Healing burnout

Many first-generation Latinas grew up learning how to adapt.

You may have:

• Translated for your parents

• Navigated school systems on your own

• Felt pressure to succeed “for the family”

While these experiences built resilience, they also trained your nervous system for vigilance.

Constantly scanning for problems — financially, emotionally or logistically — depletes us.

Over time, that can cause:

• High-functioning anxiety

• Trouble asking for help

• Feeling like you can’t afford to fall apart

In a fast-paced place like New York, surviving can camouflage as striving — until your body forces you to notice the cost.

Our bodies weren’t meant to live in perpetual crisis mode. We need to rest, especially when there’s no actual crisis.

To heal burnout, we retrain our nervous systems and minds to recognize when there’s an emergency and when things are more-or-less okay.

That starts with returning to the basics: getting enough sleep, eating healthy and spending time with loved ones.

From there, we can start prioritizing, which requires honoring our values. Out of 10 tasks, which 5 are essential? Can you delegate the rest, postpone them or simply not do them?

And finally, can we start building in joy — even in short doses, like listening to music during a 10-minute-walk?

This is what real self-care looks like. Self-care is not about simply getting a mani-pedi or a massage. It’s about building internal scaffolding around you that supports you through life’s ups and downs.

I hope you found this helpful.

If you’re looking for a therapist who understands the unique challenges of being a first-generation Latina, I invite you to book a free consultation at www.monicapolancotherapy.com. I’d love to see if we’re a good fit.