Think Less, Feel More

Have you ever had a time when you just knew something you were doing or thinking about doing was a bad idea, but you went ahead and did it anyway?

Most of us have. Not just one time, but many times.

We talk ourselves into things that we don’t want to do. We tell ourselves that we should do it because that is what grown-ups do. It is what everyone expects of us. If we don’t do it, we will be hurting someone’s feelings.

And we talk ourselves out of the things that we do want to do. We shouldn’t do it because it isn’t what grown-ups do. Everyone expects us to be doing something else. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings….

A few years ago I was offered a job that I knew I didn’t want. It felt wrong but I persuaded myself that it was a great opportunity. (And I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by saying no.)

The weeks leading up to starting the job were fraught with anxiety and the first day was one of the most miserable of my life.

I wanted to resign before tea.

But I told myself that no self-respecting adult resigns on the first day of a new job and persuaded myself to suck it up and give it a chance.  Three soul-destroying weeks later I handed in my resignation and was informed that I had to work out my four-week notice period.

A month later, freed from the shackles of a job that was perfectly nice for other people just not for me, I landed up in my doctor’s office with what he called “a Spiritual crisis” and I called Burnout.

I now know that the two are inextricably linked; when we negate and oppress our Spirit by not listening to our inner wisdom, we get Burnout. When we ignore our feelings and bully them into submission we ignore our own needs.

Which is why I now advise my clients, regularly and repeatedly, to think less and feel more. Our thoughts are not always to be trusted, but our feelings always tell the truth.

We just need to learn to listen.

Tags: avoid crisis | be happy | be you | be yourself | burnout recovery | feel more | look after yourself | think less