Now What?

OK. I read this little article by Henry Neils (President and Founder of Assessment.com), on burnout, today on MSN. Here is the gist:

“So how do you know if you, a loved one, or someone who reports to you is suffering from burnout? Here are the early-warning signs.

1. chronic fatigue – exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run down
2. anger at those making demands
3. self-criticism for putting up with the demands
4. cynicism, negativity, and irritability
5. a sense of being besieged
6. exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things
7. frequent headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances
8. weight loss or gain
9. sleeplessness and depression
10. shortness of breath
11. suspiciousness
12. feelings of helplessness
13. increased degree of risk taking

Fight burnout. Do what you were designed to do. “

Now…here is my question ( by now you know I always have lots of those):

What happens when as Mom and wife you find you have numerous of these ‘signs’? I ask this question because I have gone through periods of burnout at different times. And for a Mom there is no escape. There is no job description change. Well, ok, there is sort of….. and that is what gets us through those times, but essentially we do have times of burnout. We are working too hard at too many things that don’t really matter.

That is right, they don’t really matter. The kids matter, the marriage matters, but lots of the stuff we “add-on” to those duty/obligations/joys don’t.

Face it. Deal with it. -Before it destroys you and your joie de vivre. There ought to be joie de vivre, know what I’m saying?

Today is an overcast day with the smell of rain in the air. I like that. It gives me a pause that I don’t have to excuse to myself. I stood on the porch and gazed at the roses, I came in here and dabbled on the computer. I finished my coffee.

And I will soon return to the grind of going through my father’s things, I will take time to work with my kids, and it will become a day well spent.

The cobwebs will wait for another day. The weeds will grow for another day. I can’t make everything right, but I can try to do some things well. It is a new day. I choose to look positively upon it and discover its promises, deal with its difficulties as they come and no sooner.

I will burn, but not burnout.

OK, why do I now want to sing that horrible song “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar”?

RWWWRRRrrrrrr. Bring on the day…carpe diem, baby.

…but get that song out of my head. I hate that song.