By December last year I felt so exhausted at the end of our days that after 10PM I was basically a zombie that did not listen to anything and was only focused on playing video games or watching Youtube. This meant that when my wife tried to have a conversation with me she was unsuccessful and therefore pretty upset. I understand her but I simply did not have enough... anything by that hour.
We were fortunate enough to take a break for a few days and this exhaustion naturally went away. Now it's the beginning of 2024 and my wife and I are really looking forward to resuming our professional lives. Not even five days into the year and somehow we already feel overwhelming forces pulling us in many unexpected directions.
Since I am well rested I am able to really listen to her but once again I am falling into a trap. When she starts to tell me about her frustrations at work I begin to get upset, which therefore stresses me, and feel like I am on the verge of restarting my cycle of exhaustion.
I have not written in a while but it is important that I do so because I want to leave a reminder to myself that sometimes I don't have to act upon the things that she tells me, I don't have to relive them in my head, I don't have to protect her or act for her. I simply have to listen and be present for her. If I am able to be present and not take on her problems I won't get stressed over things I can't control and therefore have more buffer for my own problems.
It is a daily practice and I am still warming up to 2024, but I assume it will be well worth it if allows us to have more quality time together and also separate. I'll see how it goes.
We were fortunate enough to take a break for a few days and this exhaustion naturally went away. Now it's the beginning of 2024 and my wife and I are really looking forward to resuming our professional lives. Not even five days into the year and somehow we already feel overwhelming forces pulling us in many unexpected directions.
Since I am well rested I am able to really listen to her but once again I am falling into a trap. When she starts to tell me about her frustrations at work I begin to get upset, which therefore stresses me, and feel like I am on the verge of restarting my cycle of exhaustion.
I have not written in a while but it is important that I do so because I want to leave a reminder to myself that sometimes I don't have to act upon the things that she tells me, I don't have to relive them in my head, I don't have to protect her or act for her. I simply have to listen and be present for her. If I am able to be present and not take on her problems I won't get stressed over things I can't control and therefore have more buffer for my own problems.
It is a daily practice and I am still warming up to 2024, but I assume it will be well worth it if allows us to have more quality time together and also separate. I'll see how it goes.
Alan