The Poo-bag Indicator
A brief reflection on burnout
Reading time: 2 min
Burnout is like a cavity.
It hides where you can’t see it, starts small, compounds over time, and by the time you realise it’s a problem, it has already caused damage.
That's why it's important to understand how your body and mind tell you to slow down.
For me, burnout doesn’t come from a single source. I tend to fill my life and time with projects, and I love basking in the illusion of being able to do it all.
Balancing my literary ambitions with family and a full-time job is already a high-precision practice, but when you throw in the mix a few unexpected massive changes in lifestyle, the pressure can become unsustainable.
In these instances, my body talks to me in the only way it knows; making me tired, unmotivated, less creative. But how do I know that this isn’t just lack of sleep? I need a more specific signal, and I think I finally found the ultimate alarm system.
I always pick up after my dog.
Always. No excuses.
Sometimes, though, when Larry goes, I glance at the little bag holder wishing it was empty.
I call it “The poo-bag indicator.”
If even that minor effort seems daunting, it means I need to slow down.
And it makes sense. I love walking Larry. I solve problems on these walks. It’s when I take a break and let my imagination go on a rampage. Many of my best ideas spark then, but if a guaranteed occurrence of this lovely activity of mine puts me off, I know I need to stop, take a breath (far from the poo), and have a serious look at my priorities.
Sometimes there’s very little I can do about it. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, but often that brief mental eye-roll is enough to remind me what’s important and what can be dropped. At least momentarily.
Acceptance plays a big role in my long-term wellbeing, I believe. Accepting that some periods of life are more stressful, or even overwhelming, is essential to build resilience, but this needs to be balanced with taking action and assuming responsibility for how I feel.
To all the cat-people out there: you don’t even know what sorts of philosophical journeys you could be on right now if you had a dog.
Alla prossima.
