For you, focussing on yourself and your wellbeing is the most prominent thing. Do what makes you happy. Don’t overdo and exhaust yourself ever. Trust me a promotion at work can wait but your mental health can’t. You may not be on the list of FIRSTS sharing about a new industry trend, but its’ ok to be second, third, fourth and so on. Do what your health permits. Never ignore it. “Your Now is not Your Forever” ~ John Green
- It’s ok to not be Ok.
- It’s ok to have bad days.
- It’s ok to not being Perfect every time.
- It’s ok to be not the First in the race.
Mental Health is something one should never ignore. I have experienced this and I am sure others have experienced the same. Your mental health is your business not anyone else’s. Let’s not exhaust ourselves but focus on making ourselves better and stronger. Life comes up with Ups & Downs. It’s our attitude that defines us and makes us stronger at handling these Downs.
- Log off from your work on time.
- Do what you like in your free time.
- Go for a walk or run.
- Hit your gym.
- Put on your favourite music.
- Paint something.
- Pick up your favourite sport.
- Read a book and many more…
There are so many ways that might help you in healing your body. So many small things around you that will always make you feel that you are the best. Trust me relaxing & taking a break is the best way to heal yourself. We are not machines, we need to pause. Let’s not make mental health as something that people fear talking about. Let’s make the environment around us so comfortable that everyone steps forward to talk about it. I honestly am extremely happy writing this blog post today about Mental Health. Trust me I never imagined I will be writing about it. But I am gratified that I wrote this blog as I feel we need more people out there talking about Mental Health. Love Yourself. You will Love being You in the end!
If anyone out there is feeling low and wants to talk, need any support, don’t hesitate to reach out. I will take my post as a success if I can hear many voices on Mental Health topic in the future. I would say, it’s good to unhide your feelings and talk through sometimes. I would love to get comments on the post on what everyone thinks about Mental Health.
“Mental Health is not a destination, but a process.
Noam Shpancer, PHD
It’s about how you drive, not where you are going!”
Pragati
Such an important post. thanks for sharing this 🙂