don't wait until you burn out

Published: Sun, 10/11/20

Hey ,

How are you?

This was supposed to reach you last weekend but to say my life has been busy, is an understatement.

"If you don't hear, you must feel" is a phrase I grew up hearing and this weekend I was reminded of it.

I knew that I was literally on the edge of my capacity but I kept going because I had so much to get done.

And of course, what happens when you go beyond your capacity, you burn out and that's what happened to me last weekend.

Life has been very overwhelming over the past few weeks and as someone who is a huge advocate of self-care, I've been very aware that I need to consciously make time to rest and have some time out.

However, I didn't take heed soon enough which meant that by Sunday I was feeling like crap and my body forced me to stop and I was reminded that if you know better, you should do better. If not, you'll eventually pay the price.

Most of the demands on my time are positive opportunities and most have needed my immediate attention so it has been difficut to find balance.

I'm elbow deep in home renovation and redecoration, amongst other things, and all the years of watching Grand Designs, Your Home Made Perfect and other home renovation programmes still wasn't enough preparation for how demanding and exhausting the whole process is.

Working at your maximum capacity is not sustainable and as we enter the autum/winter months, this has been an important reminder to recommit to my self-care practices, even more so when life gets busy.

How does your relationship with self-care change when life gets busy?
Where in your life do you need to regain balance?
What self-care practices do you need to recommit to?
What one thing will you do today to practice self-care?

JOURNAL

Here are 7 journaling prompts for you to reflect on in your journal for October:

What changes do I need to make in my life right now?
What do I need to let go of or say no to?
What new opportunities are available to me?
How am I making time for regular self-care?
In September I learnt...
This month I intend to...
This month I commit to...

READ

This month's read is one from the archives and one that I need to revist.

In this post, I share my TLC essentials when it comes to self-care.

If you are feeling tired or overwhelmed like me, or you'd like some simple self-care inspiration, have a read:

My Self-Care Kit: 6 TLC Essentials

What are your TLC essentials?

WATCH

A lot of people I've spoken to have said how quickly they feel like this year is going. I know we say that every year, but I think being forced to spend a significant portion of this year with restrictions most of us have never had imposed on us before, has felt like we've had even less time this year.

A number of times over the past few months, I've felt myself questioning what I've acheived this year and on really low days, what I have achieved in my life, period.

I've found myself feeling an urgency to do more and more often with an overwhelming feeling of time running out.

Thankfully, these feelings are fleeting but I know that for some people the feeling stays with them a lot longer.

This spoken word piece is a timely reminder about being happy in the here and now. I also really like that it's presented as a note to self, which feels very much like a journal entry - which you know I appreciate.

Chasing Happiness | a 4am voicemail to myself

Identity Journaling Pack

The Identity journaling pack (previously called Solange) is a collection of themed prompts to inspire and enhance your journaling practice.

Whether you want to start, restart or simply get inspiration for your journaling practice, this journaling pack is for you.

The prompts included in this pack will encourage you to go a little deeper with your journaling while also helping you to develop and maintain a regular journaling practice.

This journaling pack is inspired by Solange Knowles (find out why in the pack) and the theme is IDENTITY.

What does the journaling pack include?

You'll get:

A 30-page workbook which includes one month of journaling prompts + links to additional resources
A one-month journaling challenge tracking booklet
A Spotify playlist that you can listen to alongside your journaling practice or to simply enjoy in your own time.

BUY NOW

Who is this journaling pack for?

Absolute beginners

If you've never journaled this pack has a range of journaling prompts you can use to get started.

It will help you to experiment with different ways of journaling and discover what type of prompt works best for you.

Occasional or regular journalers

This journaling pack will add variety to your existing journaling practice.

If your journaling practice has become inconsistent or lacklustre, the selection of prompts can act as a source of inspiration to reignite your passion for journaling.

Experimenting with your journaling style can also help you to express yourself in different ways, often revealing new thoughts, feelings and emotions.

So, whether you're completely new to journaling or OJ veteran journaler, this journaling pack will inspire your journaling practice.

How can this journaling pack help you to journal more regularly?

The journaling pack has been designed to include enough prompts for you to set yourself a daily journaling challenge for a month and includes a journaling challenge with tracking booklet.

Committing to journaling daily for a month can help you to make journaling a more regular practice in your daily life.

You'll definitely be able to see and experience the benefits of journaling after doing it daily for a month.

Is there a special offer?

For you, of course!

Using the code: identitynews20, you'll get 20% off the full price.

BUY NOW

I really hope the resources included help you to maintain or regain positive vibes this week and throughout October.

I'll be back in your inbox in the not too distance future to let you know what's new on the blog and share more tips and resources related to journaling, self-care and personal growth to inspire you to live a happy, healthy life you love.

Until next time,

Leanne