When you’re already stressed and spread too thin, it doesn’t take much to push you over the edge into complete overwhelm. 

Yesterday was a very long workday for me. I was relieved when it was finished but then I was hit with an unexpected bill, a flat tire, and my cat vomiting all over my kitchen floor (she was fine, she just ate too fast, it was still gross though). 

These were minor inconveniences but the added frustration they caused pushed me over the edge and made me burst into tears. 

In the past, this would’ve triggered a shame response in me. I’d beat myself up for being emotional and conclude that I’m not strong enough to handle the responsibilities and annoyances of adult life, which isn’t true in the slightest. 

What IS true is that my reaction was a sign that I’m too stressed from over working and I haven’t been prioritizing myself in the ways I need to. 

We glorify the “rise and grind” mentality and idealize people like Elon Musk who, when he took over Twitter, claimed to be working 120 hours per week (which, in my opinion, is either an exaggeration or involved drugs because that is a wildly unsustainable way of working). 

As human beings, we all have physical and mental limitations, yet we’re conditioned to believe that we can operate like machines and push past those limitations without consequences. 

But we can’t. The more we try to, the worse we feel and the harder it is to perform at a high level. 

A better strategy is to accept the reality we’re faced with, cut ourselves some slack for being human, and ask for support instead of trying to do everything ourselves. I try to practice these things on a regular basis but I sometimes slip into old bad habits that result in things like the breakdown I had yesterday. But I’ve gotten much better at catching myself before these habits do too much damage and start me down the path of burnout. 

Once I recognized what was happening yesterday, I knew I had to slow down. So I paid the unexpected bill, cleaned up the cat vomit, and asked for help changing my tire. Then I put on my pajamas, ordered dinner from one of my favorite restaurants, cuddled on the couch while watching the new season of The Circle, and went to bed early. 

Today, I reviewed my to-do list, deleted and outsourced a few things, and moved some items to next week. I’m taking a half day tomorrow, and plan on spending the weekend recharging by surrounding myself with great people, spending time outside, seeing some live music, and getting plenty of rest. 

Learning to accept my own limitations, slow down, and be intentional rather than reactive, has not been easy but it has been worthwhile. I still struggle with it at times but I am much kinder to myself for not being perfect. 

Some days it can feel like the Universe is piling it on but that doesn’t mean you have to grin and bear it. 

So for whoever needs to hear this: It’s okay if you’re feeling overwhelmed. It’s okay if you break down. It’s okay to prioritize yourself and your life over work. It’s okay to do less. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to rest. 

And it’s okay to tell anyone who says you can’t to f*ck off.