Burnout

I worked hard this week, but I’m not done yet. I still have labels to print and mailers to stamp and customs forms to prepare and insert sheets to print. I’m sure there are other things too. I feel like a runner mid-marathon. I’m exhausted and achy and wondering why I got myself into this position, but I can’t stop to rest. I have to keep going. Only that is a false metaphor because I can stop. I can take breaks. But somehow I’m having a hard time actually doing it. There is a drive inside me to hurry and get it done so that I don’t have to do it anymore. There is also an exhaustion in me that doesn’t want to touch it ever again. This isn’t so bad in the mornings when I’m fresh, but by evening I end up wandering around unable to settle into either work or relaxation.

The state of my house matches the state of my mind. It is a mess.

Today I am using my energetic hours to put things into order. I swept the kitchen for the first time all week. Hopefully before the day is over there will be vacuuming. This afternoon my kids have a rehearsal to attend and so I’ll have two and a half hours to myself. I intend to use them frivolously and get myself out of the house. I think I’ll go fabric shopping. I really need some time to just be Sandra without being Mom or or Schlock Mercenary Distribution Coordinator. I need to refill my well of motivation because I have so much left to do.

3 thoughts on “Burnout”

  1. Email me with your order number and the new address. I’ll take care of it. You can email via livejournal or by clicking “Send us feedback” at the bottom of the storefront page.

  2. I hope you did take that time out. You do no-one, least of all yourself, any good by getting frazzled, and the work still doesn’t get done if you do. Take time out, go for a walk, whatever. Seriously. We can all stand to wait another day fior our books and I’d much rather do that than be sending “get well” cards… Limit the hours you spend to a reasonable working period, is probably best. Not sure how it works in the US, but over here truck drivers can do a maximum of 4½ hours and then they have to take a 45 minute break, and a maximum of about 10 hours at a stretch without taking an minimum 8-hour break.
    This is part of a wider thing called the Eurpoean Working Time Directive, which is one of the few things the E.U. has done of which I thoroughly approve. Working “all the hours God sends” is not good, except in genuine emergency situations. And even then, there’s only so much one person can cope with.

Comments are closed.