Latly, I have noticed theme in many of the therapy sessions i hold with FRAS-GEN LATINAS. My clients are exhausted, Pulled in Too Many Directions, and Still Trying To Hold It All Together. I have Been Feeling It Too, in My Own Way. There Have Been Days, and If I Am Honest, Weeks, When I Felt Like I was running on empty. In Those Moments, I Offen Freeze, a one to take the Next Step and Unsure Where to Even Begin. EveryThing Feels Too Heavy, Too Fast, Too Much. I Specially Noticed It This Summer. Life Tugged at Me From All Angles: Home, Work, and Family, Each with its Own Urgence. I KEPT TRYING TO SHOW UP, BUT ABOUT MOMENTS WHEN I COULD FEEL MYSTELF QUETO UNRAVELING.
Ace a PsychologistI am trained to collect the signs of burnout, but that does not monan i am immune to them. Like soy first-generation Latinas, and Carry Responsibilities that Go Far Beyond Any Job Description. We Care for Our Families, Translate Complex Situations, Navigate Professional and Educational Spaces, and are offented to do it all Without Pause or Struggy. Even When We are Complety Depleted, We Still try to show up. WE STRETCH OURSELVES THIN BACOUS WE HAEN BUTIL THAT LOVE MEANS SACRIFICE. But what happens when there is nothing left to give?
What Wears US Down Is Rarely Just One Thing. There is The Stress We Feel Directly: Exhaustion, Grief, and Uncertainty. The there are the Systems We Move Through Daily: Workplaces That Overlook Our Lived Experiences, Academic Spaces where we are speech to Constantly provided Ourselves, and Communities that Expectation To Thrive and Give Back at The Same Time. And Beyond That, There is the Broader Backdrop: Political Instability, Economic Strain, and racial injustice. These forces do not just live in headlines. They Live In Our Bodies, Shaping How We Move Through the World, Even When We Cannot Name Them. For First-Gen Latinas, Cultural Expectations Add Yet Another Layer. We are raised to be Grateful and To Hold It All Together. We Succed Not only for ourselves, but for thhue what came Before us.
AllSe Layers create Heavy Load, SO WE WORK HARD TO KEEP GOING UNTIL WE START RUNNING ON EMPTY. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE PUSH THRUH THE STRUGGLE BACASE GUILT TELLS US WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE. But We Cannot. Subtimes It Feels Like Too Much, and The We Freeze, Just as I Described Earlier. In Those Moments, We Start to Believe We Are Failing. We Shut Down, a one to do anything at all. But ae Ways to Care for Ourselves When We are running on empty.
The Framework I use for myself and share with my clients is street ART: ACKNOWLEDGE, RESET, TEN. IT Helps US Move from Frozen to Grouted.
1. ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT’S HEAVY
Name What is weighing on you, Even If it is only to Yourself. Write It Down. Whisper it during walk. Tell A Trusted Friend or Therapist. Naming the Heaviness Validates What You Are Experienceing. This is real. It Stops The Spiral of Self-Blame. It is not that you are weak or lazy. You are Carrying to Lot. ACKNOWLEDGING IT GIVES THAT WEIGHT SHAPE, SO IT DOES NOT SEN Feel All-Consuming.
2. Reset with micro-car
Ask Yourself: What Kind of Rest Do I need right now, WHETHER PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, OR SPIRITUAL? The Give Yourself a Small Reset. Even Five Minutes Can Help Shift Your Nervous System. You Might:
- Play your favorite song and do nothing else
- Step outside and let the Air Meet Your Skin
- LIGHT A CANDLE OR SAY A QUIET PORYER
- Put Your Phone Away and Simply Breathe
Micro-Care Is Not About Solving Eventhing. It is about coming back to Yourself. It is a way to Ground Your Body and Remind Yourself That This Is Hard, But You Can Do Hard Things.
3. Tend to What Truly Matters
Eleven you have accknowledged the heaviness and created to Small Moment of Care, You Can return to your priorities, but not to the chaos. Ask Yourself: What Really Needs My Energy Today? What Can Wait? Tens Focusing on What Must Be Done, Not On Doing It All Yourself. This might look like:
- Crossing off non-essentials without guilt
- Delegating or Asking for Support, Even If it feels unchartable
- Saying No to Unrealistic Timelines, Guilt-Driven Expectations, Constant Emotional Labor, and Performative Over-Functioning
Every time you say no to What Depletes You, You Make Space To Say Yes To What Nourishes You. TENING HELPS YOU MOVE FORWARD GENTLY. It Brings You Back To Your Values, Your Boundaries, and Your Breath. It reminds you that Even on the Hardest Days, You Still Have Agency.
There Will Be Seasons When You Feel Like You Have Nothing Left. In Those Times, Take Breath. Tendo Yourself with The Same Care You Offer Others. You are not Falling Behind. You are refolling so you can find your way back.
If possible.
Dr. Lisette Sanchez is a bilingual Licensed Psychologist and Founder of Calathea WellnessA virtual practice providing therapy in California. She has a passion for working with bipoc folxs and first-generation professionals.
