”Learning how to cope & care for yourself when things are good, will help you when they aren’t.”
We all know that prioritizing ourselves is the most important thing we can do to ensure we can take care of others. Yet we fail miserably most of the time.
I’ve talked about the 5 Stages of Burnout, which you can read about here.
This week, I want to dive into the six ways you can prevent burnout and move through it if you find yourself stuck there.
The hard truth is, stress is inevitable. Building a business, raising a family, navigating a freaking pandemic – is all tough.
How we respond to it however, can be the difference between barely hanging on, and thriving through the mess.
Try these tips to take care of yourself and move beyond the burnout that is 2020:
- Take a day off. Take a week off if you need to. Self Care isn’t selfish. Why we choose to believe that we have to give, give, give and never take, is beyond me. Go to your calendar right now and block a day off in the next month. Then, go out 90 days and book yourself a spa day, or a long weekend away. You can plan for it. Knowing it’s there will help you keep your head in the game and it’ll be the rest you need before you know you need it.
- Try Meditation & Breathwork. Emily Fletcher’s Stress Less Accomplish More book and course helped me learn to meditate last winter. I have to admit, this was hard for me to be consistent with, but I keep trying. Breathwork has proven to help tremendously in a few short weeks.
- Prioritize Sleep. I use Brain.fm for sound therapy and aim for 8 hours. 6 is a good start if you’re an insomniac like I used to be. Getting a sleep mask has helped tremendously too. I love the MindFold, because it completely blocks out all light!
- Move your body, every day. 20 minutes on the Peleton is my current strategy. No matter if it’s a few sets of Tabata, or an hour on the kayak… sweating releases endorphins that lighten our mood and is worth every second of grumbling it takes to get me out the door.
- Cry. Yes, we know, we’re supposed to be tough, but there is something about a good cry (whether you’re a manly guy or a boss babe), that helps us to move through emotions that otherwise get stuck in our bodies. Let it out, yo. It’s been a hard year. You don’t have to keep it together all the time. Promise. Watch a good movie and just bawl.
- Delegate. Ask your team for help. If you don’t have a team, build one. I can’t stress this one enough. You might be hell bent on doing it all alone, to save money, to save face, to save time… in reality, you’re only saving your pride. Get the help you need, before it’s too late.
Whether it’s therapy, a rock solid assistant in your corner, or a trusted friend, talk it out so you can be on your way to solid footing again. Ask for help. It is not weak, it’s actually proving you are strong enough to know when you need support.
You are worthy of the same support you so freely give to others.
No matter what stage of burnout you’re in, you don’t have to do this alone.
Reach out if you need support and if I can point you in the right direction, I’d be happy to.
