An absurdly busy week

I’m still in recovery mode.

Two weeks ago, I had a friend come to visit for a week. I thought things would be okay. After all, we’re both introverts. They were staying with another friend, so I’d have plenty of quiet time to recharge and things would be fine. But life rarely goes as planned.

I had trouble falling asleep Tuesday evening before they arrived. Consequently, I was very tired on Wednesday, using caffeine to keep myself functioning. I picked them up at the airport at 8 PM, we grabbed some food, then I dropped them off and headed home.

I was still working normal hours so we met up after work. Thursday was dinner and an escape room with friends. We stayed in for supper on Friday but I was so tired I dropped them off early before coming back and crashing. Saturday to Monday was full of driving. We traveled the city and countryside so they could play tourist. It also involved less frequent meals, which didn’t help my lack of energy.

By Tuesday I was a mess. I was desperately trying to be social and hospitable but failing. We got supper that evening and they wanted to watch a movie. The thought of anything stimulating made me want to cry. But I forced myself to sit through the two hours, then left right after. By the time I dropped them off at the airport on Wednesday, I was done. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy they came to visit. But I didn’t have enough quiet time during that week to stay functional.

As an introvert, things in life need to be balanced. If one thing is off I can still function fairly well. But if multiple things shift, things can get rough. The combination of stress, exhaustion, lack of good sleep, fatigue, and hunger led to total burnout.

The following week was pure recovery. Other than work and grocery shopping, I didn’t go anywhere. I slept as much as possible. I didn’t make plans. I soaked up the quiet. I also took time to do the things I neglected the previous week. Reading quietly, working on creative projects, and scheduling important tasks for the coming week.

I’m still not at 100% right now but I’m working on it. How is your week going?