Battling Burnout Part II: Sabbatical Reflections

CareerLifestyle

Mar 27

Note: If you’re starting here, be sure to read “Battling Burnout Part I: My Journey with Work Stress & Anxiety” before continuing 😉

Although it was initially hard to arrive at the decision to take a sabbatical from work, I can’t even begin to describe the weight that was lifted off of me once I finally did. For so long, I was trying to manage symptoms, but there was no possibility of me getting well until the root cause was addressed. By making the decision to take a break from work, I was able to fully shift my attention to giving my body the care and attention it deserved. Although physical healing was my top priority, my mental health needed nurturing as well. In the days leading up to the start of my sabbatical, I recalled the scripture below:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

In that moment, I was reminded that I don’t have to (and if I’m being honest, couldn’t) overcome the physical and mental burdens I was carrying in my own strength. After reading this scripture, I accepted the invitation and fully surrendered this situation to Jesus. I asked Him to give me wisdom for how to best steward this time away from work, because I envisioned myself being fully restored in my mind, body, and spirit by the end of the year. Jesus answered my prayers by guiding my decisions – which led me to prioritize rhythms centered around rest, healing, introspection, and abiding in Him.

Each day of my sabbatical looked different, but one thing that I did daily was start my day with Jesus. This dedicated time of prayer, worship, and reading scriptures as well as my new devotional (Upon Waking by Jackie Hill Perry) set the tone for my days. Afterwards, I would take time to feel and listen for what my mind and body needed for that particular day. The majority of times, it was rest, silence, solitude, and stillness. Sometimes, it was drinking a warm cup of tea and processing my feelings through journaling or therapy. And other times, it was moving my body, primarily through deep stretch classes or walks (until I was well enough to return to kickboxing), and spending time with my community.

With each day, I felt my nervous system calming and my spirit being lifted. And after just one month of being off from work and prioritizing these rhythms, my body completely healed itself. This breakthrough was also the confirmation I needed. It explained why all of my medical test results had come back favorably. The stress from work burned me out and manifested as anxiety and sickness in my body. I was mind blown at the effects that stress could have on one’s health and how severe conditions could get when they aren’t tended to in a timely manner or not addressed at all.

The rest of my sabbatical continued to be fruitful and restorative mentally, physically, and spiritually. Prior to this time away from work, I had no longer felt like myself; and I can’t even begin to describe how meaningful it was to watch my joyful, peaceful self reemerge before my eyes. Others witnessed it as well. I remember receiving several comments from some people that I’d interacted with throughout the month of December. Their sentiments were, “You seem lighter,” “You’re glowing,” “Your energy is so peaceful,” etc. I also remember going to get a massage in December, and my massage therapist asked me what I’d been doing differently, because she no longer felt the knots and tension in my body from my prior visits.

After receiving confirmation that work stress had been detrimental to my mental and physical health, I had no desire to return to my prior role. There was no sense in me reclaiming my health, peace, and joy during my sabbatical to then put myself back in a position to have it stripped away again. So I advocated for myself and as a result, I returned to a brand new role — the very same role I referenced in my prior post! (“Battling Burnout Part I: My Journey with Work Stress & Anxiety”)

Because of this experience, I now have a renewed perspective on work and a new vision for the life I desire to create. This experience has given the saying “your health is your wealth” profound meaning to me. It’s empowered me to advocate for myself differently and informed clearer boundaries in relation to work. It’s taught me that people-pleasing will come at an expense and making decisions in support of my overall well-being is not selfish. Lastly, it’s taught me not to let anything or anyone jeopardize my peace, my joy, or the essence of who I am – any such thing is too costly.

Writing this Battling Burnout series brought back so many emotions for me, but I wanted to share this experience with my blog community because I know there are others who may:

Be suffering in silence and feel alone in their journey
Have sought help only to have their feelings or experiences met with lack of empathy
Feel stuck and think they don’t have any options
Know what actions need to be taken, but lack the courage to do so
Be afraid of the potential stigmas associated with taking a leave of absence or concerned about the impact it could have on their career
Be experiencing abnormal symptoms in their body and haven’t even considered that work or other life stressors could be the cause

If you’re suffering from work burnout and can relate to any of the above, I hope you find encouragement in knowing that you’re not alone and feel empowered to make decisions to improve your overall well-being. And if you’ve already done so, I’m so happy for and proud of you!

For those of you who may not be feeling well and haven’t considered that stress may be the cause, I encourage you to take the time to evaluate your life and identify the source. It could be work, lack of adequate sleep/rest, a tense relationship, lack of boundaries (i.e. over-committing yourself, people-pleasing, etc.), a disposition towards overachieving or being a perfectionist, etc. Whatever the case may be, I encourage you to determine the immediate and long-term changes you need to make to manage and prevent stress in the future. Then, take action! It can be hard to break long-term patterns and put your needs above the needs of others, but you can do it and are so worth it!

In case you need some help with this exercise, I’ve written a few prompts for you to consider:

What areas in my life are causing me stress? How does my body tend to respond in those moments?
What can I say no to or delegate in order to create more capacity for myself?
How can I change my daily habits and restructure my life in a way that supports my overall well-being?
What boundaries do I need to set and honor to better manage/prevent future stress?
Who can I reach out to for help along this journey? What resources are available to me that I may have not considered?
What is the most loving and nourishing thing I can do for myself today?
I am my best self and/or most joyful, peaceful self when…
How can I create more opportunities to feel this way?

Cheers to peace and wellness!

Imanne