Work, Where is Your Sting (Part 2)

What are you willing to give up in the name of your job?

Yes, I know those feelings—that feeling of having no choice because your work is the source of your income (and that’s something we should be grateful for and we should be working on with all our best, sincerest efforts while we are at it);

that feeling of there’s no one to do the work in your stead, because you’re the only one designated for that task and no one is available to relieve you and to help you out (and that’s where responsibility and accountability come in the scene);

that feeling of pressure, may it be external (regarded as normal in any workplace)
or you are pressuring you own self
(that’s the case for many workaholics and overthinkers and even other people, which is understandable due to their work-driven characteristics and work ethics).

We will agree that this society we’re living in puts so much emphasis on working hard, working smart, working excellently, work, work, work…

There’s this sense of working hard, not just to earn a living, but to satisfy ourselves with our works. Not just to fulfill our duties and responsibilities, but to do them in excellence. Not to be contented with the status quo, but to learn something new and improve in different aspects of both our professional and personal lives.

Then here comes this word burnout, defined as the state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. (helpguide.org)

This is something that many people are struggling with—professionals, students, laborers, anyone from different walks of life can experience it .

Something that many considered as ‘part of it’.
And one thing that some people diss as weakness and inability to manage stress, and where to apply the ever-popular ‘separation of personal and professional affairs.’

Having to put up with a lot of stress each day, both family and work-related concerns, working for more than 8 hours a day, barely having time to sleep, and excessive exhaustion, it’s no surprise that our physical and mental state start to speak volumes to us.

And when they speak, why not try to listen?
More than anyone else, you know yourself, in all honesty. You are not some numb superhuman, or a robotic machine who cannot differentiate weariness from vigor.

We are wired with brain cells so we can receive transmitted signals and warnings for what is happening within us and the world around us.

What’s the point?

WORK RESPONSIBLY.

It is okay to take a rest for replenishment; it is not being lazy or slacking off.
It is okay to stick to your working hour schedule as your standard and average; it’s not being inflexible and insensitive to tasks that require extended time to finish.
It is okay to file a sick leave if you are not really feeling well; it’s not dodging duty, you need to feel well in order to work well.
It is okay to breathe air away from your laptop and your workstation; it’s not being too relaxed or complacent, who doesn’t need fresh air?

It is okay to let go of that job, if that means you are to be in a safer and better state of mind, body, and soul. It’s not giving up, you prioritize your well-being.

This is something I can talk about because I do struggle with it from time to time, and I personally know a lot of people, people close to me, who are experiencing burnout and in the process of learning how to balance work and other stuff.

Above all, let us not force ourselves because we can only handle that much. We are limited.
Instead, let us draw closer to the One who has no limit.
The One who says He will sustain us and will still give us rest.

One of my all-time favorite memory verses is when Jesus declared these amazing words of promise and of invitation,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 ESV

It is truly in Him that we can find real meaning in all that we do, from the easiest and smallest to the hardest and biggest task, and it is only in Him that we can find REST.