How Long? (When will I be back to normal?)

It is 100% normal to ask "how long?" when it comes to burnout and your recovery?

I have asked this question.

Many others before me have asked that same question.

The "when will I be back to normal?" sentiment.

At this point some of my friends are being cheeky and muttering under their breath that I was never normal - but that is some fun for another day...

The "how long?" is not something I have thought lots about, but it has been in the back of my mind.

It also seems to come up when people ask how I am and how I am tracking.

I have even heard it said that the length of time it takes to recover can sometimes match how long it took to get into this situation in the first place. At first glance that could sound a little depressing but further down this little blog I hope to address that concept.

Like I have already mentioned this question has been around a long time.

"How long?" was asked by many many people in the Bible as they waited for Heavens help, rescue, supply, and as they looked in faith to God. 

The super famous music supergroup U2 even wrote a song around this question called 40, which is riddled with the same question and sentiment. Ironically it looks like they have been influenced by some Bible verses as well if you look closely at the lyrics.

Here is my current thinking on this...

Burnout recovery is not a moment, it is a 100% process.

It takes time to get burned out, and it makes sense to me that it will probably take time to come back out.

What I think that personally helps me on the burnout recovery journey is to see it in terms of process.

A step by step. Week by week movement towards being better.

Why did I say week by week? 

I have learned that you can have good and bad days. A bad day doesn't indicate anything other than a bad day. I think a broader approach is better for your assessment towards being back.

It is all about little steps. Or progress. And on a scale that isn't too fast and painful the other way.

Seeing yourself getting fractionally better is better than spiralling further into that burnout hole.

I have actually begun to see burnout in part like a wind up.

Picture yourself internally turning and turning in one direction again and again.

Burnout to me feels like that internally. 

You are wound up so tight that at your lowest point you feel you cannot take anymore winding. That maybe one more twist would end you emotionally, physically or worse.

Conversely if you try and unwind yourself too fast you will probably go flying. The better approach is slowly unwinding and unpacking and even unlearning some really unhelpful ways of living life.

So if this is you? If you feel burned out and like a tightly wound string?

Don't stress about the speed to being recovered. 

Just take it slow. Slow allows you to pace yourself. To notice things and learn. To avoid healing pains, and yes, that is a thing...

If it helps, please know God is walking through your recovery valley with you, even if it's not clear that He is.

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

Psalm 6:2-3 NIV

Something to think about...

If you want to support what I have done and will do in the future, you can now do that with Buy Me A Coffee - I love coffee!