Just five words from one of my favourite actors, Hugh Laurie, spoke volumes: “Apparently more tank than think.” I don’t recall now exactly what he was talking about but I know precisely what he meant: burnout.
How so? Do you ever find yourself in the middle of getting piles of tasks done as you juggle all the balls in your life and job, when all of a sudden your brain cries out for a break?
I really enjoy my work, so it’s easy for me to stay in the go-go-go frame of mind and to miss the warning signs – until they land on me like a ton of bricks.
So, who do you turn to when you find yourself in what seems like an impossible situation? You’re on the verge of burning out. You’re questioning if the career in which you find yourself is the right one for you. And you wonder: couldn’t the office culture use a wholesale upgrade?
Maybe you consider turning to a role model, or a seasoned professional you can trust? Perhaps confide in your mum so she takes it into prayer? Or a very close friend who is always dependable for a great pep talk?
There’s no question that there will always be someone to speak to, to confer with, to intercede in prayer, and possibly offer counsel.
The guilt factor
Although we all know, in theory, that rest is beneficial, research shows that more and more of us are skipping out on frequent, restorative breaks, leading to not only burnout but also a decrease in productivity and goal orientation, not to mention less happiness.
For many people today, time off equates to time unpaid.
When people try to take practical steps to protect their mental health – for instance, by not responding to emails after hours, or by taking days off to rest their mind and preserve their mental health – they feel guilty because the hustle culture rewards productivity while resting and setting boundaries have been characterised, wrongly, as selfish and lazy.
Let’s face it: feeling guilty because you’re taking a break or establishing limits won’t vanish like magic. Even though you know it’s unreasonable, you can’t wish it away because it still might materialise.
I used to fit that description until I experienced a severe case of burnout in 2022.
Everyone is aware that it’s essential to keep the fuel in your car tank topped up if you want to get anywhere. As you drive, you can see that the fuel gauge is slowly drifting to empty, but you don’t want to interrupt your busy day to stop at a fuel station and fill up.
But if you put off doing anything for long enough, you may find yourself pedalling as slowly as you could ever imagine, all the while hoping to cruise into that filling station before the tank dries out completely.
Once you’ve refuelled, you will probably soon be driving again and hitting the pedal until the cycle is complete.
High-stakes mindgames
Your mind really isn’t that different.
Your mental state fluctuates from being extremely active to being exhausted. You are aware that your brain begins to shut down if you stay up too late, or if you work too hard or too long. Nothing will get better until you give in: you need to refuel.
Now that the tank is empty, you can only fight it for so long before you’ll have to pull over – that’s for sure.
I have a long way to go to master the art of resting. Even though it seems like “doing nothing”, it actually takes a high level of intentionality to rest. During my time away from work, I realised that it’s a deliberate strategy to reset, safeguard health, and maintain excellence in one’s work and other passions.
Yes, there will be times when it is impossible to leave. When it is neither practical nor good to treat yourself to a break until “everything is done”. But hey, how about finding the times when your workload can be made lighter by looking over your calendar for the coming three months?
I made a conscious decision to refuel my mind – my tank. I can tell that the results will amp my levels of productivity and bring out my happiest self.
Caleb Ahinakwah
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