The world often entices us to believe that if someone in our home, school or community does not point out how great we are, then we are not doing anything great at all. Society hands out awards when an individual fits the standards of the masses but doesn't teach the importance of self-reward and self-congratulation. But during self-reflection, we must ask ourselves is it really their assignment to remind us that we, within ourselves, should recognize everything we do?
We often forget that it is our job to recognize our greatness. We have gotten addicted to moving on from our goals without the much-needed celebration we deserve for ourselves once we reach them. We preach hustle and grind without promoting self-care, breaks, rest, and self-love. It is crucial to add the necessary balance into our routines. If you work hard, also get some rest. During the grind, ensure you're listening to your body's needs. It is not required to abandon one aspect of the spectrum simply because it has never been linear.
Our grind culture makes it super easy to move forward after big accomplishments without the rest and congratulatory period. But without these two crucial components, you may end up being led straight toward burnout.
If you're anything like me, growing up with a hardcore grind mentality, then you know exactly what burnout looks like, feels like, and how damaging it can be.
Burnout can be physical, emotional, mental, or even spiritual exhaustion. It's almost like running on a treadmill for the first time and never stopping because you become addicted to the increasing mileage. When you see you hit one mile, you feel great and empowered, but then you try to recreate that feeling by hitting two miles, then three, four, ten, twenty, and the list goes on. By the time you hit twenty miles, it just feels numbing. It becomes less inspiring. Why? Because you never got the chance to celebrate, reflect, and even experience. Now your legs don't want to work anymore, your heart has pushed itself harder than it ever has, and you've forgotten why you even began in the first place.
Burnout often "involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity." A great way to prevent burnout is to add more celebration, rest, and overall self-care into your routines. Value self-care as a part of the process because, without it your journey will only get harder.
Next time you achieve a goal, I challenge you to bask in that accomplishment. Give glory to all the work you and your spiritual squad put in to create a dream and bring it into your reality. You are creating the life you deserve and desire, so do not forget to celebrate even the steps you believe are small. Each step makes a significant change!
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Written 7 Nov 2022 by Pearline "Lina Mystic" Muckelvene
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