5 WAYS TO AVOID BURNOUT
Many can relate to it, and most have experienced it.
The “burnout” phase in someone’s life can be a product of a combination of different factors: long work hours, less than 8 hours of sleep, having kids, the foods we are putting in our bodies, how much exercise we do or the length we will go to push our limits in a given day. Regardless of the root causes of our burnout, it is important to know – DO NOT MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS BASED ON HOW TIRED YOU ARE. It is so common for people to ask how you are, with the response of “busy”, “tired”, “long day”, etc. We live in a society that is go go go, without the realization that burning out is a very real human state. Ultimately, this unsustainable lifestyle can take a toll on your body on a multitude of different levels. Some people start to notice it in their gut health, others in their daily performance, stamina, sex drive (yes, this can be affected by burnout), day to day mood, etc. We are so conditioned as a society to believe that ending the day with nothing but exhaustion is normal, so much so that we don’t realize the extent to which our bodies are being negatively affected.
I speak from personal experience – I am ALWAYS on the go. Whether I am at school, working one of my 3 jobs (crazy I know) , exercising, working on my side hustle or trying to be present in my relationships, I am constantly on the move to the next part of my day. This busy AF lifestyle is not sustainable. Certain periods of your life are bound to demand more of your time in a certain aspect of your day to day, or require more prioritization, but that doesn’t mean you should add more to your plate. The emphasis should be on having a clear mental focus with positive healthy habits which help you to cope with the stressful times, and to analyze what you can do to create better balance in your life.
It is easy to get wrapped up in people’s lives on social media and wonder how they can achieve so much in a day, or how they can grind non-stop, but the reality is that it is not a sustainable lifestyle, and it’s not always how it appears to be. Speaking from a physiological point of view, the body cannot handle that many stressors for an extended period of time before things swing way out of equilibrium. Whether or not those consequences are masked by medications or a “fake it till you make it” attitude, there will be negative repercussions. With that being said, here are 5 healthy tips to help create a basic healthy balance in your life, so you can be productive, present, and happy in your day to day life.
1. SLEEP – I consider this to be one of the 3 pillars to health. Sleep is SO underrated. When you are not sleeping properly so many other bodily functions start to get taxed such as your diet (cravings), hormone regulation, energy levels, mood, recovery time, gut health, etc. There are some amazing sleep books out there, and I encourage everyone to take the time to read and educate themselves on the benefits of proper consecutive sleep cycles. The best way to help your sleep is by creating a night time routine. Having dimmed lights, laptop or TV on night mode, herbal sleep tea before bed, using essential oils etc. Anything that helps put you in a sleepy mood will help you fall asleep easier, and establish a routine for your body.
2. NOURISHMENT – Welcome to health pillar number 2. What you eat, how you eat, and your relationship to food is so critical in creating a balanced healthy lifestyle. What you eat (on a very basic level) affects your mood via the gut brain connection, energy levels, ability to take in and process nutrients, systemic and local inflammation, immune system, healing process etc. (I could literally go on forever). Honestly, I don’t even see food as a means to look a certain way anymore. The more you understand about how your diet affects your insides, the more you realize how we as a society have been looking at it completely wrong. Our diet culture and our relationship with food is quite frankly, pretty messed up. I invite you to educate yourself on more intrinsic processes that our diet has an effect on. There are many ways to improve your nourishment such as meal prepping, buying lots of whole foods so they are easily prepared or readily available, mindful eating, intuitive eating (this is a whole other topic that I will write about). Make good choices based on how the food makes you feel, does it give you energy? Do you feel bloated or gassy after consuming it? Are you moody after it? These questions are so important because it has nothing to do with how food will or won’t make you look, but everything to do with how the food is interacting with your gut.
3. MOVEMENT – Last but not least, the third pillar of health. Movement increases our circulation, brings healthy nutritious blood flow to all areas of our body and most importantly to the brain! Physical activity is a fantastic way to exert yourself physically, but also mentally. Numerous studies show the positive effects physical activity has on our mental health, specifically in regard to treatment options for anxiety and depression. Doctors need to be encouraging exercise as a means of treatment and coping, to allow patients to take responsibility for their health by taking an active role in their own treatment plans. Movement can improve your mood, decrease fatigue levels (even in individuals with disease), increase bone and joint health, and help you sleep better at night. Simple ways to incorporate movement into your life is to add in a morning or lunch time walk. Look for an easy “at home” workout program to get yourself into it. Find a friend who is looking to make some positive movement change and take on a fitness challenge or dance class.
4. POSITIVE THOUGHT - This is such an important aspect that is one of the first things to lose sight of during burnout. When we get so overwhelmed that all we can do is manage to feed ourselves and get our butts to work, we lose sight of positivity and our “why”. Because it is so easy to lose yourself it makes it that much more important to keep your mind positive, your vibes high and keep your goals and values at the forefront of your day. In a society where we are influenced thousands of times a day by social media, advertisements, TV shows, etc., it’s hard to stay grounded in your thoughts and beliefs. Some great tools I use to help maintain positive thought and keep my goals fresh in my mind, is to write out my weekly goals (also helps to organize myself), create some daily checklists, and lastly set yourself up for success. Don’t overload your schedule to the point where you know it’ll impact your mood.
5. LEARNING TO SAY NO - This is a lesson I am still working towards mastering, but learning to say no to things that you don’t 100% want to do will liberate you. Yes, there are times when you do things for other people because it makes them happy, however, you shouldn’t compromise your happiness the majority of the time. It is easy to get caught up in doing events with friends and family whether or not you want to do it, but if you are constantly compromising on things that make you happy and productive for the needs or entertainment of other people, that will also lead to emotional burnout. The best ways I try to optimize my days or busy weeks with lots of friend’s birthdays or family events, is to make sure I take at least 1 hour of time in my day to focus on my needs whether that is going to the gym or stretching or reading a book. If you are working towards a personal goal and someone else’s plans conflict with that goal it is OKAY TO SAY NO, it is okay to put yourself first. It is not selfish to prioritize yourself and your needs. You can’t show up for other people if you can’t even show up for yourself.
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