Burn Out and Cyclical Living.
Embracing the cyclicality of the creative process.
It feels wonderfully serendipitous that I am relaunching my blog with this post. I took a step back from the blog about a year ago, as I was feeling uninspired to write, and unable to show up in this space authentically. Intuitively I knew I would return to this space, and that honouring where I was at in that moment in time was essential for me to be able to return in love and authenticity. I knew I had to honour the cyclicality of the creative process. A year and a month went by, and here we are. Overjoyed to be back. Grateful to have you here.
Over the past weeks I have been deeply immersed in the creation of my online courses. I was moving through all of it with ease and joy. I was deep in the creative flow of birthing these online courses into the world. And then I hit a wall. The ease disappeared and I was exhausted. I felt uninspired. Drained.
This process has felt like a sweet reminder, a deep initiation, a space of many realisations. Being faced with fears of not being enough. Of not completing the task in the timeframe I had allocated it. Being faced with subconscious beliefs around productivity and self worth. That if I stop creating, my worth in the world will dwindle. Being faced with fears of showing up in the world, fully and wholly. That creating these offerings means stepping even more deeply into my purpose, showing up even more unapologetically, and that feels scary in many moments.
In this process, I realised how my desire to be in control and organised in my work, came from a deep rooted fear of not being in control. During my childhood my external circumstances had me forever feeling out of control, so the only way I felt I had a degree of control was in my achievements and the value I was bringing to the people around me. This translated into my adulthood, and resulted in a repeated pattern of burning out in my academic life and my work. As soon as I felt that control slip, I would spiral, and I was once again faced with this in the past days.
I forced myself to sit with what was coming up. To meditate, to journal, to listen to the wisdom of my body. And in the silence I created, this belief suddenly surfaced, and I was able to meet it with awareness and compassion. A huge weight lifted, as I held myself, and allowed myself to let go of the desire to be in control. And in that I again felt a deep sense of trust that often we need to break down to break open. That these moments of hardship will be our biggest teachers.
Art by Hannah Beth (Instagram - @hannnahbeth)
The Blurring of Life and Work.
It is such a beautiful thing to love your work so deeply, that staying up until the early hours of the morning immersing yourself in the creation and piecing it all together feels easy. That these creative downloads channeled through, and happed in the energy of effortlessness and ease. That you embody your work each day.
But there is a flip side to this depth of intertwinement with your work. There is a complete abandonment of work / life boundaries. There is the risk of burn out, because the love for the work blinds you from the reality that you are tired. That your body needs you to take a moment, to step back and recharge.
Being in this beautiful process has made me pause, breathe, connect to my body, and honour the call for rest. Honour that, things will happen in divine timing. That making time for rest now will make space for more flow and ease, in a week, a month, or whenever it is that I complete the final pieces of my offering, the Sacred Union. That once I have replenished my energy levels, the ease and flow from which I want to create this sacred gift to the world will return. I am reminded that the creative process is forever an ebb and flow. Reminded to celebrate the moments of high energy and productivity. Reminded to honour the moments of deep rest and stillness. Reminded to come home to power of cyclical living.
What is Cyclical Living?
Cyclical Living means living in tune with the natural cycles of your body, the seasons, the moon, and your menstrual cycle - for women who are bleeding. When you allow yourself to live in alignment with the cycles of nature and your body, you are able to cultivate better mental and physical health, more energy, happiness, productivity, and growth. You are in tune with your body, and the energies that surround you each day.
Living in tune with the seasons, the moon, the menstrual cycle.
Living in tune with the cycles of nature is the most powerful gift to give yourself. It is a coming home to the wisdom of the Earth, and homage to her power. As the Earth moves through the seasons, human beings energetically do too.
The Seasons.
Winter.
In nature, winter is a time to go inward, rest and conserve energy. During the winter months, people will often feel more reflective and withdrawn. Instead of leaning into this, people tend to fight it, because humans have been made to believe that productivity levels need to remain consistent throughout the year. In truth, humans are cyclical beings living a linear existence. There is no time for deep rest and hibernation in our society, and as a result, many are burnt out and depleted. Winter is all about slowing down. It is a time for relaxing nights at home, eating wholesome meals, journaling and reflecting. Winter is a beautiful time to rest and reflect on the year that has passed, and begin to set intentions and come up with plans for the year ahead.
Spring.
Spring in nature is a time of growth and renewal, spring in your body is a time of creativity. There is a feeling of rebirth in the air, a chance to start anew. To set intentions and plan for the future. This is the perfect time to get planning, taking action, and trying new things. Connect to your goals and get clear on what action steps you want to take in the coming weeks, and months.
Summer.
Summer is all about fun. The warmth of summer drives us to want to connect, to be social, to be active. Summer is a beautiful time for socialising, and going out, a time for pleasure, connection and play. Energy is high in summer, so this is a time where pushing your projects forward and taking action will feel easy.
Autumn.
The energetic highs of spring and summer end as you start to wind down for winter. This is a time to cut back on your busy schedule and slow down. Autumn is the perfect time to get your life in order, to prepare for a slower, restful winter. Finish any projects that need completing, prepare yourself for hibernation.
The Moon Phases.
Similarly, the Earth moves through a mini seasonal cycle each month with the moon. In tribal times, Full Moon was a time of high energy. People were immersed in ritual and ceremony, socialising, and creating. New Moon was the darkest time of the month, with little light outside, people would retreat and rest in their homes. A time for introspection and reflection. In this way, you can apply the seasons discussed above to each month.
New Moon - Winter Energy
Waxing Moon - Spring Energy
Full Moon - Summer Energy
Waning Moon - Autumn Energy
The Menstrual Cycle.
