A Lesson on Burnout: When Easy Things Get Hard

Pam Baldwin
May 30
3 min read

You know, one of the first signs of burnout I totally ignored?

When the easy things, like really easy things, suddenly felt impossibly hard.

A few days ago, on Instagram, I shared how I finally made art again for the first time in a long time. This is what I wrote:

“This messy corner used to be the most frequented space in my house. But somewhere along the way, I stopped painting. I stopped creating. I’d walk in, try to make something, and get hung up on all the details. The pressure. The feeling that it wasn’t good enough unless I filmed it. Proof that I was really an artist.”

Spoiler alert: When something that once felt natural starts to feel like climbing a mountain? That’s your sign.

Something’s off.

When "Peopling" Gets Hard

Now let’s talk about something else that used to come easily for me: people.

Y’all, I love people. I’m wired to connect. I love getting to know someone and then immediately thinking, you have to meet so-and-so, and making that connection happen. I’m not a full-on extrovert, I love my solitude, but peopling has always been part of what makes me feel alive.

But over the past year? It’s been hard. And that’s a problem when a huge part of your job is building community.

Now listen, I’m also the queen of masking. I can pull it together at the door, slap on my get-it-done energy, and lead like a pro. That’s what a leader does, right? Shows up, does the hard, pushes through the discomfort for the sake of the mission.

But after events? I am zapped.

Like, full-on need-to-sleep-for-days zapped.

Lately, I’ve even had moments in conversation where I feel the energy physically leave my body, like a weird internal switch flips and everything drains out.

WILD.

What If I Can’t Fake It Anymore?

For the longest time, I just brushed it off. Thought maybe it was my Hashimoto’s or something else physical.

But now, with a little more clarity, I’m starting to wonder:

Maybe I can’t fake it anymore.

And as I step into awareness, I see it all more clearly: How I’ve been functioning in burnout. How I’ve been masking, striving, and over-giving.

What happens when the mask doesn’t fit anymore?

So, What Am I doing to get out of this mess called Burnout?

1. Solitude

Silence has saved me. Not just quiet, but solitude.

The kind that lets me hear God’s voice again, and maybe for the first time… my own.

I’m learning what I actually want, need, and believe when no one else is in the room.

2. Grace

I’ve scaled back my social calendar to only what’s required for work and a few things that genuinely bring me joy. I’m learning to believe that I don’t have to strive to be liked or included.

No guilt. No FOMO. Just grace.

3. Rest

I don’t feel the need to fill every square inch of my calendar anymore.

I’ve found joy in slow mornings. In resisting the scroll. In tuning out the noise of news and gossip, and expectations.

Rest is not lazy, it’s obedience.

I’m Still Limping, But I’m Moving

I’m a child of God, created for a purpose that’s bigger than my burnout. I have gifts to offer, wisdom to share, and a heart that still wants to show up for people, but not at the cost of losing myself.

So here’s to taking back what I’ve lost, so I can give back what God has entrusted to me.

Because at the end of the day, it’s all His.

And stewarding His gifts starts with caring for our full selves, mind, body, and soul.

I’m still limping.

But hey, a limp means I’m moving.