Recently, I’ve been feeling very weary, especially in my writing journey. (I know, I know—I just published a post about how much passion I have as a writer. Things have changed since I wrote that.) I feel like giving up, although I’m not sure exactly what “giving up” would look like practically. I just feel like doing it.
Surprisingly, the burnout I’ve been experiencing lately isn’t really about rejection. My writing has been rejected by various people in various places at various times, so I’m used to it. Rejection is an inevitable part of being a writer.
I do believe God has called me to write—at least in this season of my life—but the burnout is agonizing. It’s also agonizing to not know when I’ll stop feeling this way. But honestly, that’s why I wrote this post—to remind you (and myself) of a few important things if you’re experiencing burnout and don’t know how to move forward:
1. Burnout is normal, even when you have passion and drive.
I’ve been a writer since my childhood, and since then, I’ve experienced great fulfillment—but I’ve also experienced great exhaustion. In recent weeks, even thinking about writing has been exhausting. Rather than feeling invigorated, I’ve felt overwhelmed.
As a girl who enjoys getting things done—especially when getting those things done will ultimately lead me to achieve my dreams—I hate feeling burnt out. Nonetheless, the truth is that everyone goes through what I’m currently going through. Not even the most passionate, driven people are exempt from burnout.
So if you feel frustrated with your seeming inability to get unstuck in life, pause to remember it’s a normal human experience. Don’t forget that I—along with lots and lots of other people—feel the same way. You’ll get through this.
2. Burnout is (sometimes) necessary to help you slow down.
Not only do I enjoy getting things done, but I also pressure myself to get things done. This reality has recently been reflected in my thoughts about writing: Ugh, I really should write something…but I don’t want to. It’s too tiring and frustrating. I feel like I’m going at a snail’s pace. Even if I take a step toward the finish line, I’ll have to take a million more steps before I actually get there. Why bother?
I like to dream big, so it’s hard for me to be patient with myself in everyday life. To be honest, it’s also hard for me to be patient with God’s plan. He certainly sees the big picture, but He also sees the small details—and He wants me to be faithful in them.
The burnout you’re experiencing might actually be a gift—an opportunity to give yourself grace and evaluate your pace. If you keep trying to race through the task(s) God has given you to do right now, you’ll keep feeling burnt out. But if you approach the task(s) with patience and faithfulness, you’ll find yourself making progress toward accomplishing it.
3. Burnout is temporary.
Although feeling burnt out is discouraging, it’s ultimately just an emotion. It will indeed end. And as a Christian, I can’t allow temporary experiences—no matter how discouraging—to negatively impact my faith.
If you’re feeling burnt out right now, I want you to remember it’s a temporary feeling. It won’t last. However, the way you deal with burnout—whether you choose to honor God in the midst of it or not—lasts forever.
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT)
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