I was out running errands the other day. I got a call from one of my kids. They said they couldn't close the garage doors with the opener. They had to manually put them down.
Immediately I remembered what I had done to cause the problem. I used our air compressor earlier. It's quite old. If I don't turn it off, it will try to recycle and it gets stuck, pushing too much power through the circuit, blowing the fuse for the power that goes to it as well as the garage doors. So, when I got home I replaced the fuse and all was well again.
The thought occurred to me - "well, it's better than a fire." The fuse did its job. It kept the wiring from overheating, causing a fire. It stopped the flow of energy because something wasn't working properly.
Blowing a fuse isn't always a bad thing.
We talk about people who have a tendency to blow a fuse. And I guess that's not the best way to react when upset at something or someone. But what if we had early warning signs that alerted us to the fact that we were potentially becoming overwhelmed?
What are your early warning signs? How do you know when your life is approaching imbalance? How can you tell when self care has taken a back seat to caring for others?
I ran across a recent article that listed a few signs of typical burnout. Here are a couple:
- Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.
- You come in late and want to leave earlier
- Apathy has replaced enthusiasm
- ...check out the entire article
These are some indications you may need to make some changes to your routine.
The BEST early warning signs, however, are those which are personal to you. And only you can define them. Perhaps with the help of a friend or coach, you can identify YOUR specific warning signs. Do this and you'll be serving strong!
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