I enjoyed this, thank you. How do you think we can tell if we're going too fast? I hear what you're saying as something that we need to help our employees with (I work in human resources). But I sometimes wonder if we're all going too fast or we're just told we are for various reasons. I'm sure there are some that are going too fast, but I think there is a growing group of us that aren't or don't feel like we are, but maybe we actually are. I'm not sure.
I hear what you are saying. For me, I think when you start to feel like things are spinning out of control, or you can't catch your breath - or just are feeling way to burned out - that's a sign. And if things get missed or work suffers because of lack of thoroughness, it's another sign. Slowing down can be good for our health, and it can good for productivity too since it means better more thorough work.
Thanks for these questions. If you're experiencing burnout, you likely have one of many "symptoms" -- here are a couple links that help identify these:
While about 77% of people have experienced burnout in their current job this year, that also means that 23% have not -- and that's something worth celebrating (if you're in that category, which is awesome!).
As an HR professional, you have a huge role to play in helping prevent burnout and overwork for others (and within your workplace culture overall). Let me know if there's anything I can do to support you in this work.
I'll comment. I've been awaiting having the time and space to respond to this one since I saw it in my inbox!
Your questions. My "need for speed" comes from a feeling that I am going to miss out on relationships and connection if I slow down. I don't know when it first came from. I do know that I've watched it become tied to the trail running community in an interesting way (comes to mind of course), noticing that different relationships form based on literally what speed people run. And wanting to increase my own speed to get more trail time with certain folks has been an interesting metaphor for life. And watching some folks decrease their speed to get more trail time with me. And watching myself decrease my speed to get more trail time with certain folks at times. And the injuries, where decreasing speed means stopping altogether. So that's an interesting thing to explore.
I know for me, it's also difficult to rest and feel the "need for speed" because of chronically feeling "I don't have enough". It feels like so much work to continually find healthcare, schedule appointments, find work, navigate systems, find a new car, fix the car, earn finances to provide for life, and so on. Whew. How to slow down when the to-do list is literally overwhelming? Recently I've come to the downer conclusion that I must cut out some of the things I love and bring me joy, in order to have more time and space to take care of necessities. And have been working on coming to peace with that, amidst my fears of losing relationship and connection. And am sure will find new ways of receiving love and joy, because they're everywhere, really, and that's that internalized scarcity capitalism mindset - do, do, do, achieve, achieve, achieve, or you will not have what you need. Oh, but what if I do? I think of some quotes from Pema Chodron I read recently, about what you need already being right where you are (she said it better). I am also reminded of the words of a therapist I had quite a long time ago, who offered a question to ask when in the midst of something, "How can I bring more ease into this?"
The question about the worst and best things that might happen. For me, the worst thing that might happen if slowing down is the loss of community, of relationships, of connection, of fun, perhaps of play. The best thing that might happen is the gaining of deepened connection (with self and perhaps different or fewer others), more of a feeling of peace, personal growth. Maybe I will discover something more unchangeable.
LOVE the Thich Nhat Hanh quote you chose. Really stopped in my tracks when I read it. Of course since I study trauma, I think of a lot in terms of that, so "fight flight freeze" also came to mind, and all of the trauma responses we've internalized in our culture. Thank you for sharing all these thoughts and all your words, Mike!
Also, totally resonant with the concussion piece. I know we spoke about that before. And the recurring physical injuries, really speaking to me too about a message... "your identity is deeper than this." Could talk about this whole concept from this post for a very long time. Thank you!
Marissa, thanks for sharing all of these thoughts. Yes, slowing down is a complex practice, especially in the grind culture of capitalism that we've been trained to live within (and you nailed it with the "scarcity mindset" that forces us to think that we're missing something if we're not always go, go, go). It takes a lot of personal courage to resist the culture of "speed" and "productivity," and recognize that we are enough .. and we have enough. Just a Pema Chodron and many others teach us, we need to learn to embrace a mindset of abundance.
I do think that when we're pushing ourselves too hard in order to make/keep connection with community and others, we're losing our connection with ourselves. And in most cases, none of our communities are actually going to forget us or leave us behind (even if it feels that way).
Yes, so much to discuss and unpack here. Glad my post sparked some thinking and reflection for you.
I suffered from a long-lasting concussion right before I began my candidacy exam for my dissertation. So much of what you've written about resonates with me and the way that I work now. Glad to hear about what you've gleaned from your experience and how you've put it into action!
Megan, sorry to hear about the concussion (those can be scary, and yes, quite long-lasting). But it sounds like we both learned similar life lessons from those experiences, making long-lasting changes to how we work. A big "yes" to that.
I enjoyed this, thank you. How do you think we can tell if we're going too fast? I hear what you're saying as something that we need to help our employees with (I work in human resources). But I sometimes wonder if we're all going too fast or we're just told we are for various reasons. I'm sure there are some that are going too fast, but I think there is a growing group of us that aren't or don't feel like we are, but maybe we actually are. I'm not sure.
