Have you been playing it small because you're worried about burnout?

Just between you and me, burn out is the symptom of our stress system ramping up for too long. It usually starts with something consuming our mind longer than it should.  That difficult project, failed promotion or family issue we just can't seem to shake off.  It literally feels like there is no escape.

We feel like we're living on edge trying to keep our emotions in check and it leaks into every aspect of our life.  Even sleep evades us when we find ourselves lying awake into the early hours.  Maybe you've got to the stage where you're worried about losing your temper in that meeting or breaking down emotionally at the wrong time.  

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY NOT ALONE! I’ve spent decades building up my professional experience and getting the right qualifications, proving myself time and time again. I’ve always been resilient with just enough confidence to pull off the act but it turns out that

resilience can be very fragile, and fake confidence, absolutely exhausting!

What pushes us over the edge can be different for all of us.  For me, when I didn’t get the promotion I wanted after all of that additional effort; when I had to watch others with less capability thriving in the corporate world, I was literally eaten away with resentment. The resentment ran so deep, that my anger was in constant over drive. It took all of the composure I had to keep it under wraps. 

I often refer to this as stress, because at the time, I thought that’s what it was. I thought I could be cured by moving jobs and when that didn’t work, I simply took on less and less responsibility. That’s when the resentment turned inwards. I knew I was capable of so much more, but I was worried about the anger management issues or the inevitable burn out. So I started to play it small and believe it or not, that was even worse.  

Playing it small builds internal resentment 

because we know we are letting ourselves down.

It was quite by accident that I came across an approach that would change every aspect of my life.  Since then I've never looked back.  With one eye on Inspector Morse, I was browsing the internet when I came across a masters in mindfulness. It looked really intriguing and I’ve always been fascinated by what makes us human beings tick.  I didn’t have the entry qualifications for the course, but they were easy to attain - an 8 week stress reduction course in mindfulness, just what I needed! 

The course was as fascinating as I'd expected and the homework was amazing. No time consuming assignments - we spent 30 minutes each day following guided practices. I loved the idea of being authorised to lie under a blanket in the middle of the day. Some of the classes involved this too.  So it began.... like  peeling back the onion of my life. Initially I learnt how to switch off and become closer to my emotional state, something I’d probably been disregarding for several years. Gradually I came to understand the mechanics of the mind and emotions. I deepened my self awareness and was able to develop an inner resilience that was genuine and authentic.  

The practices were really simple but I soon learnt that the brain is a series of muscles and each time I practised I was building new neural pathways in the brain.  These pathways were contributing to a new way of navigating every aspect of life.  I attached no blame to how I lived before, because once we understand how the brain works, it's clear that a lot of our behaviours and reactions are developed when we are very young and have very little control over our emotional well being. 

With the right skills and understanding my new way of being involved LESS judgement, LESS reactivity and MORE acceptance. I developed the ability to step back and pause, letting go of the urge to pick up emotional baggage.    

This deep self awareness is tricky, particularly when we face into those parts of our self we’d rather not see. Developing mindful compassion gives us the capacity to come to know ourselves without judgement.  This is all part of the process, a process that over time becomes very freeing. We come to understand our boundaries and how to live authentically to honour them.   We come to understand how to gain peace of mind.

When I finally did gain my masters degree in mindfulness, I wondered if there were other people out there.  Other people who were tired of striving; tired of burn out and desperate for some peace of mind. That’s why I created Mind21, a unique 21 day program in which I guide you through the knowledge and the practices that have turned my life around.

These 30 minute modules have been described as a spa for the mind but their power goes deeper, helping us to retrain those parts of the brain that are the foundation of our emotional resilience.  Mind21 incorporates the findings of the leading courses in mindfulness including: The Mindful Living Course; Google's Search Inside Yourself; The Mindful Way Through Depression and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.

Have a look at the benefits to see how Mind21 can help you work with some common patterns. 

Day by Day You're Guided Through the Material