Transcripts contain errors, but I like them better that way!
Hello there, Merideth Hite Estevez creator and host of artists for joy podcast here. This is one of our mini bonus episodes that come in between full lengthers where I offer you some self-coaching questions to help you find clarity and take action in your creative life. Last week’s episode was all about burn out…what it is, how we might keep it from happening or bounce back if it does, and many of you write in with comments of solidarity. One listener said: as someone so passionate about preserving passion for teaching for the long haul, I identified far too well with your self inflicted expectations. I see these tendencies in myself and pretty much every young teacher bent on saving the world through their chosen medium. Establishing boundaries and expectations are essential”
Thank you for that comment. So glad you found it helpful. And a few folks chimed in with thoughts about being in other caring professions or roles, like nurses or mothers or caretakers of their aging parents, and they said that setting boundaries was very important to not get burnt out. I am so glad that resonated. Just a reminder that we are having conversations about the episode over on instagram at artists for joy, hope on over and leave a comment on that episode, it was episode 6 of season 3 or send me a DM if you prefer to remain anonymous.
I am going to put some of the music from last week’s episode center stage so you can listen and I’m going to do it a little differently this week and have a piece of music for reach one, so I’ll share the question, you can listen and reflect, then I’ll share another and you listen, and then I’ll share the last one and you’ll listen. This way you won’t have to keep track of all of it in your head as you go haha.
My hope is that these questions will help you put into action everything we learned last week about burn out.
Today’s music will feature Dreaming by Amy Beach performed by Andrys Basten, Roxana Pavel Goldstein playing Dvorak, and yours truly playing some shubert I transcribed with sooklyung cho on piano, that’s a live recording for the record but I think it’s the perfect music to listen to while you consider how to rest.
Question 1: What are your expectations for your work, your family, your creative work? Take a few moments and write down what you expect of others and yourself. Where and to whom do you need to communicate those expectations to?
MUSIC
Question 2: What boundaries need to be set? It is so easy to answer that question retroactively isn’t it? When you look back on a situation that was painful or that burnt you out, you can see so clearly the boundary that was crossed either by yourself or others. But looking forward and learning from the past, what boundaries feel important to name now? Brainstorm the best timing to communicate those, and maybe even write out a piece of sample text of how you’ll word it when you say it outloud. Begin the sentence with phrases that begin with I—like, “This christmas I need….” or “This next semester I feel it is important that…” and practice taking up space with statements that begin with I.
MUSIC
Question 3:
Lastly, where in your schedule can you fit in some rest? If your first response is NO WHERE then zoom out. Can you carve out one saturday per month. One morning per week, where you actually schedule down time, leaving white space to recover, reflect and decompress. Keep the meeting with yourself. Set a boundary there, because rest is critical for all people, it is note something we have to earn.
I will be back next week with another full length episode until then, take good care.
MUSIC