I burned out two years ago and honestly, it was crazy. What led to it were visa issues, finishing school, my mother’s death, and problems in my personal life and work.
Recovery took two years. :') The hardest part was my energy levels. It went up and down so badly that sometimes even taking out the garbage was exhausting, I had to take a short nap afterward. I couldn’t even read a book, my brain was too fried to process anything new.
What frustrated me the most was how the outside world expected you to get back on track quickly, otherwise you’d miss the train. When I was in Canada, I realized how important it is to protect your energy and not live according to society’s expectations. I worked at a prestigious hotel in Vancouver, and the work culture… technically it was an American company, but the environment was such an energy killer that it wasn’t worth staying longer. I’ve now been in Mexico for five months, and I can honestly say that choosing myself brought my energy fully back. It feels so good to wake up in the mornings with calm, healthy energy, not the kind that feels like you’re on the edge of a heart attack.
Lii, thank you so much for sharing your story! 🫶🏼 It sounds like there was a lot happening in your life around your burnout, and I totally feel you on the energy levels and getting exhausted just taking a garbage out. Sometimes I think we've pushed ourselves for so long that even simple tasks like that can totally drain us. And what's even crazier is that, like you said, the world expects us to bounce back so quickly! It also took me several years to recover and understand my own limits and how to not push myself past my breaking point. I'm SO happy to hear that you're living your best life in Mexico, waking up calm, protecting your energy, and choosing yourself. So inspiring, dear friend. 💜✨
"Resting does not make you a lazy piece of shit"--Ha! This line made me laugh out loud. Sadly, I'm not sure I believed this until after 50. No wonder so many people get burned out. The "be more, more, more ... productive" messaging is insidious. Such important lessons in this piece. Thanks for sharing Casey!
Thank you, Georgine! Glad you got a laugh out of that.. haha 😆 It seems so obvious but it also took me wayyy too long to fully believe. I'm glad that now we can work hard AND take well deserve periods of rest. 😉
Casey, I love this! I can totally relate to every single one of the things on your list. Especially how American culture rewards burnout. In Germany, taking time for your family, friends, and hobbies is so important that most things are closed on Sunday. Initially, it’s so annoying! But then you surrender to it and you actually crave the slower pace. Germans aren’t trying to get rich, they’re trying to enjoy their lives. We can learn so much from them and Europeans in general when it comes to creating and enjoying a fulfilling lifestyle. You would looove it there!
Sandra! I'm so glad you can relate. ☺️ Thank you for this thoughtful comment. You're so right... I LOVE Europe, and so many European countries have such great models for living a beautiful, balanced life. I've spent quite a bit of time in Spain, and I totally relate to what you shared - while it was annoying at first to have things closed in the afternoon for siesta and on Sundays, I sooo appreciate the calm and relaxed attitude the Spaniards (and most Europeans) seem to have towards work and life. The slower pace is sooo delicious and makes live so much sweeter and more enjoyable. Did you live in Germany? I'm curious! 🤔
Yes, we lived in Germany for six years! It was sometimes challenging but always amazing. We really miss the lifestyle there. Our son went to German school and speaks it now. My husband does a little too, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. 🤣 Where in Spain were you? We visited Mallorca and Barcelona …loved both!
Ah, that's amazing! I totally feel you on missing the lifestyle... I lived and taught abroad for about a decade before coming back to the states. Living abroad is such an incredible experience, and even better that your son got to live there and learn German! In 2022, I spent time in Barcelona, San Sebastian, and then I walked the Camino! I've returned once since and explored Madrid, Cadiz, and Granada. There's not a city or town in Spain that I don't love! haha Now I'm always dreaming a Euro vacation. ☺️
Thank Casey for this succinct summary - brave and well said. In my memoir Tizita I too struggled with “should I quit or carry on?” It was complicated. That’s why I sub-titled it a A Memoir of Perseverance and Enchantment! It took a hyena encounter to make me come to peace with feeling I’d done enough after three years of volunteering and was ready to go home…
Thank you, Marian! I love that you brought this energy of "carrying on" into your memoir! Perseverance! But I'm glad you didn't persevere toooo much and knew when to call it quits 😉 Hyena encounters! Yikes! Coming to peace with all you'd done sounds like an important lesson. 😌
Uuh! What a story!
