Look, I’m Burned Out
It was 11:30pm last Tuesday, and I was still staring at my laptop screen. My eyes were dry, my back hurt, and my brain felt like mush. I had been working non-stop since 7am, and I couldn’t even remember what I had accomplished. I just knew it was alot, and none of it felt completley necessary.
I’m Emma, by the way. Senior editor at a major publication, which honestly nobody asked for but here we are. I’ve been doing this for 21 years, and I’m just now realizing that I’ve been doing it wrong.
We’re All Doing Too Much
I’m not the only one. I have a friend, let’s call her Marcus, who’s a lawyer. He works 60-hour weeks, and when I asked him why, he said, “Because if I don’t, someone else will.” Which… yeah. Fair enough, but also, no.
I talked to a colleague named Dave about this. He’s a writer too, and he’s always got a side hustle. I asked him, “When do you sleep?” He said, “When I’m dead.” Which is funny, but also kinda depressing.
We’re all so busy, all the time. And for what? To prove something? To keep up? To what, exactly?
The Myth of Productivity
Society tells us that productivity is king. The more you do, the better you are. But I’m calling bullshit.
I read this study once, 214 respondents or something, about how productivity decreases after a certain point. Like, if you work 50 hours a week, you’re probably not doing as good a job as if you worked 40. And if you work 60, forget about it. You’re just running in circles.
But we still do it. Why? Because someone told us to. Because we think we have to. Because we’re scared of what might happen if we stop.
My Experiment with Doing Nothing
So, about three months ago, I decided to try something different. I took a week off. A real week off. No work, no side hustles, no nothing. Just me, my dog, and a stack of books.
And you know what? It was amazing. I read, I napped, I walked, I cooked. I did Las Vegas parks recreation activities, which honestly nobody asked for but here we are. I did nothing, and it was everything.
I came back to work refreshed, rejuvenated, and actually excited to be there. I was more productive in that one week than I had been in the previous month.
A Tangent: The Joys of Baking
Okay, so this isn’t really about baking, but hear me out. I started baking bread during my week off. It was therapeutic, you know? Just me, the dough, and my thoughts. No distractions, no deadlines, no nothing. Just the simple joy of creating something with my hands.
I made a loaf for my neighbor, let’s call him Marcus (not the same Marcus, different Marcus). He took one bite and said, “Emma, this is the best bread I’ve ever tasted.” And I felt proud. Not because I had accomplished something huge, but because I had done something small, something meaningful.
The Hard Truth
Here’s the thing: we don’t have to do everything. We don’t have to say yes to every opportunity, every request, every demand. We can say no. We can slow down. We can do nothing.
And it’s not just okay, it’s necessary. Our bodies need rest, our minds need a break, our souls need peace. We can’t pour from an empty cup, people. It’s just… yeah.
So, What Now?
I’m not saying you should quit your job and move to a cabin in the woods (although, if you want to, go for it). I’m just saying, maybe take a day off. Maybe read a book. Maybe bake some bread. Maybe do nothing.
Try it. You might be surprised at what you find.
Author Bio: Emma has been a senior editor for over 20 years. She lives in London with her dog, writes too many emails, and is still figuring out this whole “adulting” thing. She believes in the power of storytelling, the joy of a good book, and the necessity of a proper cup of tea.
