Tessie’s Two Cents

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Room to breathe

Dear Tessie,

I’m beginning to think that I’m losing my mind. I’m overwhelmed constantly. I get frustrated by the sounds of everyday life, my phone ringing could send me into a panic. I’m completely exhausted and passing out at my desk, but when I lie down at night I can’t sleep. I feel like it’s all too much, but like nothing ever gets done, either. What on earth is wrong with me and what am I supposed to do about it?

Amber

 

Dear Amber,

My how I sometimes long for simpler days. I don’t believe folks were meant to live their lives quite as connected and “on” as we always are these days. We’d go days without hearing from my granny when I was young, but if I don’t answer my phone when my children call, I’m getting multiple messages left on three different devices and will even find police at my door if I don’t come back down to reality from my reading fast enough.

I believe we might call what ails you “burnout”. It’s a term that gets thrown around lightly, but I’ve learned a thing or two about it recently, and I’ve come to understand that it really is a possibility.

We face constant and relentless input from our surroundings. The sounds of nature are often completely drowned out by the sounds of industry and the city. Noise and light pollution are real issues, not something out of a science fiction novel. I talk often with a young woman who has had to remove most sound alerts from her phone because she suffers severe heightened anxiety if she leaves it to beep and sing out its possible notifications.

Give yourself some room to breathe. Let yourself find a little bit of time in nature, without electronics or electric lights. Press your hands into some soil, or walk barefoot through some grass.

Find yourself some peace. That doesn’t mean you’ll find quiet but do try to find yourself some peace. This never-ending input lifestyle is the equivalent of an always trickling faucet. Sure, at a glance it’s merely a slow-running stream of water, but without a drain to let some out, you’re going to fill the tub until it overflows, and then you’ll have a much bigger mess to contend with.

Love,

Tessie