Peace & Productivity
Life will always pull us to a balance. If we push ourselves too hard, we get overwhelmed and collapse. If we avoid life, we become discontented and restless. It can be so easy to get stuck oscillating between these two extremes. We avoid our responsibilities and passions for so long that we become panicked, believing we’ll never get anything done. That panic then fuels our efforts and we may find success, but only through stress and overexertion. This leads to burnout and low energy, and then further avoidance. The cycle continues and leads to a broken relationship with both productivity and rest. It erodes our trust in our own power and our ability to find peace.
As our self trust erodes, we start to believe that stress and panic are the only way we can accomplish what we need. We feel that we are weak, broken or lazy. Our daily goals can feel like tremendous burdens, even more so for those of us struggling with depression. This makes sense. Panic is uncomfortable, stress hormones are things we want to avoid. If the only way we can get anything done is by flooding our body with stress and self-criticism, of course we want to avoid doing more. Very often the thing we are avoiding is the panic itself, very often that is what’s leading to our burnout.
It must be said that sometimes we simply have too much on our plate. That we don’t have enough resources, that we need help, that we need to set boundaries and say no. Sometimes this happens because we are struggling with perfectionism, sometimes because we are in a difficult place. Reaching out to a therapist or loved one for support can be half the battle. We can also practice checking in with ourselves and asking if we truly need to do the thing we are stressing over. I may be disappointed, for example, that I am too tired to go for a walk, clean the kitchen, or respond to that email. It’s okay to be disappointed. But it’s also okay to listen to my body and let it go.
Sometimes, however, our intuition is pulling us to do the thing. We know it would benefit us to complete the assignment, to make a healthy dinner, or to go to yoga class. But stress is getting in the way. Our habitual patterns of using panic as a motivator force us into a false choice between peace and productivity. Yes, there may be negative emotions we have to face to obtain peace and balance. We may feel guilty that we put off our work for so long. We may feel bad about ourselves or anxious about what comes next. And that’s okay because facing these negative emotions is an important part of the process. In learning to feel and respond to these emotions with compassion, we can let them go. We are able to let go of the extremes of panic and avoidance and find another way to create balance. We can learn to relax into the challenge, to practice keeping our peace while doing the hard things. To talk to ourselves gently, to breathe deeply, to show up mindfully. In this way we can connect with our inner power and stillness at the same time. We can learn to trust and care for ourselves.
Are you ready to learn more about what therapy could be for you?
Therapy is a very personal journey and you deserve to feel seen and supported by your therapist. Please reach out if you would like to explore working together.