We’re Back! And Talking about Burn Out

This holiday season hit HARD! We were busy as could be, just like I am sure most of you were. The dogs loved Christmas, and by that I mean they thoroughly enjoyed ripping open their gifts. I wrapped up the third unit of the CPCFT certification program, which was the most intensive yet. I started taking on in person clients and developing my online program (to be launched soon!). The dogs and I got in as many miles as we could on our local trails, played tons of “crazy time” (essentially fetch on steroids), and fit in some training here and there. It is bittersweet to be returning to a more regular schedule after the holidays. 

To be honest I really needed a break. I limited formal training, posted less on Instagram, and as you can see I have not been active on the blog. This was easier said than done. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep all of the juggling balls in the air. Something always has to give when there is too much on your plate. I could feel that moment coming so for the sake of myself and my dogs I took a step back. 

I absolutely love the community we have found on Instagram. There are so many people that are incredibly supportive of us. We have learned so much, found inspiration, and even made real world friends through our account. When our days and weeks became super busy, it was clear to me that every moment I spent on Instagram was a moment I wasn’t giving to my dogs. I spent less time scrolling and more time playing and relaxing with my family. Why is it that time flies so quickly when it is spent glued to a little screen? 

I took a step back from “formal” daily training with Chief and Chickie. Chief loves obedience and has alway shown great interest in our sessions. He has primarily trained for food. Chickie came along and completely changed the way we do things here. She complies with food driven training, but excels at play based training. We have spent a lot of time practicing this new method and enjoying the results. This has proven to be a much needed and very fun change to our routine. I could feel the dogs and I just going through the motions, rather than making training an engaging and productive process. A short break and restructure of our training activities was exactly what we needed to avoid total burnout. 

How many of you have felt this way, and felt alone because of it? The burnt out feeling can be very isolating. When you look around, especially online, everyone seems to be on top of things and even accelerating full speed forward. Guilt is often associated with decreased productivity, which makes burn out periods even more difficult to come to terms with. I write this to tell you that you are never alone in these feelings. Taking a step back is OK, and even encouraged from time to time. There is a big difference between slowing the train down and the train flying off of the rails. If you don’t take the time you need to care for yourself, caring for others (in this case dogs) can be nearly impossible. My dogs demand an excessive amount of my time and attention, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wanted to mentally prepare myself to step into the new year able to give them the effort they deserve. 

A date on a calendar isn’t a catalyst for change for me. It is however a great symbol of motivation. We all experience burn out when we have big goals paired with large amounts of responsibility. Don’t let the fear of the work ahead dissuade you from getting the job done!

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