The Day I Got Jealous of My Own Car
- Eugenie Ducatel
- Mar 8
- 3 min read
The Day I Got Jealous of My Own Car (And What It Taught Me About Self-Care)
How was your weekend?
How are you really doing these days?
When was the last time you checked in with yourself?
When did you fill up your car at the gas pump?
When did you fill up your own cup? 😅
I have a story for you today.
It's kind of embarrassing. And funny. And tragic all at the same time.
It was the day I got jealous of my own car.
Yes, you read that right.
The Scene
I was working full time at York University, commuting 100 km each way on the 401 (the busiest highway in Canada).
Up at 5 am. Teaching by 8:30. Three classes during the day. Home by 9 pm.
My girls were just 4 and 6. (Oh, the guilt of not being able to kiss them good morning!)
I was the provider, exhausted, running on fumes, and—confession—smoking in my car because I had zero time for myself.
One night, I stopped for an oil change.
And as I watched my car roll into its little spa (the garage), something snapped.
I was jealous of my car.
My car was getting pampered, while I was running on empty!
The injustice was too much.
So, in a moment of radical clarity (or maybe desperation), I marched into the neighbouring massage therapy parlour—and, as if by magic, they had a spot for me.
That 60 minutes was the best care I'd had in years.
Sound Familiar?
How often do we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion, telling ourselves "just a little more work, THEN I'll rest"?
(It's a lie. There's always more work.)
What Neuroscience Tells Us
In burnout, our brains get stuck in survival mode (in the amygdala). We literally can't even see how far we've pushed.
We lose objectivity because we're no longer operating from our prefrontal cortex—where your calm, powerful, logical brain lives.
That year, I had a car accident. My wake-up call.
My Radical Act of Self-Care
I wanted to be alive for my daughters.
✨ I quit smoking
✨ I started biking again
✨ I chose less money, more time
Best self-care decision ever.
What Can You Do When You're Running on Empty?
1. Awareness
Notice the signs—are you pushing too hard? Is your inner critic running the show?
2. Acceptance
Recognize that you've been programmed to "keep going." Radically accept that you need (and deserve) rest.
Redefine rest as productive.
3. Conscious Choice
Choose YOU. Every. Single. Time.
When You Start Getting Angry, Resentful, Jealous...
Pay attention.
Don't shy away from these powerful emotions. They're talking to you.
Something is fundamentally wrong.
Get curious.
Are you respecting your boundaries?
Are you being gentle with yourself, or is your inner-critic full-on MMA?
How exhausted are you?
Your Turn
Have you ever had a moment like mine?
Where you got jealous of your car... or something equally ridiculous?
Leave a comment below and share your funniest (or most stressful) burnout moment. You're not alone in this! 💕
Ready to Stop Running on Empty?
If you don't even know where to start to get your life back, I've got you.
Take my free Energy & Influencers Quick Check (5 minutes). It'll show you exactly where your energy is being drained across 6 key areas.
Or let's talk.
Book your Complimentary Breakthrough Call—no "salesy" pitch. Just you and me, a Zoom coffee chat, with strategies to get you feeling better right away.
Self-care isn't selfish. It's survival.
Take amazing care of yourself,
Eugénie DucatelCertified Life Coach | Master Practitioner, iPEC
P.S. Want more resources to reclaim your joy? Check out the You-Genie Verse for my most popular videos and transformational content!
Comments