When we’re struggling, it can feel as if not coping is a moral failing. We believe we should always be OK, even when working in toxic, overwhelming environments. This thinking leads to further shame and self-blame, creating a destructive cycle.
But accepting “it’s OK not to be OK” isn’t the solution. That phrase can feel tokenistic and unhelpful. Instead, we need to recognise that feeling broken in a broken system is the normal human response. When things are genuinely awful, it would be strange to feel fine – our nervous systems are responding exactly as they should.
When we deny our humanity and beat ourselves up, we hasten burnout and despair, and we can end up with an inability to provide good care to others or ourselves. We become trapped in shame, losing all sense of hope and perspective.
But this difficult chapter will eventually pass, and you’re part of something bigger: a continuous human story. In this quick dip, Rachel offers a perspective you can adopt for yourself, and share with that colleague who’s still trying to be superhuman in an impossible system.
