Can you have too much of a good thing?
One of the lies I’ve told myself over the years is that if I enjoy something, or love something, then I should never need a break from it. Meaning, that love should sustain and recharge me, right? However, I’ve learned the hard way that never taking a break leads to burnout – even when you love what you’re doing. My garden gave me an analogy for this very scenario.
Light is essential for plants to grow. We know this. Plants need light to photosynthesize. It is a literal requirement for their growth. How much light each plant needs can vary from species to species, however, all of them need at least some form of light. Nothing will truly grow in complete darkness.
This year I started a few seedlings in my basement like I do most years. However, this year, I did not realize that my light timer was malfunctioning. My grow lights did not turn off at 10pm like I thought they were scheduled to. This meant my brand-new plants were exposed to light for 24+ hours instead of their 14–16-hour window. What do you think happened? Luckily, this time around, I caught the issue early and I was able to reverse most of the damage of this one-time over exposure. However, what if I hadn’t caught this issue? What happens if plants are exposed to light around the clock?
They burn. They lose their color and wither to a stump.
If that’s not an analogy for burnout, I don’t know what is.
The plants need the rest that happens during the dark as much as they need the growth that happens during the light.
Just as my seedlings need a break from the light that they love, we need to take breaks regularly too. My mom guilt tries to convince me this is not true. I’ll hear the pernicious whispers of my inner self say, “Why do you want a break from your kids? Don’t you love your kids?” I did the same thing to myself in my business. I loved my business. I loved the people that worked for me in my business. Why would I take a break? Doesn’t my love for them sustain me?
Just as constant light would burn out my seedlings, constant exposure to things that require a lot from us – even when we love them – can lead to burn out. As with most things in stress management, it requires balance. There is not either or. This means that unplugging or stepping away for a short time is just as crucial as the times that you are going full speed ahead. Learning to validate and respect the rest moments is crucial for anyone that wants to safeguard their wellbeing.
I hope you find a short rest today. Thanks for being here.