Why I Created Making Space for Me

Burnout doesn’t always come from work alone it comes from carrying too much for too long. This first episode is about how Making Space for Me came to be. In this episode, I share the personal season of burnout that led me here and why learning to prioritize myself became necessary, not selfish. If you’ve been feeling depleted, resentful, or disconnected from yourself, this episode will help you feel seen and remind you that change is possible. 

Transcript

Did you know that self-priority is both the cause and the cure for burnout? Let me walk you through it. But before we go any further, I wanna welcome you to Making Space for Me, a podcast where we talk honestly about burnout, self-neglect, and what it really looks like to prioritize yourself in a life that never slows down. Now, this first episode is gonna look a little different. It’s about how I got here and why this podcast even exists.

Let’s talk about burnout, the real-life kind. Now, traditionally, burnout has been tied to the workplace, but I believe what we’re dealing with nowadays is life-stress burnout. It’s doing too much for too long with no break, no reprieve, and no room to breathe. It’s the parenting, the caregiving, the career, the finances, family obligation, it’s all connected.

And when it all piles up, what do we do, ladies? We do what we’ve always done. We step up, we take care of business, we meet the needs, and we handle the responsibilities. And before we even realize it, our lists are full of everything and everyone, and there is no space for us.

That’s where burnout creeps in. It’s not all at once, but gradually. It’s often unnoticed because it starts off looking and feeling like you’re doing the right things until one day you wake up and you realize you’re empty. I know because I’ve been there.

Life has always been busy and stressful. That’s nothing new. But a couple of years ago, everything changed. A family member suffered a traumatic injury, and just like that, I became a full-time caregiver to one while taking on the responsibility of two additional individuals on top of my own immediate family.

So what did that mean for me? Well, privacy, gone. Time, not my own. Sleep? Yeah, right. Gym membership canceled. Business dropped. Finances depleted. My self-care disappeared. My friendships faded. I was literally in survival mode.

Physically, I was exhausted. Mentally, I was overwhelmed. Emotionally, I was numb. And spiritually, I was empty.

I got to the point where I felt resentment toward my family, regret for saying yes so much, frustration that I had put myself in this position, and honestly, a little mad at God for letting it all happen. I wasn’t caring for me at all. And let’s be real when getting out of the bed is a struggle, things like doctor’s appointments, exercising, and healthy eating, they ain’t even a consideration.

After more than a year of this, I remember thinking, okay, something has got to change. I am miserable, and I cannot continue to live like this. When you’re constantly pushing your needs aside your rest, your peace, your joy it’s like you’re sending a signal to yourself that you don’t matter as much as the people and the things you care for.

We call it strength. We call it commitment. We tell ourselves this is what good wives, mothers, friends, or professionals do until we realize that we’ve poured everything out and there is nothing left for us. Just a breaking point.

So I made a decision. I decided I wanted my peace and my joy back. And that’s where the shift happened. I started reminding myself that I mattered too. I started asking myself questions like, why was everyone else’s well-being more important than mine? Why was I so committed to keeping others comfortable and happy while I was miserable? And why was everything my responsibility?

I had to remember that I only get this one life. There’s no repeats, there’s no do-overs, and I deserve to live it well just like everybody else. That’s when I started learning how to prioritize myself.

Now, it wasn’t easy. At first, it actually felt uncomfortable. Like, I felt guilty which is wild, right? Feeling guilty for doing for yourself. But little by little, I came to understand that prioritizing myself wasn’t selfish. It was stewardship. It was honoring the one life that God gave me.

My circumstances didn’t change. I was still caretaking, parenting, working, managing responsibilities, but my mindset and my approach changed.

With time, I began to set boundaries that kept me from running myself ragged, saying no or not right now, letting people figure things out on their own and realizing that the world didn’t burn down. I stopped being available 24/7, and I started to do things that just brought me joy.

And I learned that’s the paradox of burnout. It’s not just overworking, it’s over-giving. And that recovery isn’t found in doing more; it’s found in finally making space for yourself.

It was that lack of self-priority that led me into burnout, and it was the practice of self-priority that helped me recover from it. If you’re in that space right now feeling depleted, drained, or just tired of being tired I want you to know that you don’t have to stay there.

The same love, effort, and attention you give so freely to others it’s time to start giving some of that back to you.

Join me in the next episode. We’re gonna talk about why self-care alone isn’t enough and the deeper shift that actually helps you start to recover from burnout.

Thank you for listening to Making Space for Me. Until next time, remember: learning how to refill your cup starts with one decision—to make space for you.