Do you struggle between doing too much and too little?
Do you find yourself pushing to do as much as possible, maximizing your productivity in every single moment? Only to find that you reach a point where it takes all your energy just to get out of bed in the morning?
Today’s questioner asked a big question, and I unpacked it in three steps. In this post I cover, the pros and cons of staying up late and how to change your sleep schedule; whether you need a routine; and how to find a balance between burnout and restoration.
I also dive into why you might want to consider living in closer harmony with the rhythms of nature during this episode!
Today’s questioner asked: Why is it that from month to month I cannot find a balance, I either burn myself out doing to much or the opposite doing to little, I have never really been in a routine as such and I’m prone to be more awake in the later hours?
Ok, so there are a few things here I want to tease apart:
- First is struggling to find a balance in your life and swinging from burnout to “doing too little”
- Second is not having a routine
- And third is staying up late
I’m going to tackle these in reverse order, starting with staying up late.
Some people are early birds, some people are night owls. Depending on your age and what’s going on in your life, you might need more or less sleep than someone at another stage in their lives.
Staying up late isn’t an issue unless you find yourself chronically tired, rushing each morning in a panic because you’re running late for work, or if you would rather be on a schedule that works better for the other members of your household.
If you decide that it’s in your best interest to shift your schedule so you start going to sleep earlier, the best way to tackle it is in little steps. Start going to bed 10 minutes earlier than normal tonight. Keep that new bedtime for several days, then step your bedtime back another ten minutes. Continue this process until you reach your desired bed time.
It will also be in your interest to explore more about good sleep hygiene in order to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Next, let’s talk about not having a routine.
Again, a routine is something that works better for some people than others. If you thrive on structure and knowing what to expect when, then having a routine in your life will be of great benefit.
However, if you’re more spontaneous and prefer to allow your day to shape itself, then a lack of a highly structured routine might work just fine for you!
If you feel like you’re suffering from not having a routine, check this post on creating and organizing a to-do list which will help you build out a schedule and routine.
Finally, let’s talk about struggling to find balance in your life and swinging from burnout to doing “too little”
There are a lot of pieces that can come into play here, so without more information, I’m going to cover the basics.
Think back several hundred years before every home had electricity and we were able to extend light well beyond the hours nature provided it. Back then, people lived in a greater rhythm with nature.
During the summer they were able to be more productive, with sunrise and sunset extending the day by several hours. During the winter, people were limited by a shorter day and found themselves either resting more or engaging in quieter indoor activities by limited light.
Similar patterns also ran along the lunar cycle, more activity was possible during the full moon, and much less during the new moon.
So, having periods where we’re more productive, and periods where we’re more introspective are natural and normal. In fact, living in harmony with nature is a great way to prevent burnout!
What doing too little really is
During those times when you find yourself doing “too little”, I would urge you to reconsider if instead you are resting and restoring your energy as you recover from burnout and prepare yourself for another round of overdoing it.
It sounds like the way you’re currently expending energy includes sharp peaks and deep valleys. You’re pushing yourself to the limit, burning through all of your energy, and then slowing down to recharge before repeating the cycle.
I would instead encourage you to adopt moderation as your motto. You might still find that you have cyclical patterns (I do, moving with the energy of the moon and the seasons). But instead of the sharp peaks and deep valleys, can you smooth the curve between the two? Aim for the Dumbo ride at Disney instead of Space Mountain.
Pulling it all together
I covered A LOT in this post! If you resonated with the struggles in today’s question and have no idea how to get started, I would love to help! Schedule a no-cost Discovery Session with me and let’s start the conversation!
