A Diptyque triple-wick pushed me over the edge
Last week, my husband lit my new Diptyque candle for our seven year old’s bath. It is the most beautiful candle I’ve EVER owned (a moving gift from a friend) and I hadn’t had a chance to light it myself yet. Next our daughter did what seven year olds do with hot wax: she ran her chubby hands through the wicks—crushing one—and smeared black wax up the bathroom walls…
Naturally, when I saw this mess at 11pm, after a very, very long day, I lost it so spectacularly you might have thought she’d burnt central Winchester to the ground. I actually wanted to get her out of bed, on a school day, to discuss it.
In the aftermath of a very intense few weeks of work, I knew I had lost perspective.
I am not alone
The Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org found that of 65,000 employees, 42% of women and 35% of men reported feeling burned out ‘often’ or ‘almost always’ in 2021 (compared to 32% of women and 28% of men in 2020).
My research is indicating that those numbers are rocketing as we emerge back into the world.
🔋🔋🔋
Energy levels matter more than you might suspect, according to a new book by Rob Cross ‘Beyond Collaboration Overload’ from the Harvard Business Review Press. He reports that the biggest predictor of a high performer is someonewho creates energy and enthusiasm in their networks. They are four times more likely to become and remain high performers.
And this is doubly true for entrepreneurs.
🕐
To restore energy, the advice many give is to spend at least one hour a day doing something you love.
In my fury OF COURSE I could think of nothing I loved—aside from perhaps a really, really beautiful candle unscathed by small children—let alone spare an hour.
But that’s too hysterical: it’s BECAUSE we’re busy that we MUST find an hour to recover. Since then, I’ve committed to this and am sharing a list of my pleasures for anyone else who has too enthusiastically lurched from the frustration of being trapped at home, to the over-stimulation of a return to society:
📚 A solo trip to the library (best recent novel is Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny, also ‘Mum, What’s wrong with You’ by Lorraine Candy).
📺 Brilliant TV series: Sex Education 3 is a joyous rollercoaster of Jean’s sartorial brilliance with big emotional hits.
🛍 Perfect boutiques: The Hambledon in Winchester is like walking into the pages of a magazine.
📕 A new planner: this one from Papier is a beauty.
🍽 A great lunch with my husband or a friend.
🏊♀️ A wild swim with the kids: Compton Lock is turning into a big favourite. Yes, of course, I wear 10mm of neoprene—it’s 10 fecking degrees!
🦮 Exploring new things: post-Covid enthusiasm to walk the dog anywhere I have never been before. Or just generally anything to do with the dog really…
But do not, do not, be tempted to watch Starling on Netflix just because the actors are really funny and it features small birds. It’s so utterly devastatingly heartbreaking… it’s set me back another candle.
Next week:
Practical steps to stem The Great Resignation based on my latest research.
Christine
