I’m not sure when I first realized that I was putting myself incredibly low on my priority list - powering through to meet everyone else’s expectations (or what I believed to be everyone else's expectations) and then hitting a wall and not being able function effectively. This yo-yo/rollercoaster way of getting through the week really took its toll over time. I felt perpetually exhausted with low energy and at times I would just have to shut down and allow my energy levels to come back to a functioning level.

Everything is good until suddenly…..things go off the rails and eruptions occur like this geyser. (EXIF data f7.1, 1/1250s, 200mm, ISO400, -1.0EV)

It took a long time for me to really understand that by not prioritizing myself resulted in me not being much use to anyone - especially me.