I hear what you are saying. For me, I think when you start to feel like things are spinning out of control, or you can't catch your breath - or just are feeling way to burned out - that's a sign. And if things get missed or work suffers because of lack of thoroughness, it's another sign. Slowing down can be good for our health, and it can good for productivity too since it means better more thorough work.
Thanks for these questions. If you're experiencing burnout, you likely have one of many "symptoms" -- here are a couple links that help identify these:
https://www.betterup.com/blog/signs-of-burnout-at-work
https://www.inc.com/cogentanalytics/a-family-that-acts-like-a-business-from-time-to-time.html
While about 77% of people have experienced burnout in their current job this year, that also means that 23% have not -- and that's something worth celebrating (if you're in that category, which is awesome!).
As an HR professional, you have a huge role to play in helping prevent burnout and overwork for others (and within your workplace culture overall). Let me know if there's anything I can do to support you in this work.
Wondering what it means that I'm listening to "slow the f*ck down" at 1.5x speed. 🤔 Thank you for this post, Mike!
It's all good -- treat yourself with kindness.
Now just find something else to do at 0.5x speed : )
You're so clever! Challenge accepted!
I'll comment. I've been awaiting having the time and space to respond to this one since I saw it in my inbox!
Your questions. My "need for speed" comes from a feeling that I am going to miss out on relationships and connection if I slow down. I don't know when it first came from. I do know that I've watched it become tied to the trail running community in an interesting way (comes to mind of course), noticing that different relationships form based on literally what speed people run. And wanting to increase my own speed to get more trail time with certain folks has been an interesting metaphor for life. And watching some folks decrease their speed to get more trail time with me. And watching myself decrease my speed to get more trail time with certain folks at times. And the injuries, where decreasing speed means stopping altogether. So that's an interesting thing to explore.
I know for me, it's also difficult to rest and feel the "need for speed" because of chronically feeling "I don't have enough". It feels like so much work to continually find healthcare, schedule appointments, find work, navigate systems, find a new car, fix the car, earn finances to provide for life, and so on. Whew. How to slow down when the to-do list is literally overwhelming? Recently I've come to the downer conclusion that I must cut out some of the things I love and bring me joy, in order to have more time and space to take care of necessities. And have been working on coming to peace with that, amidst my fears of losing relationship and connection. And am sure will find new ways of receiving love and joy, because they're everywhere, really, and that's that internalized scarcity capitalism mindset - do, do, do, achieve, achieve, achieve, or you will not have what you need. Oh, but what if I do? I think of some quotes from Pema Chodron I read recently, about what you need already being right where you are (she said it better). I am also reminded of the words of a therapist I had quite a long time ago, who offered a question to ask when in the midst of something, "How can I bring more ease into this?"
The question about the worst and best things that might happen. For me, the worst thing that might happen if slowing down is the loss of community, of relationships, of connection, of fun, perhaps of play. The best thing that might happen is the gaining of deepened connection (with self and perhaps different or fewer others), more of a feeling of peace, personal growth. Maybe I will discover something more unchangeable.
LOVE the Thich Nhat Hanh quote you chose. Really stopped in my tracks when I read it. Of course since I study trauma, I think of a lot in terms of that, so "fight flight freeze" also came to mind, and all of the trauma responses we've internalized in our culture. Thank you for sharing all these thoughts and all your words, Mike!
Also, totally resonant with the concussion piece. I know we spoke about that before. And the recurring physical injuries, really speaking to me too about a message... "your identity is deeper than this." Could talk about this whole concept from this post for a very long time. Thank you!
Marissa, thanks for sharing all of these thoughts. Yes, slowing down is a complex practice, especially in the grind culture of capitalism that we've been trained to live within (and you nailed it with the "scarcity mindset" that forces us to think that we're missing something if we're not always go, go, go). It takes a lot of personal courage to resist the culture of "speed" and "productivity," and recognize that we are enough .. and we have enough. Just a Pema Chodron and many others teach us, we need to learn to embrace a mindset of abundance.
I do think that when we're pushing ourselves too hard in order to make/keep connection with community and others, we're losing our connection with ourselves. And in most cases, none of our communities are actually going to forget us or leave us behind (even if it feels that way).
Yes, so much to discuss and unpack here. Glad my post sparked some thinking and reflection for you.
I suffered from a long-lasting concussion right before I began my candidacy exam for my dissertation. So much of what you've written about resonates with me and the way that I work now. Glad to hear about what you've gleaned from your experience and how you've put it into action!
Megan, sorry to hear about the concussion (those can be scary, and yes, quite long-lasting). But it sounds like we both learned similar life lessons from those experiences, making long-lasting changes to how we work. A big "yes" to that.