Transformation Fatigue
Recently, my best friend Angela and I were chatting about life as we often do.
And we both noticed something in ourselves as well as each other: we knew change was coming in 2023, and just the idea felt exhausting—even frustrating.
This isn’t our usual reaction.
The pair of us have been friends since 1999. We have seen and supported each other through enormous change, both the tumultuous kind and the joyous kind. We know each other to be courageous, wise, and enormously adaptable.
We usually greet change with big smiles and open arms, and at that moment, we were both side-eyeing the word “transformation” and asking, “What do you want from me NOW?”
I started thinking of this as “Transformation Fatigue,” a term I’ve now added to the Shelbish Glossary.
As far as creative lineage for this idea goes, I want to point out: I’ve adapted this from “compassion fatigue.” Seven years ago, while I was helping out with multiple family crises, my long-time doctor patiently listened to my distress. Then she explained that among doctors, nurses, and other helpers, an individual can develop “compassion fatigue,” especially after a disaster where their expertise and effort was needed. It’s a specific kind of burn-out: you’ve given as much as you can possibly give to other people’s care, and it’s time to invest time and energy into your own renewal.
Transformation fatigue is similar—except sometimes no one else is involved. Instead, you’ve been adapting and changing at full tilt, and for a while, you’re absolutely fine. Then you have a moment where enough is enough, and when faced with one more change, you think, “Ugh. More?”
I’m sharing this now, because I don’t believe that Angela and I are alone in our transformation fatigue.
If you too are experiencing this, I see you, and I completely relate.
As a planet, we have all seen more change and turmoil in the past few years than some of our ancestors saw in their entire lives.
It’s natural to be tired—even frustrated—in the face of it.
With that in mind, I’ve started to address my own transformation fatigue in a few ways. I invite you to join me in any and all of them, but here’s a really relevant one: