Why My Burnout Seemed So Surprising
I've always been a firm believer that coaches need coaches. As I've moved through the process of obtaining my certifications I continued to learn and work under other coaches. I knew I could not pour out what I did not possess.
Perhaps this is why my feelings of burnout in the spring seemed so surprising. It wasn't because I was completely neglecting all of my needs.
I realized that there was one area that I hadn't paid particular attention to.... my highly sensitive HSP needs. Though I've been aware of my highly sensitive nature I now know that I made some general assumptions about what that meant for me. I wasn't entirely wrong but there was so much more to be learned.
Here is what I knew:
- I feel deeply
- I feel/sense others feelings
- I'm a deep thinker
- It takes time for me to process things
- Others come to mind often
- I consider others feelings
- I weigh decisions carefully
All these things certainly came into play in my coaching practice.
What I didn't realize:
- My HSP wiring is biological and part of my DNA
- I not only feel others emotions I also have a tendency to absorb/carry them
- The (long) time it takes me to process information is normal for me
- My HSP brain and creative brain both work together and also conflict sometimes
Aha! Now my burnout doesn't seem so surprising after all. I was absorbing quite a lot without fully realizing or processing enough.
I now meet with a group of Christian HSP women and a coach on a regular basis to learn more about what being highly sensitive means for me. I've discovered how to set better boundaries, while learning from and relating to other women who share these characteristics.
While discovering new things about myself, I'm focusing on slowing down and on my continued healing journey. Yes, my slow life scaled down further to a crawl it seems, I didn't think it was possible.
I also feel God has been shifting the direction in which to serve you, my friends and readers. Truthfully this shift began over a year ago during my time away from social media that led me to writing my first devotional. This season was so impactful to me. You can read my story HERE.
Since writing that devotional I have had the opportunity to write several more since. I feel that God is asking me to continue putting my attention on writing more, therefore “tabling” my coaching practice until God tells me differently.
Sooo....I am working on a new devotional project!
Don't worry I will be revealing more about these new devotionals real soon !
I'm so excited because you will see the threads of the same message I've been sharing for years woven in these devotional series. I hope you'll come back here to your inbox next week to find out more news about what's coming!
Blessings of Wellness to you Friend!
Melissa
Did you go through my 7-Day devotional last year?
You can get my devotional FREE until August 31st. I'll be reformatting this devotional and re-releasing it this fall at a small cost.
Photo: Sunset on July 4th this year on the water near my home.