Like the seasons of the year, through your menstrual month you move through an inner winter, spring, summer and autumn and back to winter again. Your hormones move through the average 28 day cycle of highs and lows, as opposed to the male 24 hour cycle. As your hormones shift and change, how you feel changes too. No two days are the same which means how you are in the beginning, middle and end of your cycle can differ greatly. Each phase ushers in a set of very specific resources and psychological challenges that help you grow you into and embody your power.
To give you a rough idea of these phases, in a classic 28 day cycle:
The inner winter (menstrual phase) is approximately day 27 to day 5.
The inner spring (follicular phase) is approximately day 6 to day 11.
The inner summer (ovulatory phase) is approximately day 12 to day 19.
The inner autumn (luteal phase) is approximately day 20 to day 26.
For women who do not menstruate and go through these monthly hormonal shifts, you can attune yourself to the moon cycles, as outlined above.
These phases of the menstrual cycle will mirror the energy of the seasons discussed above. Isn’t is beautiful how deeply intertwined your body is with nature? Below are some initiatory tasks to keep in your heart as you move through these phases.
Inner Winter.
Claim space for yourself.
Let go and rest.
Nurture yourself.
Inner Spring.
Contain.
Cherish.
Experiment and play.
Take a risk.
Inner Summer.
Take your foot off the brake.
Declare yourself.
Drive forward your projects.
Take pleasure and enjoy.
Inner Autumn.
Face yourself.
Meet the inner critic.
Stay present.
Be discerning.
If you are curious to dive deeper into living in tune with your menstrual cycle, and how to support your body through each phase with food, exercise and self care, sign up to my online course, Venus Rising. This course has a whole module dedicated to cyclical living for women.
Art by Hannah Beth (Instagram - @hannnahbeth)
Applying this to modern living.
Many people live in the summer energy year round. They feel they constantly need to be productive and social, and this is how burn out happens, because there is never time for rest. Naturally, many people are faced with working environments that do not allow for this.
I invite you to critically look at the tasks you are required to complete each month / year. Start to bring in your cyclical wisdom. Schedule your brainstorming and creative tasks in times of spring energy, while taking action and being social will feel easiest in summer. Use the winter as a time to be introverted and reflective. I find myself craving connection and social contact most in spring and summer, and enjoy being introverted in autumn and winter. Even if you cannot apply this to your work, apply it to your social commitments and your hobbies. Start to bring cyclicality into whatever aspects of your life have the freedom to be shifted in this way.
Living cyclically does not mean you need to change every aspect of your life straight away, but rather, ask yourself how it can filter into certain areas of your life. Taking small, sustainable steps will result in long-lasting effects, as overthrowing your whole life and changing everything from one day to the next may feel overwhelming, and is not sustainable in the long run.
An example.
In my work, I apply cyclical living wherever I can. Below I have given some examples of what this looks like in my creative work and my business.
Winter - Reflection.
Business.
Taking time for deep rest and reflection. How did the last month / year go? What do I feel I can improve on? What made me feel burnt out? What made me feel energised? What are my goals? How can I get there?
Creative.
What am I feeling? What have I learnt? What wisdom do I want to communicate through art? Was I happy with the previous pieces I created and the message they conveyed?
In times of rest and stillness I always receive the biggest creative downloads and ideas. This time is, in my opinion, the most important part of the creative process, as it allows for you to connect to feeling and purpose
Spring - Get inspired and brainstorm.
Business.
Where do I want to be? How will I get there? Come up with intentions and goals for the month / year ahead. Come up with mini goals and action steps. Plan the month / year ahead so I have an overview and framework.
Creative.
Come up with a plan / intention. Immerse myself in new experiences for to get inspired. What are my intentions with this piece of art? How can I best communicate this?
Summer - Take action.
Business.
Take action, complete tasks and create. Utilise the energy I have in this time to take my foot off the brake and move ahead with clarity and confidence. Usually this is the time where I try and schedule important meetings, coaching calls with clients, retreats etc.
Creative.
Step deeply and fully into the creative process. Disconnect from the outside world and immerse myself fully in the project to maintain in creative flow and not get distracted.
Autumn - Complete and review.
Business and Creative.
Finish off and review anything that needs to be done. Here I focus on detail orientation, and checking any last things off my to-do list, so that I can move into winter knowing that I have completed whatever needs to be done.
Journaling Prompts.
- How can I honour the call of winter to rest and reflect? What daily practices can I implement to give myself more time for restoration?
- How can I channel my creativity in spring? How can I step into the energy of rebirth? What are my intentions for the year / month to come? What do I want to achieve in the next month / year? What action steps can I take to get there?
- How can I use the energy of summer to drive my projects forward? How can I bring more connection into my life? How can I access more pleasure and play?
- How can I use the energy of autumn to get my life in order? How can I complete any tasks that are outstanding? How can I use this time to prepare myself for deeper rest?
Art by Hannah Beth (Instagram - @hannnahbeth)
Ways to live more cyclically.
- Be mindful of your energy levels.
- Radical prioritisation. What actually needs to get done vs what can wait?
- Honouring your boundaries in your social commitments. To read more on boundaries, click here.
- Carve out time for self care, no matter what energy you are in.
- Take moments in your day to sit in silence, and ask yourself what you need to do to honour yourself.
Your body holds the wisdom of self healing. It knows what to do, what you need. All you need to do is create a space where you are listening. And honouring whatever it is that your body is asking for. Cyclical living is powerful tool to prevent burn out and to optimise your performance, as you are living in tune with your environment. It allows you to come home to the wisdom of your body, and the Earth.
If this post resonated with you, share it with a friend. Pop me an email if you would like to share your experiences, thoughts, and any tools that have helped you live more cyclically. I would love to hear about the tools that help you, so please don’t feel shy to reach out, and share your thoughts on this post.
All love
x
