Hello! 👋
So, full disclosure, I’m in the middle of a weee mini-burnout episode. I say ‘wee’ (meaning: small), and it is. At the same time, I’m giving myself permission to navigate it in my way. Which means: mentioning it when I feel like it (i.e. not pretending it’s not happening,) while also seeing where my limits are and what I can do in the meantime.
I can still do work, just not nearly as much as I might otherwise be able to. (I can tell you, it took a lot longer to write these sentences than it normally would!) And, interestingly, starting off this newsletter with: ‘Hey, I’m feeling really withdrawn and tired, and everything takes a lot more effort than it usually does,’ also really helps take the pressure off when it comes to doing the work I still want to do.
Being honest about how you’re feeling can really help relieve the pressure to be ‘good’ or ‘perfect,’ — and this in turn can help you actually get the things done.
Not that I’m recommending this primarily as a productivity hack!
(It’s unlikely to work if you’re trying to ‘trick’ your brain into being productive because you feel you ‘should’ be more productive. If your brain is like mine, it’ll likely see through that immediately and shut it down!)
But if you can honestly, genuinely, take the pressure off, you might get more curious. You might decide that the thing you need right now is to lie under the covers and not do anything else. Or you might decide that you can attempt to write a newsletter. Either choice is perfectly valid. Only you will know; and you’ll know it easier if you’ve given yourself permission to be wholly honest with yourself.
A favour…
So, the ‘real’ thing I came here to ask for you… is a favour:
Are you a creative, sensitive, and perhaps at times wonderfully awkward human? Do you identify as someone with lots of ideas, or dreams of doing something different… and can’t quite figure out what it is you’re meant to change?
Do you identify as deep thinking and deep feeling? Do you want to make a change in your work or life, but don’t know entirely what it is? Or are you very clear, but hold yourself back anyway?
And do you ‘suffer from,’ or experience self-doubt or maybe a mean inner critic?
If you think you fall into enough of these categories, would you be willing to talk to me for 30 mins or so, over Zoom?
In return for a free coaching session, or similar sized favour, it would be great if I can ask you a bunch of questions (and record you, so I don’t need to take copious notes while we’re speaking).
I would be forever grateful!
If this is you and you’d be up for having a call, please sign up here.
Many thanks,
Kathryn
PS. Feel free to pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested :)