The last few months have felt like getting hit by waves.

One, followed by another, and then another.
At one moment, calm, creative, and focused.
Quickly followed by a rush to get air, trying to find direction, and misdirected energy.

It’s only recently that I realized that even when I’m doing my best, I still end up in the same loop: burnout. This time around, I’ve tried something different.

The last time this topic was discussed here, we talked about doing the kinds of projects you like to do with your extra time. I realized that while this is good and does help significantly, finding the extra time is tough.

Coming home from work, I feel exhausted. But even still, my day isn’t over. I have responsibilities at home. So while doing projects I enjoy in my free time has helped in the past, I knew this time something had to change.

I’ve realized that exercising creative freedom isn’t enough on its own. Rest matters. But so does learning to find small moments of joy in the work I already have to do.

The key phrase here is “less.” Much like the sawdust that comes home with a carpenter after work, burnout doesn’t stay at the office. If we don’t learn how to clean up, it follows us into whatever comes next.

I do love what I do every day. What has been hard for me has been the less creative work, the more monotonous work that “just needs to get done.” It’s not the most glamorous part of the job, but finding moments where I can learn or try something different in that monotony has helped me to step out of what has felt like an unbeatable loop.

I don’t think this realization ends the loop. But it has changed how I move through it. And right now, learning how to carry less home with me feels like progress.