Rest, Reset, Refocus!

It has been approximately four weeks since I have consistently posted on my social media and on my blog. The truth is I needed to put my mask on first and rest, reset, and refocus. Burnout is real and it is something all people will face whether that be in school, in your career, or as an entrepreneur. As a new hire going through training and onboarding, the past four weeks have been grueling and it was necessary for me to put work and myself before anything else. I have always been someone who has a lot of passions and interests which means I also have a lot of responsibility and deadlines to meet. As I reflect back on 2020, the biggest takeaway for me is Put your mask on first and when times are tough rest, reset, and refocus.

Putting your mask on first has been the hardest lesson for me. As an empath, a giver, and a lover of people I tend to give more than I receive. In the last four weeks I have been putting my mask on first. I have been giving to myself before I give to others. I have been selfish with my time. In the beginning of this period, I felt bad about stepping away from my business Lauren Creative Career Services, my weekly blog post, and active social media pages but then I remembered why I did it. I believe that in everything in life you should be both feet in, not one foot in one foot out. I don’t believe in mediocre work, I believe that if you can’t put your whole heart into it don’t put anything at all. While this all or nothing mindset stems from my perfection and some people may ridicule me for having this mindset I stand firmly on that belief.

In the last four weeks I also have been resting, resetting, and refocusing. I did this because I needed to. Many people hype up the hustler, I don’t sleep, take no days off (TNDO) lifestyle. The truth is that lifestyle is not sustainable and it is detrimental to your mental and physical well-being. At some point that lifestyle will catch up to you and you will experience the pains of burn out. In the past four weeks I have found that resting, resetting, and refocusing is a great way to be proactive and prevent prolonged burn out.

It is important to practice self-care and adjust your lifestyle to find your balance. I understand not everyone is in a place to put their life, work, or business on pause but I encourage you to if you can. In the four weeks that I have stepped away from my business, I have learned so much about myself, I have had so many epiphanies, and I have a renewed sense of creative direction for my business.

Tomorrow is September 1 and I urge you to do some self-reflection. If you answer yes to any of these questions it is time for you to rest, reset, and refocus.

• Do you dread work?

• Are you experiencing high levels of stress?

• Do you lack motivation?

• Are you engaging in unhealthy habits?

• Are you having trouble concentrating?

• Are you lacking creativity?

• Are you experiencing writer's block?

Remember to put yourself first and not to self-sabotage when you step away from the things you love. Your inner peace is more important than school, work, or your business.

Stay Creative,

Lauren