To move past burnout, be like a sunflower

Do you know how photosynthesis works?

Until this weekend, my knowledge amounted to something like this: Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

That’s not wrong… and if it’s what you’d say, we’re both kind of right.

But this weekend, I went down a rabbit hole of learning about photosynthesis in detail and WOW, mind blown!

It’s pure magic that involves so many intricate steps, chemical reactions, and tiny electrons and enzymes that make the whole thing possible.

Before I tell you what photosynthesis has to do with moving past burnout, I want to share something that's been bringing me joy ever since I learned about it:

When sun rays reach the plant, the photons, which are fundamental light particles, excite electrons in the chlorophyll of the plant (chlorophyll is what makes plants look green), causing them to break off from the chlorophyll molecule.

Excite. That’s the actual scientific technical term, how amazing is that?

The sun excites electrons and these excited electrons then go through a series of processes to eventually create a sugar molecule, which is how plants create their own food and food for animals who eat them, including us.

So basically, every time you eat something, you’re eating sunlight. Literally!

Amazing, right?

But here's the real reason I'm giving you this photosynthesis lesson:

People often tell me that they would like to feel better — less burned out, less overwhelmed — but they are so exhausted that they don’t even have the energy to think about what to do.

Do you ever feel this way?

I remember feeling this way a lot when I was burned out.

And in retrospect, I think I believed that I was going to just spend my life always feeling that way. I didn’t have the energy to imagine feeling differently, not to mention do anything about it.

So how did I get from there to here? How did I get from feeling dread every day to feeling hope, lots of energy, and joy?

It began with a tiny action.

I actually remember it exactly: I decided that I would take 10 minutes and sit on the couch on our screened-in porch, with some sparkling water, and my journal. (I think I just sat there without writing anything in the journal.)

That was it, my tiny action to try and feel a little better.

But for me, it felt like a revolution because I rarely did anything like that. Something relaxing. Something that felt good. Something that was just for me. An exhale.

Did sitting there for 10 minutes make a huge difference? Absolutely not. And you can trust that my brain told me the entire time that I was a failure at life and this was just me being a failure and I would do nothing more with my life other than sit there and do nothing….

But it was a step. An action. And there was this tiny feeling shift inside of me. I felt a tiny bit of something maybe not good… but OK. A tiny sense of relief.

And that relief gave me a bit of energy, and in the following days and months I took more tiny actions. A walk. More time journaling. Lying down when I was exhausted.

As I took these tiny actions, I began to feel a sense of momentum, a little bit more energy to do more things to fuel and care for myself.

And that’s how I got from there to here: One tiny action at a time... for a while.

But perhaps the most important action I took was that first one.

Because in that moment, I chose to be like the sunflower turning towards the sun to get more sunlight and energy. I practiced my own photosynthesis.

Instead of choosing to stay in that place of dread and hopelessness, I chose to do something that gave me a little bit of energy, like the energy the sunflower gets when the photons from the sun hit its chlorophyll and excite electrons that go on to create energy.

You, too, can be like the sunflower. You can take a tiny action to turn towards the sun and get a little bit of energy.

Going outside for a short walk when it’s sunny is actually a wonderful energy-fueling thing to do.

Or maybe you want to sit down with a book for 10 minutes.

You could write in your journal for a bit. Doodle or draw something if that’s fueling for you.

All of these are wonderful tiny actions to take.

And here's the really important thing:

When you do your part and take that tiny action, you get a little burst of energy. And that tiny amount of energy then allows you to make another energy-fueling choice and another.

So be like a sunflower and turn yourself towards the sun by taking that tiny action today.

Oh, and the next time you eat something remember: You’re eating sunshine!

With enthusiasm,

Nataly

P.S. I love to paint sunflowers so I wanted to share one of my favorite paintings with you. I hope it brings you a moment of joy today!