dealing with burnout

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, a 19 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: dealing with burnout 🧯 

burnout is made up of 2 key factors, and can also be felt in these same 2 ways: motivation and health. combined, it’s like an extreme slump that effects both the mental and physical well-being. pushing yourself past your mind and body’s capacity and health will ultimately lead to burnout, and that’s not a sustainable way to live at all.

motivation isn’t something to harness and ride until you physically can’t anymore. 🏋️ you can’t overdose on “productivity” when you’re suddenly feeling motivated. you’ll crash.

i’ve already written a post on this before, but channeling those bursts of motivation into longer lasting habits and work ethic is much more effective, and better for your health. no matter how much an adventurous, spontaneous spirit you are, our bodies appreciate consistency. we see this in sleep quality, physical fitness, learning new skills and so much more.

i’ve been told that i’m a workaholic on a few occasions, but i’d honestly have to disagree. i definitely was in early high school when i didn’t know how to study effectively or actually adhere to my priorities. once i learned these skills, i have observed more balance in my life (still not perfect by any means!). this has also led to less frequent feelings of burnout.

it’s bizarre that 14-year-olds who barely know what they want to do in life are expected to be emailing professors about research internships and stressing endlessly about getting in university. 📧 what other choice to we have than to set ourselves up for success in today’s toxic-work society? the result often comes with burnout, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

the key is to let yourself rest. even more important, guilt-free rest. i know the feeling of dread while resting all too well. it feels like you’re wasting away and missing out on precious time to work, but that rest is equally important. i joke a lot about “the grind never stopping” but it can, and it should. allow yourself grace. ❤️

daily opportunity + resource drops 🔍️