Hello friends!

Burnout has me trapped in its clutches. It’s prodding me, pushing me to an absolute state of exhaustion.

I wonder, am I maybe just coming down with a cold or other virus?

Whatever the case, I’ve noticed my sensory sensitivities have altered, even heightened in some aspects.

What does this mean for me?

For a start, I’m struggling to get comfortable while I sit.

I’m sensory seeking in different ways than usual. For example:

I seem to be doing a lot more back fourth movements with my legs.

There’s a strong need to find soft fluffy things, hide away in small spaces and I can’t tolerate listening to music very well… which is odd for me because I’m a musician and I LOVE MUSIC. Oddly enough, I managed to play some keyboard today though, but I think that’s likely a form of non-verbal communication than anything else. My sensory system is a mess because there’s horrible muscle pain and fatigue, a mild tingle in my throat. (But it feels like sandpaper!)

I’m more sensitive to different fabrics, things feel like they just annoy me more than usual because I’m more able to notice… everything sensory.

I feel agitated because I can’t really do much (other than periodically take paracetamol) to try and alleviate the bodily sensations that being sick causes. It’s just this horrible feeling that something is off, and I hate that there’s no escape button.

Although, I guess I could just make one…

Here we go!

That.. took longer than intended.

Anyway, where were we? Ah, the sensory discomfort when feeling sick.

There really is no escape from it.

All we can do is ride it out in the most sensory friendly way we can manage.

It sucks, I know.

It’s one of many reasons why I’ve spent the last few years working with qualified Psychologists and most recently, a qualified Social Worker on a big project which I hope will greatly help our community to better manage burnout.

I hope to share these resources by the end of the year (the project forms part of an assessment for my TAFE College Screen and Media studies – THERE IS A DEADLINE 😳)

If all goes according to plan and I meet that deadline, then there will be a bunch of free content that you can use to work alongside the SASS burnout strategies eepisode that I’ll upload to my YouTube channel!

I’m planning to provide templates so you can adapt things for yourself and it could be very helpful when you’re feeling sick and overwhelmed by sensory sensitivities.

Basically, it’ll all be things that are tailored to you and your brain. 😃

The idea is that you’ll have a handy “go to” that will hopefully help make it easier for you to get through burnout or to be more generally equipped at practicing self-care, if that’s something you feel might be helpful.

(Stay tuned for more about Burnout SASS) – and also to learn what the acronym stands for!

What are your thoughts about SASS so far?

Are there any particular sensory areas that you find you struggle with when you’re feeling unwell?

I’d love to hear from you!