I was exhausted, confused, and felt like a blank slate. This was my first sign of burnout. I was staring at the computer, not knowing what to do and not wanting to do a damn thing. And guess what happens? I started blaming myself.
“No one likes you.”
“You’re such a mess.”
“Why bother getting out of bed?”
my ennui becomes mean real Fast. Have you figured out what you look like?
let me save you time
I am a person who does work. I was in therapy for 15 years straight until recently when I basically graduated. Seriously, my therapist gave me “everything is fine.” I spend at least 30 minutes a day journaling, meditating, balancing my energy, doing mindful movement, or some kind of therapeutic work. When I’m triggered (mostly by our teenage daughter these days), work can last two hours. No one understands the depth of their feelings like I do. A bold statement? Maybe, but I’m pretty confident about it. Still, burnout surprises me.
I’m getting better at catching it early. The overachiever in me wants to figure out how to prevent it entirely. Is this goal possible? Not sure yet. (Give me time and I’ll let you know.)
With all of this hard work and insight in mind, I thought it might be helpful to give you some tips to help you minimize burnout. Just trying to save you time, my friends!
Tip #1: Know your human design
Legally, this changed my world. Once I became aware of my type (projector in the house), it gave me insight into how my energy levels work. It allows me to rest more and define rest in a way that works for me. It also encourages me to rest well and not reach the point of burnout. It supports my decision-making when selecting clients. I learned this lesson the hard way when I experienced burnout every other week because people expected me to work in a way that didn’t support my unique design.
Tip #2: Communicate with people you trust
My sister Tina and I traveled up and down the Marco Polo every day. So she’s already familiar with the signs and symptoms of burnout in me and tends to alert me when she sees it. This reminder is a huge help. Now I can focus and take action back to center. Yes, this action can be a break.
Tip #3: Slow down
It’s scary, isn’t it? We love our busy culture. It’s a bit rushed, like an addiction. It makes us feel important and needed. Newsflash – you’re important and needed, but without the noise. When you’re not in a “go, go, go” mentality, you’ll probably be more pleasant to be around. When we slow down, we have the opportunity to be in the moment and appreciate things in unexpected ways. Try this. Close your eyes and slowly run your fingertips across your lips. Please do it now. I’ll wait… Do you realize your lips are so sensitive? It feels so cool! It makes me smile every time.
Tip #4: Be open to change
No one can make these decisions for you. It must be the motorist who decides to stop for a picnic. If you’re not willing to create positive change in your life, don’t expect burnout to go away.
I am currently running a group coaching program called Ignite the Magic. It’s for those people who say “I don’t have time to be alone.” When you make time for yourself, amazing things happen, like Love yourself more and Minimize burnout. Sometimes we ignore our feelings and ourselves for so long that burnout becomes a state of being. Without it, we no longer know ourselves. However, life is still so bright. The real irony is that some people express interest and then say, “But I just don’t have the time.” They haven’t reached tip #4. Everyone has their own path to self-care and healing. As that amazing proverb goes: “When you are ready to learn, the teacher will appear.” If you are ready, I will teach you.
renew: Ignite the magic Now it’s a self-study course!
