When implementing these practices, keep in mind that you can start whenever you want to. As a matter of fact, start as soon as possible. You do not need to wait for Monday, the end of the month or Jan. 1 to make a difference in your life.
Burnout is not a hero’s tale of necessary sacrifice. It is an alarm bell that the harm of our hard work exceeds the benefits.
It is a desperate signal from the body that the scales of work and rest are unbalanced. Symptoms of burnout can include poor sleep, headaches, digestive issues, muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, irritability and a weakened immune system. If taken without context, these symptoms could be easily mistaken for a health condition.
We need a serious re-evaluation and shifting of our cultural priorities. We must also destigmatize staying up late while being careful not to romanticize it. Otherwise, we risk enabling a cycle of staying up late and waking up early — i.e., not getting enough sleep.
The distrust and vaccine hesitancy among the general public speaks to how long it will take to return to any semblance of normalcy. If we want to see pre-pandemic life restored by the end of next year, we’ll need a unified, national effort to continue wearing masks, practice social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as we’re able.
