Oh gosh, I do understand you.
This is exactly why I switched down my steem activity for a complete year... Making excuses two times saying that I was coming back... But never did.
As you said "while Steem tends to become your life.". It was mine for more than a year. And its was hard. Steem was my 'only' life. I was so much into it that I spent hours a day to read/post/comment until the day my head, as yours, was tired and I just started shit post because I was too tired to do other things. In fact, I was tired because of not being recognize as I was expecting from the community (and the whales) for my 'work' ...... I started shit post because I understood that this will no make any difference in the recognition / rewards I would got.
I put so much pressure as you probably did. Because I, because we are expecting too much. and at the end I had no more joy of spending time here...
When I discovered that I was pregnant, I decided to stop to steem to be totally stress free. So I stopped radically to steem even if sometime I wanted to share all the new knowledges I was gaining (about motherhood / pregnancy / education ).
Now, after one year break, I am more mature. I am not into steem as I was (even if I can feel the addiction coming back... and as soon as I feel it I quit steem to avoid being crazy about it again).
I have learn during the past year to avoid comparing myself to others and be happy with what I get. I have learn that I am allowed to 'shipost' as people would say on Steem just because this is a social media where I can, if I cant to use it as Facebook or Instagram. I have learn that quality is what you decide. And that people can bully you because you are not on the top at their eyes but at the end... what's the most important ? Doing stuff that will please others or you being happy ?
I choose to be happy :)
Have a safe and nice travel my sweet @soyrosa <3