As I'm sitting here at 9:52 p.m., I am just slightly over two hours away from my deadline for this article. I'll be honest— I've spent most of the evening wondering if it would be okay to let an article slide just this once. I've fought with myself all night, trying to convince myself that it would be fine to put my laptop away, lay down, and take one of my three strikes this week.
Yes, it is incredibly tempting to give up and stop working, even though I can't. However, just thinking about giving up made me feel really guilty. Wanting to throw in the towel made me feel like a failure, so I did eventually get back to work and try to figure out what I wanted to write about this week.
That's when I realized that I shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to give up sometimes.
The modern world has given rise to an intense pressure to always be productive. Everyone is expected to spend every minute they are awake getting something done. Whether you're a student, a business executive, or a stay at home mom, there is always something you have to take care of next— and yes, you are expected to get it all done, even if it means getting four hours of sleep instead of eight.
This hyper-focused, production-obsessed culture makes life stressful and overwhelming. It is inevitable that every once in a while, you will burn out. It's perfectly normal to have moments where all you want to do is lay down, watch Gilmore Girls, order take out, and contemplate dropping out of college and spending the rest of your life working retail.
Everyone has moments where they want to quit. Feeling burnt out does not mean that you are a failure— it means that you are human.
Try to remember that thinking about giving up is not the same as actually giving up. You might need to spend an hour swearing that you've reached your limit and you're not going to be in a certain club anymore or you're going to quit your job or you're changing your major to something easier. Blowing off steam like that is good for you, and when you've relaxed for a while, you'll be stronger than ever and ready to get back to work.
The best thing to do when you want to give up is take a time out and jump back in when you are ready. Yes, you might discover that you really do need to take something off your plate to stay sane— and that's okay, too. Realizing that you have bitten off more than you can chew is not giving up, and it doesn't make you a failure. One of the greatest accomplishments in today's world is realizing when you have taken on too much and having the strength to take a step back.
