This week, a woman I see at work sporadically told me that my “energy is off” this school year and I “seem very stressed out.”
The comment hit me the same way the words you look tired or when are you going to have a baby? often do in similar interactions. (Don’t you love the passing unfiltered comments of kind and concerned ladies? 🙃)
At first I felt a little awkward or guilty or maybe even… hurt? Like, wtf does it even mean that my energy is off? Has burnout finally won out in the career-long battle? Do I need to go on stress leave? Take a mental health day? Upgrade to a stronger retinoid? I’m trying my best here, woman!
I immediately took action on the last point, and contemplated that comment with friends in real life and on Instagram.
The consensus is that we are working and living amidst broken systems, genocide, war, inflation, climate crisis, multiple health and mental health crises, social media, not to mention daylight savings and a scarcity of Taylor Swift tickets.
In other words… The energy is definitely off.
If we don’t feel it, are we even human beings in the year 2023?
How’s your “energy” these days?
I’m usually trying to make it all make sense with a combination of paying attention to the important stuff, using my influence in the arenas of life where I have it (mainly when teaching my lovely perfect amazing students), and finding happiness in the nice things and moments I’m able to have.
I call this enjoying nice things while being human. Here’s what that looks like some of the time:
Using my sick days (mental health is health, folks)
Carving out time for pointless, unproductive entertainment like Legend of Zelda: BOTW marathons and bubble baths with the Britney Spears book and a cocktail
Caring about world events, and consuming the news with boundaries
Dressing for how I want to feel, and making getting dressed fun by filling my closet with pieces I love
Eating pasta and drinking wine
Having a good cry
Writing it all down
Other times I cope less effectively, binge too much news, send passive aggressive Teams messages at work, over-shop at the thrift, and forget that I’m a human being who requires more than just pasta and wine (also we sometimes need water and exercise, apparently 🙄).
It’s all about balance, or so I’m told…