So how is everyone feeling right now? Anyone else suffering from burnout? It seems to be a recurring theme among pretty much every woman that I’ve encountered or talked to this week. I think a lot of us are just feeling really burnout right now. I myself have been going through this and usually about twice a year I get to this point where I just feel like everything is overwhelming me. The things that normally excite me, like getting ready for Christmas or getting ready for a vacation or whatever it may be, I just find stressful. When I wake up in the morning and feel a sense of dread, I know that burnout is coming on. That is why I wanted to talk about it today because so often we wear it like a badge of honor when it comes to always grinding, always accomplishing, always doing and doing and doing. We tend to hide the struggles that come with that and I myself am very guilty of that. For more details on burnout and how I handle it, checkout my coffee chat below.
Recognizing the Signs
First off, I’m going to tell you, I don’t have all the answers. I’m going to share with you what works for me and maybe you’ll gain some wisdom from that. I just want you to know that if you’re feeling less than joyful right now, that I’m with you in that and I am trying to rediscover that joy and know that it’s time to do something about it. Burnout happens as a result of this continuous stress cycle that we’re in. And stress can be good or bad. I feel good stress in my job. I don’t really feel a lot of bad stress. I love it. I love what I do. And that’s a good thing. But good stress can also be hard on your body, too. That’s why you have to learn how to close that stress cycle loop and really just take care of yourself and try to recognize that burnout is coming.
As I said, I love what I do. I love my job. I can do it all day, all night. I have to stop myself, which puts me in a really unique position. I understand there’s a lot of people who don’t have that privilege or that opportunity, but it also causes me to overextend myself sometimes and to not recognize when I do need to take breaks or when I am starting to feel burnout. I have to really be aware of that and watch for the red flags and warning signs. For me the warning signs include the dread of getting out of bed, wasting time, being short with my family and feeling sluggish.
How I Get Back on Track
1. Eating Better & Working Out
This time of year, I don’t eat the best. I eat a lot of sugar and I indulge and I love it because it’s the time of the year to do that. However, I also know that I’m going to hit the reset button soon. Usually after January 1st and I’ll start eating healthy again. But to compensate, I do keep up with my workouts and I try to stay with that routine because I know more than anything that that is the thing that is going to make me feel really, really good. I do my orange theory workouts three times a week religiously. I book them on the calendar. I don’t cancel with them. I keep that commitment to myself because I know that my workouts are going to help me to release any of the stress in my body and help me feel better.
2. Get Plenty of Rest
I get plenty of rest, too. This is a time of year where I don’t mind that I sleep in. I don’t have to get up early and drive Ava to school so I take advantage of that and try to sleep in a little bit longer than I normally would. All of these things definitely help to heal that stress response and help me feel better in my physical body and then help me to reset emotionally. I find, too, that when I do this, I gain tons of clarity about the upcoming year. So whether it’s sleeping in or getting to bed early, getting plenty of rest is important.
3. Taking Time Off
I do my goal setting during this time of the year and in order to do this effectively, I have to really take a step back to be able to see things from a higher level. That’s why I try to take a little time off. Being able to step back from the business and step back from everything allows me to do just that and to set really big goals for the year both personally and professionally. It allows me to decompress and regain clarity. So if you’re able to try to take time off, time for yourself and step away for even a moment.
So if you’re feeling less than joyful right now or you’re feeling really exhausted and overwhelmed, then do what you need to do to take care of yourself. The whirlwind will be over soon and we can all step back. Honestly, my favorite week of the year is the one between Christmas and New Year’s, because I just really fully feel like that’s the week where I can take a deep breath and just really relax with my family. So we’re almost there. We’re almost to the finish line! I hope you had a very blessed and very merry Christmas and all the best in 2020!
