Are You Running on Empty?
Are You Running on Empty?
(4) Consequences to the Hurried Pace Burdened Women Tend to Keep
I kept glancing at the dashboard. That tightness in my chest was evidence of the anxiety rising up in me. It was almost midnight, it had been an extremely long shift, and I just wanted to get home. Home was only 3 miles away…but, admittedly, the light had been blinking since yesterday. The meter now showed under E, and deep down inside, I knew I wasn’t going to make it.
And, then the thoughts began to rush in: Who would I call for help at this hour? Why didn’t I just stop for gas earlier? Why do I keep putting myself in this position?
That particular night, I, unfortunately, did run out of gas. I had to call a friend for help (and totally inconvenience her in the middle of the night for what could have been avoided). Embarrassment set in. Frustration and overwhelm soon followed. An external problem then became an internal one.
Does this sound familiar? Truth is, this isn’t just isolated to the gas in our cars, it’s sometimes demonstrative of the gas in our actual lives. Sometimes, we are moving through life at an unrealistic pace - headed to work, then picking up the youngest from practice, then to a committee meeting at church, back home to get dinner on the table, then a friend calls for a favor, then there’s an issue with the spouse, then…then… then.
We spend our entire lives going from one responsibility to another, putting out one fire after the other. And, before we know it, we’re running on empty. We feel it in our bodies - fatigue, headaches, dizziness, light-headedness. But, even with Cortisol coursing through our veins, and our bodies screaming “Stop!”, we tell ourselves, we can’t. And, we don’t. Until it’s too late, and life forces the frenzy to a halt.
If this is your current situation, here are (4) consequences to the hurried pace burdened women tend to keep:
Never-ending anxiety - I kept glancing at the dash that night because my spirit was anxious. In the back of my mind, I knew what was coming and it created a tightness in my chest. As burdened women, we are always looking for the other shoe to drop. We’re anticipating problems long before they actually happen. And, that destroys the quality of our life. Romantic poet, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, once said, “Anxiety is the poison of human life.” Living in a constant state of anxiousness leads to worry and fear, and sometimes anger and frustration. Plus, how can you ever enjoy your present moments with co-workers, friends, or family if you are always uptight about what is to come? Never-ending anxiety is not God’s will for your life. Remember, His Word says to be anxious for nothing, but pray and give those troubles to Him. (Phil4:6-7) When we slow down and focus on one responsibility at a time, it helps to calm that anxious spirit.
Negative impact on our loved ones - When I found myself on the side of the road at Midnight that night, I had to call a friend for help - a friend who was nestled nicely in her bed, and safe at home. Sometimes when we allow ourselves to go for so long that we run out of gas, it impacts those closest to us. Before you know it, they too, are feeling the brunt of our self-neglect. They have to pick up our pieces when we fall apart. They are often on the other end of our meltdowns and our emotional explosions. Running on empty doesn’t only affect you, it affects those who love you. Sometimes our children, our marriages, and our friendships suffer because of our busyness. They, too, are impacted by not only our physical running, but our mental and emotional absence, as well. Filling up fortifies us, and helps to keep our relationships in good standing.
Constant dis-ease - Lastly, that night, as I gripped the steering wheel, the stress of the situation overwhelmed my body. Fight or flight responses kicked in, and my chest tightened, my breathing became shallow, and a tension headache followed. When we constantly run on empty, day after day, it takes a toll on our bodies. If you are running low on fuel in life, take a quick inventory. How is your body responding? Is there evidence of dis-ease, an ill feeling that disrupts and deviates from your norm? University Health reports that Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. And, Touro LCMC Health confirms that the second leading cause is Cancer, with Breast Cancer affecting 1 in 8 women. I think we can agree with Letitia Elizabeth Landon that anxiety is definitely poison, and stress kills. Listen to your body, and give it what it needs to keep functioning. That will allow you to keep serving at a responsible pace.
Inner turmoil that never quiets - Remember when I explained that embarrassment set in, and frustration and overwhelm followed? Well, those led to negative self-talk. Why do you always do this? What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you get your life together? How could you let this happen? And, these are just the surface thoughts, some much more unkind words came, as well. We begin to feel inadequate and, oftentimes like a failure when all the balls in our impossible juggling trick tumble to the floor around us. We’re left looking in the mirror, questioning ourselves and our worth, and chastising ourselves for simply trying to “be good people” and “do good things”. The truth is, though, you cannot continue to keep all those balls in the air at your own expense. And, the self defeat you feel when you exhaust all possibility, is unhealthy. You still are who God says you are. You’re just empty and making mistakes from a place of depletion.
My goal with Compassion Without Collapse™ is to help you become unburdened, so you can see the warning signs of burnout and collapse before they happen. That night, on the side of the road, when I was running on empty - that low fuel light had been blinking for days. In the same way, life gives us clues that we often ignore. And, unfortunately, there are consequences to ignoring them. But, the good news is this: we can recognize the void and fill up! When we take heed to the warnings, slow down, and fill our tanks, we can prevent the breakdown. As the Butterfly Beacon, I’m here to help you release the emotional weight that keeps you going at an unreasonable pace, and teach you to fill your cup so you can butterfly forward into the unburdened woman God created you to be.
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Yes, we’re in a crisis of burnout. But, there is hope! Keep tuning in to safeguard your mental, emotional and physical capacity. Click here to learn more about Compassion Without Collapse™.
