Independence From Burnout and Hustle Mentality

 

Free use image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

As I near my sixth decade of this lifetime, I'm finally catching on to the concept that overwork only leads to burnout. Am I finally realizing that less really is more? If so, I'm living proof that miracles are possible because, for most of my life, I've been in opposition to this idea.

When my health issues forced me to stop working conventionally and apply for disability five years ago, I was deeply ashamed. I always worked forty to sixty hours a week at physically demanding jobs. My motto was, "I'll sleep when I'm dead." That may have come close to being prophetic in March of 2017 when I suffered a TIA (transient ischemic attack) and was fired from my position as a pediatric home care nurse because I "fell asleep" on the job.

I didn't "fall asleep." I passed out. A transient ischemic attack is also known as a small stroke. Unlike a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or major stroke, it doesn't leave lasting damage. Frequent TIAs are usually a warning sign that a CVA is imminent.

The company that employed me was notorious for overworking their nurses to the point where they fell asleep on the job or ended up seriously ill. To be honest, I was kind of a half-assed nurse. I knew my stuff, and I cared about my patients, but if I said nursing was my life, I'd have been a liar. It was a job that didn't involve working 9 to 5 while sitting at a desk. I didn't have any specialized training, and I always hoped some opportunity would come along that would allow me to jump ship. I was a dime a dozen, and in the grand scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter that I got fired.

"Millie," on the other hand, was an excellent nurse. Her profession was her life. She was comfortable working with respirators and ventilators, something I wanted nothing to do with. She was comfortable working with patients with difficult health conditions. (I was too, but I wasn't nearly as knowledgeable as she was.)

Millie also got fired for falling asleep on the job because the company overworked her. However, even knowing this organization used up and tossed aside the cream of the crop and not just grunts like me, I still felt terrible about myself after losing my job. I worked delivering food for two years after realizing my body would no longer allow me to continue in healthcare. I had to move out of my mobile home and into my son's townhouse.

We spent the first part of 2019 finding another home because my son and I could no longer afford the rent on the townhouse. When I was getting ready to sell the mobile home, I was still paying lot rent. We found a wonderful place in a remote rural town, and after the sale was completed, I applied for disability.

Once I started writing professionally and eventually freelancing in other areas, such as reviewing books and now editing, I subjected myself to rigid and unrealistic goals because I felt like a failure for not working outrageous hours in a physically punishing profession. Since then, I've learned the hard way that if I don't pace myself, I'll end up burned out and nonfunctional.

Hustle mentality is unhealthy and, for most people, unsustainable. It is not conducive to creativity. We need to take care of ourselves so we can enjoy a lifetime of happy productivity.

Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate it.

Free use image by Clker Free Vector Images on Pixabay

Cara H is the frazzled mind behind Naughty Netherworld Press.

She writes horror, Lovecraftian fantasy, and the occasional sweet romance as C. L. Hart.

She writes steamy romance as Lil DeVille.

She writes nonfiction and poetry as herself.

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