take the off-ramp early

A month and a half ago, I started to feel tired all the time. I was becoming irritable and avoidant. I could see burnout looming on the horizon. I had a tough conversation with my wife, and we decided that I would take a ton of time off this summer. A sort of sabbatical.

In the last week of June, the burnout was starting to hit hard. No matter what I was doing, I always wanted to stop and go rest. So today, one week into the sabbatical, I'm feeling super grateful to my past self for seeing the burnout on the horizon and taking the off-ramp early. This is something I was never able to do when I was younger. I usually just drove off the cliff.

When you have a young child, nothing is a true break, yet still: as I've been prioritizing rest, practice, family, and self-care, I've been feeling intense withdrawal around achievement and accomplishment. There's lots of talk out there about dopamine detox, putting away your social media, going easy on the TV and video games, etc., but for many of us, the biggest source of compulsive habit comes from work.

I've been able to untangle most of my projects for the summer, though I am staying connected to work one day a week, which is why I'm at my desk today. I'm just about to step into an onslaught of updates and responsibilities, and it feels like trying to jump onto a moving freight train. I can't help but wonder: "how have I been doing this 5 days a week?"

Pay attention to your signals, and take a break when you need it, y'all.