Cat Michaels, Writer
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How I learned to rebound from burnout

7/10/2022

8 Comments

 
Everything about this past April felt stormy and difficult. 
 
Sure, my life was good compared to many, but something wasn’t right. Finally swallowing my pride, I admitted I was burned out and decided to do something about it.

​Read on to see how I learned to rebound from burn out.


How I learned to rebound from burnout ~ catmichaelswriter.com
Storm clouds over the hood


​Stuff happens
​
On top of a pandemic and the world’s general craziness, there was a lot going on for me this spring.

Writing-wise …
  • My beachy rom com in progress stalled after its first 20K words
  • Creative ideas were drying up, and nothing I wrote felt good 
  • The newly installed WIFI network to fix connectivity problems in my home office was plagued with issues requiring hours of brain-numbing calls to tech support
​
Personally …
  • Missed my Connecticut family I hadn't seen in five years (beyond tired of you, Covid!)
  • Couldn’t drop the 15 pounds gained during lockdown, which caused my health score numbers to tumble 
  • Developed gallstones and a bladder infection 
  • Attacked by fire ants hiding in a flowerpot in my garden 
  • Needed a dental crown (painful physically and fiscally)​​
How I learned to rebound from burnout ~ catmichaelswriter.com

Rebounding from Burn Out

With Hub’s encouragement, I signed off from authoring and socials to re-energize.
 
At first, I felt guilty.

How could I leave the work I labored for nine years to establish? But I had been running on empty too long. Stepping away was the best thing I could’ve done.

I didn't accomplish anything earth-shattering with my two months away, Instead, I filled my soul with little moments that added up to happy ...
​
  • Tackled a two-week, 1.2K-mile drive to Connecticut and Pennsylvania for joyous family reunions 
  • Hosted my 91-yo aunt in a 100-yo renovated barn we rented for a week on a wooded Connecticut acre
  • Met in person for the first time four great-nieces and -nephews born during quarantine
  • Celebrated Mother’s Day with Hub’s sweet mama, who lives 400 miles away, for the first time in a decade
  • Took photography workshops
  • Designed a pergola for our back yard
  • Marked our 28th wedding anniversary
  • Added early-morning walks and lap swims to my online workout routine
  • Prepped our North Carolina screened porch and garden for summer (cue the fire ants)
  • Made lots of trips to Target!

​See more of how I learned to rebound from burn out
by connecting with people, creativity and nature
​in my 60-second video diary below.


​Back to it

​After 8 weeks, I'm slowly returning to writing refreshed and enthusiastic. I'm moving at a steady pace. No more toiling 7 days a week, posting all over socials.
How I learned to rebound from burnout ~ catmichaelswriter.comCat is back -:D


​I even dropped 6 of those
miserable pandemic pounds
and cannot wait to lose 6 more!


Life feels lighter.

Easier.
​
And I aim to keep it that way
by remembering
how to care for myself
and avoid burn out.


Your Turn

Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted is the pits. What tips can you offer to avoid burn out?  I’d love to hear your ideas (I may need them some day!). Please share in the comments below.

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8 Comments
Maria
7/11/2022 09:06:57 am

Good for you! It definitely is a good thing to do for the mind. I’m trying taking mini breaks from it all . Glad you got to do so much especially visiting family.

Reply
Cat Michaels
7/11/2022 02:00:17 pm

Maria, I quite like your idea of taking mini breaks. I need to do that to keep going strong. And yes, family time was THE best-:D

Reply
Kim link
7/11/2022 09:28:45 am

We recently took a beach vacation. First one in years. I'm such a homebody, but just being away from the dishes and the laundry for a few days was a huge reset for me. Glad you're back on track!!

Reply
Cat Michaels
7/11/2022 02:02:05 pm

There’s nothing like resetting at the beach! I ‘m glad you could get away and reset, too.

Reply
Sara link
7/11/2022 09:30:29 am

So glad you're feeling refreshed after your hiatus Cat! I'm pretty burned out right now too and have not posted since the beginning of the month. But that's because there's too much going on with getting two estates on the market - it will be a while until I can truly relax and get away from it all. Can't wait to take 8 weeks too!

Reply
Cat Michaels
7/11/2022 02:05:44 pm

Whoa, Sara! Getting two estates ready for market is huge and stressful. You’re wise to step away from blogging until life settles. I appreciate you stopping by to let me know and wish you all the best with those home sales and finding your away time.

Reply
Michelle Leslie link
7/12/2022 05:02:21 am

I missed you, Cat. Welcome back <3 We all need a timeout to find ourselves again and good on your hubby for recognizing the signs. I had a burnout a few years ago and had to juggle a whole bunch of stuff but working in the garden doing nothing and everything filled my soul jug again. Now I have a fixed date with our garden everyday just to breath.

Reply
Cat Michaels
7/13/2022 08:42:43 am

I appreciate your kind words more than you know, Michelle! I was sad to hear you had a burnout, but what a joy you found a way to fill your soul in the garden. There is something special about being outside and working in the soil to create something beautiful.

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  • Welcome!
  • Cat's Books
    • Sweet T and the Turtle Team >
      • Just Between Sam and Me
    • Finding Fuzzy: A You-Decide Tale of a Lost Friend
    • Sweet T and the North Wind
    • The Magical Aquarium
  • Cat's Corner: Blogging About Books, Writing, and More
  • Meet Cat
  • FREE STUFF in the Kids' Zone
  • Contact Cat