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I’ve done a lot of incredibly difficult things in my time. I surrogated a baby. That wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. I accidentally gave birth without an epidural. Ditto. I got it in my head that starting a business while being a full time mom and, oh, homeschooling at the same time would be a fun and exciting challenge.

Around this time last year, I wrote a post on my blog about avoiding burnout. I was at a low point. My toddler wasn’t sleeping. Somebody I knew was dying. We were doing hospital runs left, right and center.

I thought I had the burnout thing figured out. I followed my own advice, and it worked… for about a year. Then, in the hunt for something to write about for this (very late) column, I found what I’d written and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

My father’s had a stroke. My step-sister was pregnant with twins and lost them. This year it’s my step father who’s dying. I needed a dose of my own advice and I figured that while I was taking that dose, I’d share it with you, too.

Therefore, here’s an updated version of last year’s How To Avoid Burnout.

You know when you’re exhausted and some Einstein comes up to you and says, “You know what you need?” and then follows it up with something that sounds absolutely revolting? Ignore them.

I get told I need a massage a lot. In my world, this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Like I have time for a massage. And if I did have time, like I wouldn’t spend the whole hour thinking about all the time I was losing.

Repeat in your head: “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

I’m not talking about conceptual reserves here. I’m not saying to keep your psyche in tip-top shape. I’m talking about actual reserves, the kind you keep in case of fire or famine. Keep food in the freezer, snacks in the cupboard, and toilet paper in the bathroom. Whatever you tend to run out of, keep it in stock. When you’re nearing a burnout situation, the last thing you want to do is run out to buy cat litter.