#42: Whitney Million: Unexpectedly met and fell in love with a man from across the ocean
This love story will have you swooning and laughing with delight. Whitney's honest confession of what her life was like pre-Covid is one many of us can relate to. She shares how she met a hottie with a South African accent and ended up stranded in his home country during the early months of the pandemic. A crazy situation ended up being a blessing in disguise.
Take-Home Points:
Workaholism can start with good intentions and feel innocent, but the sacrifices of working all the time can lead to burnout, fatigue, and physical symptoms of illness.
Society often sees burnout as "acceptable" because it seems you're functioning at a high level, but you eventually lose your ability and desire to show up in your life.
Depression doesn't have to look like sadness. Whitney describes feeling like she was in a "void."
Notice if you're waking up at 2-3 am with anxiety. Notice if you're having escapist fantasies. Notice if you're not mentally present in your life.
When you're in the throes of burnout, you might not even be able to visualize an ideal future life. Whitney could only focus on the off-ramp. After talking to a therapist and mediating, she decided she wanted to live life fully, to feel sunshine and taste fresh fruit instead of going through the motions of her life.
Ask yourself if the voice in your head is telling you what you "should" be doing based on societal expectations.
Sometimes we need to be open to life, to allow it to happen. Happiness is there and accessible if we can stop planning, making lists, and trying to control every detail.
Ask yourself how you're feeling. Let this guide you instead of letting your brain "figure it out" with thinking.
Sometimes it's important to focus on the next right step and not try to plan for the next 5 years.
Rest is not laziness. Taking a break and getting some space will allow you to have more integrity in whatever it is you're doing.
Whitney's Instagram: @that_million_girl
