Do you have burnout?

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

BURNOUT IS MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION THAT CAN THAT MAKE YOU FEEL DRAINED AND LACK ANY ENERGY TO COPE WITH THE DEMANDS OF WORK AND LIFE.  FEELING UNMOTIVATED, FLAT AND FOREVER TIRED CAN BE A RESULT OF AN OVER STRESSED LIFE, PERHAPS “BITING OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW”?

I HAVE FELT THIS WAY FOR A WHILE AND IT WASN'T UNTIL SOMEONE ACTUALLY SAID “BURNOUT” - THAT I REALISED, THIS WAS WHAT I WAS FEELING. I WAS BURNOUT. 

THERE’S A GUILTY FEELING I GET AS A SELF EMPLOYED PERSON (AND A CREATIVE)- THAT IF IM NOT USING EVERY SINGLE PART OF MY DAY TO EITHER FURTHER MY CAREER OR TO BE PRODUCTIVE IN WAYS THAT LEAD TO PROGRESSION THEN I HAVEN'T MADE THE MOST OF MY SITUATION AND I BERATE MYSELF AS LAZY!  SOUND FAMILIAR?  I HAVE REALISED NOW THAT AFTER SPENDING YEARS ON A BUSINESS WHERE ALL MY THOUGHTS ARE CONSUMED BY IT, IT HAS FINALLY DRIVEN ME TO THIS STAGE OF WEARINESS.  FOR ME PERSONALLY IT WAS THE DEATH OF A FAMILY MEMBER THAT PUSHED ME INTO THIS EXHAUSTIVE STATE, MAKING ME LACK ANY ENERGY TO STRIVE FOR MORE.  BUT I THINK THIS WAS JUST THE START TO MAKE ME SEE AND TO LEARN TO ACCEPT BURNOUT.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE A NIGGLING FEELING TOO?  MAYBE YOUR BODY HAS BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, SO LISTEN TO IT.

WE ALL CAN'T FOCUS SOLELY ON WORK.  AS MUCH AS GETTING MONEY IS GREAT AND VERY MUCH A NECESSITY, IT’S THIS MIND SET OF TRYING TO GET MONEY CAN HINDER ANY CREATIVE THOUGHTS AND ANY IDEAS PROGRESSING.  I MAY HAVE ALREADY OVERSTEPPED THE MARK HERE AND DEEPLY OVERSHARING, BUT BURNOUT IS VERY REAL SO I WANT TO SHARE MY 4 STEPS OF DEALING WITH BURNOUT, BECAUSE IF I HAVE GOT THERE, THEN I’M SURE IM NOT THE ONLY ONE:

• REST.
  AS OBVIOUS AS THIS MAY SOUND WE ALL NEED SLEEP - IT IS SUGGESTED A GOOD 7 TO 9 HOURS SLEEP WILL HELP YOU FUNCTION. DO YOU GET THIS AMOUNT? MANY OF US STRUGGLE TO, WITH PRESSURES IN LIFE FROM WORK, KIDS, AND FAMILY PROBLEMS. LOTS OF FACTORS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO NOT GETTING ENOUGH REST. BUT LACK OF SLEEP CAN HAVE LONG TERM EFFECTS LIKE HIGHER CHANCES OF HEART ATTACKS, STROKES, WEIGHT GAIN, DEPRESSION, THE SCARY LIST GOES ON. SO SOMETHING I DO TO GET MYSELF READY FOR BED IS A NIGHT ROUTINE. I SWITCH OFF MY MOBILE PHONE BY 8.30PM AND LEAVE IT IN ANOTHER ROOM (SO I DON’T HAVE ANY TEMPTATION TO LOOK AT IT!) I STOP WATCHING TV BY THAT TIME ALSO - THAT INCLUDES NETFLIX!

  FROM THEN ON I READ UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP. THIS ROUTINE IS GETTING ME THROUGH BURNOUT, AND I REALLY NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE IF I DON'T KEEP TO IT.

• CREATE A ROUTINE.
  AS WELL AS MY NIGHT ROUTINE, I TRY TO CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO DO THIS. BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE YOURSELF 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE FAMILY GET UP THEN IT WILL SERVE YOU IN GOOD STEAD. I MAKE MY BREAKFAST THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT IN THE FRIDGE SO IN THE MORNING, I GET UP, GO FOR A QUICK WALK AND COME BACK TO ENJOY MY BREAKFAST. I MAKE SURE NOT TO LOOK AT MY PHONE. CHECKING EMAILS, LOOKING UP NEWS - ALL THIS CAN AFFECT YOUR ANXIETY. SO JUST TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO JUST EAT, DRINK A CUP OF COFFEE AND BE IN THAT MOMENT BEFORE THE CRAZINESS OF THE DAY STARTS!

• STOP SEEKING MORE, JUST SAY NO.
  IT DOESN'T HELP BURNOUT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH BY SEEKING OUT NEW WORK, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, NEW COLLABORATIONS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. BECAUSE THAT WON’T MAKE BURNOUT SIMPLY GO AWAY, IT MAY JUST GET WORSE. LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR GUT IS SAYING, IF YOU WANT TO SAY NO - JUST SAY NO. THIS IS THE TIME TO SLOW DOWN AND REASSESS WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR BUSINESS, FROM YOUR LIFE - REFOCUS AND START FROM A BASE TO WORK FROM. SO MY ADVICE IS TO STOP TAKING ANYTHING NEW THAT FEELS TOO MUCH.

• DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE.
  IT MAY SOUND SIMPLE, BUT SPENDING A LITTLE BIT OF TIME DOING SOMETHING THAT NOURISHES YOUR HEART AND SOUL CAN REALLY HELP. FOR ME, IT’S WRITING A NOVEL. THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO DESIGNING AND SEWING, BUT I FEEL SUCH PLEASURE FROM USING A DIFFERENT PART OF MY BRAIN. WRITING HAS GIVEN ME A NEW DIRECTION AND IS HELPING ME THROUGH THIS TIME.

SO I HOPE THESE STEPS HELP IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED AND UNMOTIVATED. YOU’RE NOT ALONE.  IT’S A CYCLE - WE CAN’T BE ALERT AND FOCUSED ALL YEAR ROUND. IF YOU TAKE ONE THING FROM THIS I WOULD SAY- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, IT WILL TELL YOU TO SLOW DOWN - MAYBE YOU’VE NOTICED YOU’RE TIRED, MOODY, GAINED WEIGHT, SAD? I THINK WE CAN ONLY PUSH OURSELVES SO MUCH THAT OUR MIND AND BODY SAYS "ENOUGH!" AND WE'RE AT THE MERCY OF IT. SO TRY NOT TO LET IT GET TO THAT STAGE. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

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