Burnout Bait: Mars in Capricorn
Distinguishing between hard work and overwork.
Welcome Back, Witches!
Happy Tuesday and thanks to everyone who wished me well ahead of this weekend — I’m delighted to share that you are now reading the work of a fully accredited life coach. 🎉
Last week’s post got quite a bit of feedback and I just loved hearing from you all. One theme that come up again and again was everyone’s favorite Capricornian Theme: Burnout. (See also: Virgo)
It turns out that just after the new year, Mars moved into Capricorn, which just SHOUTS burnout to me and might be a good way to capture what so many of you are feeling.
So even though I’d planed to write about my favorite oddballs, Aquarius, this week, I thought it might be more helpful to take a detour and take a look at this signature burnout transit, and explore some of the burnout vibes in the air.
What am I waiting for? Let’s get to it!
Burnout: Anti-Magic
Most people think of burnout as just over work. You’re doing too much, take a rest and it will get better. And then we’re confused when it doesn’t.
That’s because burnout, at it’s core, isn’t really about overwork. It’s about autonomy, or the lack thereof. Whether it’s that massive project that landed on their desk at the end of the day or the mountain of dishes in the sink, the most common form of burnout my clients face is feeling like they only ever have time for things that need to be done.
When everything on your to-do list is a must do, it kills your sense of wonder and possibility, but it also eats away at your choice. Everything feels automatic and decided for you. Coming from this endless, Sisyphean place, it’s no wonder we’re exhausted.
And like we discussed last week, magic is all about your will. When burnout robs us of our autonomy, our world becomes less magical.
Mars, Capricorn and the Temptation to Over Perform
So what does Mars moving into Capricorn—where it will be until almost Valentine’s Day—have to do with burnout and autonomy ?
Let’s start with Capricorn. As the cardinal sign that moves us through winter, a grueling season in parts of the world—just ask anyone in the polar vortex right now—Cap’s a powerhouse when it comes to grit, determination, and commitment. Read below for a refresher.
When Mars, the sign that rules war and action in addition to both physical and mental perseverance connects with Capricorn, the combined energy turns life into one never-ending Rocky montage.
Make no mistake, that energy is powerful because it’s often how we realize our biggest, most impossible dreams: consistent, determined effort.
But maybe doing your laundry or meal prepping for the week doesn’t need this vibe.
And that’s the temptation that we face right now—making everything a challenge. Mars’ go big or go home enthusiasm placed in iron-willed Capricorn tells us it’s all or nothing, do all the thing entirely and to perfection, or it’s a failure. It tells us that the only answer to a challenge is a montage and everything we’ve got.
And if that’s not a recipe for burnout, I don’t know what is.
Burnout Breakthrough: Practical Magic Tricks
So my challenge for you this month is to reclaim some of that autonomy by actively choosing what gets your Rocky-energy and what gets a more gentle treatment.
And to help you with that, I’ve put together three of my most magical tools for breaking through burnout.
I. One-Minute Clean Up Blitz
How it works:
This is one of my all time favorite mini-magical practices, especially for parents who just have so much to do already, because it’s so easy. Once you get going with it, you’ll find it hard not to do.
Just set a timer for one minute and put away as many things as you can in that minute. That’s it! Bonus point if you put on a song (my favorite is below).
Why it works:
Capricorn is an orderly sign in general, but it’s also an earth sign, which means it’s very physical. When Cap vibes are in the are, space is important and clutter can feel almost rude (ask your Capricorn friends).
Mars loves activity, to get the body moving, but also can have a short attention span for menial tasks. This activity combines the best of both signs to keep your space tidy and give you the feeling of progress without a massive time commitment.
II. Delegation Checklist
How it works:
This one is a little more involved, but works great if you have a to-do list that only seems to get longer, never shorter.
If you haven’t, write out your to-do list. Then go through each item and ask yourself the following 3 questions:
Does this have to be done at all? Be honest and strike out anything where the answer is no.
Does this have to be done by me? Are you really the only person for this task? Even if you are the best person for it, can someone else handle it? If so, delegate it and let it go.
Does it have to be done now? For anything that does have to be done and done by you, really think through the deadline. If it can move to next week or next month, take it off your active to-do list for now and clear the space. I like to keep tasks like this on a will-do list, so I know they live somewhere.
Why it works:
Capricorn and Mars both have a tendency towards martyrdom. Cap loves to show off how committed they are, and Mars wants to be a war hero even when going to the grocery store. This exercise provides a reality check to both energies’ shadow sides, and puts you back in the driver’s seat for what tasks make your to-do list.
III. Fucks Given Tracker
How it works:
This last on is my personal favorite and is great for if you have a pervading sense of burnout, but you’re not quite sure where it’s coming from.
Choose up to 10 emotions or feelings to track for the next month and assign each one a color in the box. So anger might be red, energy might orange, connection might be blue, and so on. Choose feelings that are important to you and your personal satisfaction: How do you want feel at the end of the day?
Using the tracker below, rate them from 1 to 10 each day.
Why it works:
Capricorn and Mars really bring our focus to energy expended on doing things. From that place, it can be easy to overlook where our feelings are draining our energy.
Seeing where those feelings spike and fall can tell us a lot about where our energy is being used. And more than that, it gives us the option to choose if those are the places we want our energy to continue to go.
And That’s All She Wrote!
She, of course, being me. I hope you enjoyed the read — I had a lot of fun writing it for you!
Reply to this email or leave a comment to let me know what you thought and these energies are showing up in your life. I love to hear your stories. 💜💜💜
See you all next Tuesday for more planetary fun and who knows what else!
Congrats on becoming certified!! Great advice - once again you have hit the nail on the head!!