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Mark Your Calendars

Burnout-Proof Your Life

Have you ever felt like you were completely over your head? Drowning in the life you are living? Burnout, or adrenal depletion, is becoming more and more common these days. We are packing more and more life into each day, leaving little or no margins. We feel guilty for sitting back and just enjoying doing nothing, as if we are wasting that time. Americans, especially, seem to derive their self worth from what they do; so they DO too much.

There are certain professions that seem to have an extremely high rate of adrenal depletion (pastors, midwives, missionaries, & budding entrepreneurs, to name a few) and since Charis includes so many of you who fit into these categories, I thought this would be a good topic to touch on this month.

I, unfortunately, have learned quite a bit about burnout first-hand. About a year ago, I hit a wall. A big, fat, seemingly impossible wall. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a forever-optimistic, hyper-positive person. My glass is always MORE than half-full! Well, that was true until last spring when my glass seemed to empty out completely. I couldn't muster up an optimistic thought if you paid me! Any amount of stress would do me in. I managed to keep Charis afloat, but my other business had to be put on the back burner and homeschooling has suffered majorly. What bothered me most is that no amount of praying, reading the Bible, worshipping, etc. was helping. I had to make some drastic changes if I was going to survive.

Looking back over my life, I realize that I had been abusing my adrenals for the last 20 years. As a young single mom, I felt that I had to have it together at all times. I worked, went to college, took good care of Eric, went to births, was involved in ministry-- my life was full and I enjoyed every minute of it! I learned early on to tap into my adrenaline on a regular basis in order to keep going.

Fast-forward to last year-- I homeschooled my children, went to births, did coaching, directed an international organization, ran a home-based business, built a new  house, was preparing to plant a church, etc. My life was full and I enjoyed every minute of it... until I burned out. I missed the warning signs along the way, didn't set better boundaries and priorities, so my adrenals went on strike. From what I understand, without divine intervention, the strike could last for a long time, maybe several years, as my adrenals heal. I'm currently taking very good care of myself and my adrenal glands AND counting on divine healing!

Something I didn't have that could have helped me identify those warning signs along the way was a coach. (Very sad for a coach to say!) Good life coaches are worth their weight in gold! I felt like I had it pretty well together and that I didn't need a coach to help me set my goals, etc. Boy was I wrong! It's crazy, but I was actually afraid that a coach  might try to put even more on my already over-filled plate. Well, maybe some coaches without discernment may, but a great coach is a great listener who guides you through decision-making so that your life takes the shape that YOU want and need.

So often we get caught up in the current of everyday life and our life ends up looking very different than it would have looked if we had sat down ahead of time and planned it out for ourselves. If you feel like you are there, are possibly heading that way, or just want to be sure you don't get on that track, I want to do something for you.

I'm opening up some time on my calendar within the months of July and August for a limited number of free one-hour coaching sessions for Charis members (regardless of your profession) who would like some life coaching to help burnout-proof your life. Since the number of spots is limited, the sooner you contact me to set an appointment, the better. I know that one hour of coaching won't necessarily fix everything, but I believe you will benefit greatly from it-- and you will get to give coaching a try to see if it would be a value for you. If you want to continue beyond that first appointment, just let me know and I'll tell you how.

I've heard of so many pastors, missionaries, and midwives who just quit. I can't help but think that it could have been avoided. Why would God have put such a passion in a person if He didn't intend for them to be fulfilled in that calling? I don't believe He would! My hope is that great coaching can play a role in your becoming fulfilled in your calling and happy with your life.

In your corner,
Kristin

 

The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider.