In today’s fast-paced world, productivity has become a popular buzzword. We are constantly bombarded with advice on how to maximize our time and work more efficiently. While it’s great to strive for improvement, the abundance of information can sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed and a little unhappy with ourselves. We start noticing the gaps in our lives, and they can seem insurmountable, making us question if it’s even worth trying to bridge them.
However, it’s important to remember that every journey begins with a single step, and the same goes for productivity. When used as a tool, productivity can empower us to achieve our goals and live a fulfilling life. It’s crucial to understand that overnight success is not realistic, despite our good intentions and strong desires. We often come across articles, books, podcasts, and motivational quotes that aim to inspire us to reach new heights. While these can be uplifting, they can also leave us feeling inadequate from time to time.
Recently, my pastor shared his personal encounter with burnout during a sermon. It was a candid admission of his own struggles and thoughts that we don’t typically associate with pastors. We often perceive pastors as well-rounded individuals who spend time with God and are always upbeat. We rarely expect them to experience stress, burnout, or even contemplate suicide. His openness about his battle with burnout, something he never anticipated despite his love for his job, led to a sermon series on the topic. Yes he found a way out of the season and is now living at his own pace, in his own terms.
The story of Nehemiah in the Bible serves as another example. After performing great wonders before the king and his people, Nehemiah falls into depression and prays for death, plagued by suicidal thoughts. This is a man who, at his command, withheld rain for three years, and it only rained once more when he commanded it to do to, of course guided by God. Yet, he falls into depression immediately after the rains return, and wishes to die.
Why did this happen? It is argued that Nehemiah faced burnout. He lived in distress for three years, hiding from the king who sought to kill him for his negative proclamation on the nation. After the rains came, a minor issue—a threat on his life by the reigning queen—became the straw that broke the camel’s back. That was sufficient to bring down this ‘giant’ of faith, to the level of desiring to get out of this world.
It’s true that positive optimism alone is sometimes insufficient. Warm and fuzzy quotes and feelings can sometimes worsen our sense of inadequacy, whether real or imagined, especially when we’re battling stress and experiencing burnout. Perhaps it’s necessary to gain a deeper understanding of burnout. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), burnout is defined as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It is a state of chronic stress that leads to feelings of hopelessness, detachment, and reduced effectiveness. Burnout can manifest in various areas of life, not just in the workplace.
In the midst of our non-stop, high-performance lives, we have unintentionally glorified a lifestyle of constant adrenaline and the pursuit of more—more recognition, more power, more money, more wealth, more motivation, more life, more everything. While self-help books can be valuable resources for personal improvement, there are situations where a different approach is needed—one that moves us away from the adrenaline-filled, productivity-driven mindset of doing more and achieving more. When faced with burnout, it may require taking a step back. It may mean sacrificing some time, sacrificing the pursuit of money, or even friendships in order to invest in self-restoration. Sometimes, we need to retreat to a place where we can manage our days with minimal stress and pressure.
I’ve heard stories of people changing careers, taking lower-paying jobs, and even relocating to different cities or countries in search of the peace of mind they desire. Dealing with burnout requires focusing on ourselves, slowing down, and learning to say no to certain things. It may require letting go of the need to keep up with the Johnesses and instead focusing on what truly brings us joy. There is a time and a season for everything, including a time for restoration. When we neglect self-preservation, we accelerate our journey towards meeting our maker before our time.
Sometimes, the solution we need in our fast-paced world is to slow down. It’s important to pause from the constant reading, from the chasing after the wind, and from trying to keep up with others. Let’s release the pressure of being Miss or Mr. Perfect. Instead, let’s choose what is most important to us, away from the comparisons with others, and pursue it wholeheartedly.
Perhaps, in the stillness of life, in the quiet moments, and in appreciating the little things, we will find the happiness we seek. The contentment of our souls. When it’s time to slow down, let’s switch off our gadgets, be present wherever we are, and savor the precious moments life has to offer. Stretch this for long enough and you’ll be well on our way to recovery from burnout.
So, is productivity the key to overcoming stress and burnout? Sometimes it’s not the right way. Sometimes, it means disconnecting from your stressors in order to reconnect back with yourself.
