9 Tips on Managing Burnout

As I posted in my last article, I have been recovering from burnout and I have have learned a lot, which I wanted to share with you.

Some facts about Burnout:

1. According to Psychology Today: “Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.
2. It is usually connected to a lack of efficacy — or feeling like your actions are not leading to the desired results (aka, taking one step forward and 10 steps backwards).
3. Some signs of burnout are: extreme tiredness, an irritable mood, a negative outlook about life, feeling generally overwhelmed and a sense of heaviness. A loss of a sense of humour can also be a sign.
4. Women are more than twice as likely as men to be experiencing physical symptoms of severe anxiety, such as a racing heartbeat (25% vs. 11%). More than half (52%) of women are having sleep issues, compared to about a third (32%) of men. And women who work full-time and have partners and children are more than twice as likely as men in the same situation to feel that they have more to do than they can possibly handle (31% vs. 13%): https://leanin.org/article/womens-workload-and-burnout
5. Burnout is usually a result of overworking, unequal dynamics in relationships, and a lack of support.

What Can You Do About Burnout?

1. Rest. Get Sleep. Take a nap. Do Yoga Nidra. Do Stillness Meditation. Let your body and mind just rest for as long as you need. Don’t worry that your need to sleep excessively is a sign of depression. You will notice a difference in your energy levels and mood once you feel restored.
2. Do 80% of the work. That’s right. 80%. Often it’s the high standards we set for ourselves and our need to have it all right and organized and perfect that leads us to over-doing. You’ll be surprised when you realize that the world won’t fall apart if you are not putting your all into it. Just do what is enough.
3. Practice Deep Breathing. Yes, so simple, but we often restrict our breath when we are stressed or frustrated. Breathe deeply into your belly, hold, then breathe out from your belly. Focus on this for at least 10 full breaths. It calms your nervous system and helps your brain relax. Try it before going to sleep or when you have to do something that could be anxiety-inducing.
4. Examine your life. Name your top 3 priorities or values. What in your life can you cancel, let go of or reduce? Make burnout recovery your top priority and then pick 2 other things.
5. Get used to saying “no” and disappointing people. You can simply say that you just can’t take on more than you can chew. Those who don’t get that really aren’t your friends.
6. Do Exercise or Movement for 15–30 minutes a day. Now make sure it is something you enjoy doing, not something you think you “should” do. For some, alight stroll that rejuvenates your soul is way better than a hard core workout. For others, it is the opposite.
7. Ask yourself: “Where am I abandoning myself?”. For me, I wasn’t making any time to just read. I love books and I seem to be hoarding them as time goes on because I’m not actually reading them.
8. Do something just for the joy of it! Play a game, put your hands in some bubbles, dance in the living room. Just shake it up and find that sense of fun.
9. Find ways to get support. Whether it’s moral, physical, emotional or with practical day-to-day tasks, support is a big key in recovery. The universe wants you to feel supported and often we just need to see where we are being guided to getting it.

If you need more support, I offer the Fill Your Own Cup e-course for only $5 (yup, that’s right!). It’s a self-paced course to help you learn more about stress, tune into your own needs and energy levels, and take practical steps to recovering your sense of fulfillment.

Or you can visit me at: www.blossomingheart.ca

Here’s to you feeling alive, happy and inspired!