Skip Days

Being prolific, no matter if you have one focus or many, is something I learned to let go of; mainly because taking care of yourself as a human often means adjusting to the moments you're given. You could be a prolific writer, but you could also end up a miserable alcoholic. Or a happy one. Not judging but that part isn't often the reality, just the excuse for the addiction.

And anything can end up becoming an obsession that goes awry. It always starts off innocent, even self-medication. It doesn't really hit home the lengths and sacrifices you go to in order to maintain an obsession, but then the vices start creeping in. Even things that seem healthy for you like exercise can become an obsession into anorexia or reckless bodybuilding. When you start measuring life by the way you need to feed an obsession, the best thing you can have is a spotter. That person who sees you interacting (or avoiding) and can say, hey, there's a chance you're crossing a line. If you're pushing this hard every day, you could burn out so maybe tomorrow should be a day to focus on self-care.

That's where I believe the self-care movement is healthy. It's not meant to be a parade of fuck-yous and Imma-do-mes endlessly. It's meant to be an aha moment either for when you're letting life bulldoze you or maybe you're the bulldozer. Self-care is a conscious act of adjusting away from extremes and reflecting on your journey. Obsessions, by definition, are not totally in your control so you need to check how much it's actually sabotaging your intent and well-being.

These are important to me personally as well. I'm not just here to lecture like some guru on a wisdom high. I easily develop obsessions and depressions based on pushing myself beyond mental or physical means. What I do have are people in my life that help me dial it down. They help me look at my accomplishments and take days off to socialize and walk a little more. It doesn't have to be grand. The best support groups understand you do need to work hard and fail sometimes. They are simply there to rein the wild horses back in.

Don't be afraid of rest days. Even in succession. There are times when the burnout could take weeks to recover from if you didn't listen to your support system. It's even okay to beat yourself up a little for being stubborn. Just don't quit. Stepping away from your passions isn't the same as giving up. Sometimes you just need to long for it again. Sometimes you just beat it into work and it needs to be something playful again. Don't worry about the people that never seem to burn out. It's not going to happen to everyone. It's not a total failure if it happens to you though. It may just mean your needs are more diverse and aren't being met in one area. Use it as a time to explore a hobby. Try diamond painting or sculpting or wood carving or mountain climbing. Whatever you think you're interested in, there may yet be a secret passion in you yet.

Keep up the lifelong search for yourself!