Fuel Level: Low. Dismiss?

(AKA The “How To’s” of Burnout and the Art of Not Asking for Help…from the PRO)

Fuel Level: Low. Dismiss? (AKA The “How To’s” of Burnout and the Art of Not Asking for Help…from the PRO) –Jo

So I’m LITERALLY staring at this dashboard warning:

“Fuel Level Low”
And underneath it?
“Dismiss?”

And I think—well if that isn’t a whole damn metaphor for my life, I don’t know what is.

How many times have I seen the blinking signs in my body, my mind, my calendar, my freaking soul screaming “LOW FUEL,” only to respond with, “Okay cool, but I just have one more thing…”
Just one more email.
Just one more favor.
Just one more “I’ll get that right over.”
Just one more attempt to outrun the limits of being a human person in a mortal body with actual needs.

And then—shock of all shocks—I’m on the side of the road. Again.
Stranded. Again.
Out of gas. AGAIN.

Forced to do the thing I avoided at all costs:
Ask for help.
Admit I’m empty.
Cancel things.
Sit still long enough to feel the feelings I tried to outrun with productivity and caffeine.

Now listen, maybe this is just a public diary entry and y’all are my accidental therapists today… I’ll send you a check later. But something tells me I’m not alone in this.

This image—Fuel Low. Dismiss?—feels like the absurd comedy of adulthood and survival. Like, oh good, not only are you depleted, but we’re also going to give you the option to ignore it and keep going like a champ. Or a lunatic. Or a martyr. (barf I hate when that shows up!)

You weren’t built to run on empty. I don’t care how strong you are. I don’t care if your emotional tank is bigger than most people’s (I mean don’t we all think our junk is more on fire than other people’s junk?). Just because you can carry more doesn’t mean you should. And just because your plate is full doesn’t mean you need to clean it like your grandma’s guilt is watching.

Here’s what I’m (still) learning—maybe it’ll help you too:

1. A blinking dashboard is not a moral failure.
You’re not weak because you’re tired. You’re not lazy because you’re maxed out. You’re human.

2. Rest isn’t indulgent—it’s maintenance.
Like changing your oil. Like charging your phone. Like breathing. You don’t earn rest. You need it.

3. Boundaries are LIMITS… not barriers.
They’re not punishment. They’re protection. They are the protective and loving arms around your time, your energy, and your purpose.

4. The car doesn’t run without gas.
You can be the most reliable, high-capacity, well-intentioned person in the world—but if you don’t stop and refuel, eventually, you’ll stall-out!

5. “Dismissing” your needs doesn’t make them disappear.
It just delays the crash and burn(out).

So pull over.
Turn off the noise.
Refill your tank before you find yourself crying in a parking lot with a cold coffee and a vague resentment toward everyone who “needs you.”

You matter.
You are allowed to take up space.
You are allowed to stop when you’re empty.
You are the most important person in your own damn life—so act like it!

XOXO-Jo

Joanna Dixon