Busy seasons of life can leave one feeling joyful, yet exhausted.

Boundaries and self-care offer protection against burnout, even during happy times.

To avoid exhaustion, it's important to celebrate at one's own pace.

When my twin sons graduated from high school, my emotions were a cocktail of joy mixed with a shot of exhaustion. Twin milestones tend to be extra "big"—especially events like graduation that only happen once. I was ensconced in a beautiful bubble of joy, embracing the “lasts” and sentimental send-offs, but also flaky and forgetful.

Like monkeys swinging through the jungle, most of us swing from one big event to the next. June and May are the third and fourth favorite months of the year, with December and October scoring the slots for first and second. Like the December holiday season, our calendars are full of exciting events like weddings, showers, confirmations, communions, proms, graduations, and the end of school, as we embrace the new season with gardening, swimming, and vacationing. We also have Passover, Easter, Ramadan, as well as Mother’s and Father’s Days thrown into the mix, along with sports tournaments and arts performances. On top of everything, the normal ebb and flow of life continues with our need to manage careers, appointments, households, families, relationships, adulting, and other responsibilities.

No wonder we are exhausted.

How to Not Let Exhaustion Steal Your Joy

We might blame depression, sadness, grief, and other heavy emotions for draining our energy. But when burnout sets in, even joy can be exhausting. It is connected to anxiety about next steps for our loved ones and ourselves. The beloved saying, "You can’t pour from an empty cup," rings true. So, it’s crucial that we stay mindful of our individual needs.

Here are four tips for staying grounded in the magic:

Maintain boundaries. You don’t have to do it all. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be everything to everybody. However, when it hijacks our ability to take care of ourselves, we have to reclaim our power. It’s okay to say no, but thank you anyway.

Take care of yourself. Although we might not need meal trains when we are going through a joyous period, we need to nurture our souls with the day-to-day stuff like workouts, catching up with friends, and making sure we get rest.

Give yourself grace. Joy can make us forgetful or suddenly unmotivated to do other things because we are so consumed in the magic. Give yourself some grace. In one week, I confused the locations for two separate yoga classes, lost my car in an indoor parking garage, and left the house without deodorant. Thankfully, it was all annoying, but not terrible.

Celebrate after the rush. Why is there such a rush to celebrate immediately after the event? A celebration is a celebration. The milestone or achievement doesn’t expire, so it can be celebrated at any time. Think of it as extending the magic.

What do you need to do to stay grounded in the magic?

https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/45312-americans-favorite-and-least-favorite-months-year

© Psychology Today