My mood and focus did not improve this week, and I know something needs to be done. Things came to a head , and E and I concluded that I have many symptoms of burn-out. This week Y had free from school so it was a mixture of some work, doing things together and reflecting on what is wrong.

This week I

• Didn’t go to clients or the office for work, but stayed at home
• Did the Q1 bookkeeping for company and other entities for the VAT returns.
• Had the weekly client meetings, and did some client work on EU data laws.
• With E and Y went to Madurodam and Scheveningen beach. Madurodam is a park with miniature versions of iconic Dutch buildings. During lunch there E and I discussed my current situation. Saying things out loud made a difference.
• Checked my current mood and situation against a list of burn-out symptoms, concluding I tick many of the boxes.
• Informed my businesspartners about this, to be able to later discuss what can be done.
• Did the monthly invoicing.
• Arranged an intake session with a psychologist in two weeks time.
• Edited two draft reports on digital ethics.
• Spent a day in Utrecht, touring the DomUnder exhibit. The heart of the city was a Roman fort from around 25CE for two centuries, and the same spot was built up over and over because of it, now the site of the Utrecht cathedral. Underneath the square you can visit the archeological dig of the 1920-30s. We had wanted to do this tour with Peter, L and L two weeks ago, but then they were fully booked. It was way more interesting, thanks to a very good guide, than I had expected it to be.
• Browsed the Steven Sterk bookstore in Utrecht we hadn’t visited before, and all three of us returned home with some finds.
• Spent today mostly reading.

At Madurodam in The Hague