I burned out two years ago and honestly, it was crazy. What led to it were visa issues, finishing school, my mother’s death, and problems in my personal life and work.
Recovery took two years. :') The hardest part was my energy levels. It went up and down so badly that sometimes even taking out the garbage was exhausting, I had to take a short nap afterward. I couldn’t even read a book, my brain was too fried to process anything new.
What frustrated me the most was how the outside world expected you to get back on track quickly, otherwise you’d miss the train. When I was in Canada, I realized how important it is to protect your energy and not live according to society’s expectations. I worked at a prestigious hotel in Vancouver, and the work culture… technically it was an American company, but the environment was such an energy killer that it wasn’t worth staying longer. I’ve now been in Mexico for five months, and I can honestly say that choosing myself brought my energy fully back. It feels so good to wake up in the mornings with calm, healthy energy, not the kind that feels like you’re on the edge of a heart attack.
Lii, thank you so much for sharing your story! 🫶🏼 It sounds like there was a lot happening in your life around your burnout, and I totally feel you on the energy levels and getting exhausted just taking a garbage out. Sometimes I think we've pushed ourselves for so long that even simple tasks like that can totally drain us. And what's even crazier is that, like you said, the world expects us to bounce back so quickly! It also took me several years to recover and understand my own limits and how to not push myself past my breaking point. I'm SO happy to hear that you're living your best life in Mexico, waking up calm, protecting your energy, and choosing yourself. So inspiring, dear friend. 💜✨
"Resting does not make you a lazy piece of shit"--Ha! This line made me laugh out loud. Sadly, I'm not sure I believed this until after 50. No wonder so many people get burned out. The "be more, more, more ... productive" messaging is insidious. Such important lessons in this piece. Thanks for sharing Casey!
Thank you, Georgine! Glad you got a laugh out of that.. haha 😆 It seems so obvious but it also took me wayyy too long to fully believe. I'm glad that now we can work hard AND take well deserve periods of rest. 😉
Casey, I love this! I can totally relate to every single one of the things on your list. Especially how American culture rewards burnout. In Germany, taking time for your family, friends, and hobbies is so important that most things are closed on Sunday. Initially, it’s so annoying! But then you surrender to it and you actually crave the slower pace. Germans aren’t trying to get rich, they’re trying to enjoy their lives. We can learn so much from them and Europeans in general when it comes to creating and enjoying a fulfilling lifestyle. You would looove it there!
Sandra! I'm so glad you can relate. ☺️ Thank you for this thoughtful comment. You're so right... I LOVE Europe, and so many European countries have such great models for living a beautiful, balanced life. I've spent quite a bit of time in Spain, and I totally relate to what you shared - while it was annoying at first to have things closed in the afternoon for siesta and on Sundays, I sooo appreciate the calm and relaxed attitude the Spaniards (and most Europeans) seem to have towards work and life. The slower pace is sooo delicious and makes live so much sweeter and more enjoyable. Did you live in Germany? I'm curious! 🤔
Yes, we lived in Germany for six years! It was sometimes challenging but always amazing. We really miss the lifestyle there. Our son went to German school and speaks it now. My husband does a little too, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. 🤣 Where in Spain were you? We visited Mallorca and Barcelona …loved both!
Ah, that's amazing! I totally feel you on missing the lifestyle... I lived and taught abroad for about a decade before coming back to the states. Living abroad is such an incredible experience, and even better that your son got to live there and learn German! In 2022, I spent time in Barcelona, San Sebastian, and then I walked the Camino! I've returned once since and explored Madrid, Cadiz, and Granada. There's not a city or town in Spain that I don't love! haha Now I'm always dreaming a Euro vacation. ☺️
Thank Casey for this succinct summary - brave and well said. In my memoir Tizita I too struggled with “should I quit or carry on?” It was complicated. That’s why I sub-titled it a A Memoir of Perseverance and Enchantment! It took a hyena encounter to make me come to peace with feeling I’d done enough after three years of volunteering and was ready to go home…
Thank you, Marian! I love that you brought this energy of "carrying on" into your memoir! Perseverance! But I'm glad you didn't persevere toooo much and knew when to call it quits 😉 Hyena encounters! Yikes! Coming to peace with all you'd done sounds like an important lesson. 😌