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Balance Is Important To Bring About

Burnout, boundaries for a healthy state of mind, and advice given

By Denise E LindquistPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
Top Story - October 2024
Balance Is Important To Bring About
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The universe takes and gives everything you didn’t know you needed. These prompts are an invitation to step inside yourself and explore what balance means to you. Rupi Kaur

It means bringing harmony and naturalness to life. Smooth sailing through life even though there are tough seas in the voyage. Looking at life with naturalness is expected. Life has its challenges and that doesn’t mean we have to stay there.

Yesterday I said, if it isn’t one thing, it is another. I had hip pain. I never had hip pain before, and yesterday I was walking with a cane. Good thing we are prepared. Then there was ice and ibuprofen. No pain this morning. I will enjoy my life without pain until it happens again, as it will.

Today I choose harmony!

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Rupi Kaur’s Balance Writing Prompts — Dear burnout _________________.

Dear burnout,

exhaustion I tout

emotional

mental, physical

and spiritual

~

Take a break

have some cake

read and create

pray and meditate

laugh, cry and recreate

~

Self-care to eliminate strife

learn to say no in life

separate work from homelife

take breaks to get some rest

sometimes asking for help is the best

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash

Rupi Kaur’s Balance Writing Prompts — Boundaries I’ve created to maintain a healthier state of mind are ______________________.

Many years ago I learned to leave my work at work. When working with people I realized that they had been surviving without me prior to seeing me and they would continue to survive until they could thrive without me. That is how it became possible for me to separate work from home life.

Then I found that it really wasn’t the people that were causing problems but rather co-workers and management. Same thing. I learned to leave that at work. At first, it was with a trick my sister taught me with a basket by the door or by dropping my work life at a tree outside the house.

When I got home I would put work down by the tree or in the basket. When leaving in the morning, I could pick it up. I would leave family stuff at home too in this way, I wasn’t taking home life with me to work. Sounds silly but it worked for me.

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Rupi Kaur’s Balance Writing Prompts — Your best friend tells you they’re feeling stressed about work. What advice do you give them?

I like the sign above. “Life isn’t perfect, but your outfit can be.” Dress for success some say. At the very least it may take your mind off of what the day may bring.

Many of my friends are already retired, so it is their part-time gig that can be stressful. My question is then, “Can you drop it or quit, or back off, or like me, find someone else to do it?”

Then there is the friend who doesn’t stress easily, so I know something is up. She is close to her decided retirement. I say things to help her laugh at the reality of stress in her job.

Like, “I told you that you have taken on more than that position should be responsible for. What the hell! Of course, you are going to be stressed!” Remember, I got cancer before I left my stressful position! Okay maybe not so funny!

How much time do you have left on the job? That’s nothing! As some guys who have been in jail may say when given a short sentence, “I can stand on my head for that long!” And so can you! Now that is funny! I have heard guys say that about a handful of times in my life.

That didn’t work for one guy I knew as the judge gave him twice as much time for saying that in court. I guess I knew lots of dumb criminals! Then she will laugh and her stress will be less! Laughter is the best medicine!

~~~~

First published by Mercury Press on medium.com

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About the Creator

Denise E Lindquist

Retired, working part-time as a Native American culture consultant. I have an MSE, and an ABD. I write on Vocal, and Facebook. Poetry, non-fiction mostly, and working on fiction. Wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

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    Written by Denise E Lindquist