Everyone has Struggles.
For some people, it is their past.
Some Struggle with Getting Started.
Then some individuals have a hard time Slowing Down.
I tend to fall into that last group.
I enjoy going a Hundred Miles an Hour.
Who needs Brakes when Speed is Fun?
That is how my Brain tends to think.
It can be a Great Thing Sometimes.
However, it is more often a Problem.
Especially in today's world.
One Word.
Burnout.
When we Hit Burnout, we become Completely Ineffective.
We drop to 5% of our Productivity Potential.
That's the Physical Cap in Burnout.
But there is an Interesting thing that is Occurring in the World Today.
More People are Struggling to Slow Down.
How do We Know this?
Burnout is Spreading.
80% of the Workforce is in Burnout, with More Expected to Join in the Near Future.
It's Unsustainable.
Trust Me.
I Know from Experience.
So, how can we Avoid That?
One of the easiest measures is to Slow Down "Before" we hit Burnout.
However, to do this, we must Know When to Slow Down.
If we Fail to Slow Down in Time, Burnout tends to Overcome us Quickly.
It is part of a Vicious Cycle.
So, how can we Know to Slow Down Before It is Too Late?
There are a few things to Pay Attention to.
First, Pay Attention to Energy.
Do You Feel Exhausted?
Our Body Runs on Energy, which the Scientists call Mg-ATP.
It is Generated by Our Mitochondria.
When our Body is Healthy, our Mitochondria Create Energy without Problems.
But when we are Low on Energy?
The Mitochondria will "Steal" Resources from other parts of our Body to Keep Us Alive.
It is Great in a Life-or-Death Situation.
It is Horrible when You Need to Function in Day-to-Day Modern Life.
When the Body has been Stripped too Much, that is when we hit Burnout.
This is what Burnout Is...
Our Body Completely Stripped Bare of Resources.
When there is Nothing Left to Strip, we can Die.
Literally as Has Happened in some Workplaces.
But we Do Not have to let it Get that Bad.
Pay Attention to Your Energy.
If you "Feel" Low, then that's a Strong Indicator.
What are some other things to watch for?
Do you Feel More Anxious or Depressed than Normal?
If we think about the Body Stripping Resources, the Brain can be Impacted by this Loss of Available Resources.
Both Anxiety and Depression can be Completely Normal Reactions to the Body Not Generating Enough Energy.
The Brain is Not Getting the Energy Needed to Produce "Feel Good" Neurochemicals.
Instead "Survival" Is Being Focused On.
When we are in "Survival" for Too Long, we can Feel More and More Anxious or Depressed.
Many people actually "Stop" Feeling Anxious and/or Depressed after they Fix their Energy Production in their Bodies.
Of course, it can always be Beneficial to Speak with a Health Professional, just be wary of any "Professional" whose First and Only Suggestion is Drugs.
There is Good Research that shows that most Drugs are "Barely" more Effective than a Placebo, and Do Not Work for Most of the Population.
Many People barely Gain Any Short-Term Benefits, and often have Worse Long-Term Benefits.
So, it may be worth Investigating getting your Energy (Mg-ATP) Fixed First, and a Good Healthcare Professional will Rule Out Less Extreme Options First.
If you Find Yourself Feeling Depressed or Anxious, it may just be a Sign from your Body that you Need to Slow Down in Some Aspects of your Life for a Bit.
What else can we pay attention to?
Are We Getting Sick?
Especially if you're getting Sick "More" Frequently.
Just as the Brain could be "Losing" Resources, so could our Immune System.
Most People's Immune Systems should be able to prevent Most Sickness.
If that is Not Happening, you may be on your way to Burnout.
My Mom always had a Saying.
The Best Medicine is Rest.
Why?
When you Rest, you allow Your Body's Resources to be diverted to the Immune System.
If you try to "Work Through It", you may be doing something Very Counterproductive to your Health.
So, by Slowing Down, you may be Giving Your Body the Ability to Develop a Better Immune System.
If You're Getting Sick, especially if it is "More" Frequently, then it may be time to Slow Down.
Another area to Pay Attention to is how you Feel about Creativity and Problem-Solving in Your Life.
Do you find ways to Express Creativity in your Life?
This does "Not" necessarily mean "Art" as we Traditionally Think.
It could be Playing with Technology.
Playing a Sport.
Any Number of things where you "Feel" Fully in your Body through the Act of Doing Something.
Creativity is something that Can and "Should" Impact "Any" Area of Life that You Are Interested In.
What about Finding Solutions to Your Challenges?
Of course, some Challenges cannot be Solved Immediately, but can you Find a Good Gameplan for them?
When we Hit Burnout, our Ability to be Creative and Solve Problems Dramatically Decreases.
So, if we are Discovering that Creativity Feels Low, and Problems Have No Solutions, it is Highly Likely it is because we Need to Slow Down.
Is there Anything Else We can Look at when it comes to Knowing if we Need to Slow Down?
Absolutely.
Look at Your Relationships.
How are they Doing?
We, as Humans, are Designed by Nature for Connection with People.
Meaningful Connections.
Are You Having Meaningful Connections?
If Not, You're In Trouble.
If You Continuously Cancel Plans with People You Care About.
If You Think, "Hey, I haven't talked to (insert name) in a while, I wonder what they've been Doing"...
And They are Someone You Really Care About...
And Then You Do Not Talk to Them...
That is a Good Sign You Have a Problem and Need to Slow Down.
Connection is Necessary to Thrive.
Without Connection, you become a Shell of a Human.
Many of the Most "Successful" People are Really just Shells.
Instead of Dying While Still Walking, it will be a Better Option to Slow Down.
All of these are Great Indicators that It May be Necessary to Slow Down.
If you Fail to Slow Down, You Will Likely Hit Worse Lows than You Imagined.
Do Not get to Burnout if you can Avoid It.
Discover "What" is Pushing You Toward These Extremes.
Then, Slow Down.
Allow the Body to Recover.
Fix Your Energy (Mg-ATP) in Your Body.
That is the Most Sustainable Path to Success, and Arguably the Only Long-Term Path.