Learning to prevent burnout is an important skill, as none of our lives will always be stress-free.
Relationships, careers and health issues can all create prolonged periods of stress. If you find yourself constantly mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted due to stress, you are experiencing burnout. If the stress continues, both physical and mental health can fall victim and you could find yourself ill, depressed, anxious, irritable or just plain miserable.
Unlike stress, which is characterized by over-engagement, over-activity and anxiety, burnout causes disengagement, hopelessness and depression. It often occurs when we are working too hard and taking on too many responsibilities (or the wrong ones) without taking time to care for ourselves.
It is important to examine why we take on an amount of responsibility certain to harm us. What is the root cause of this mentality? Often it is tied in to feelings of self-worth. We can feel that we are only worth the amount that we do, and that we have no other options.
The pressure of burnout can only come from ourselves. Women often feel trapped in thinking that the more we do, the better we are. Our self-worth can become tied up into how much we push ourselves and do for others. This is not living the good life, and as we burn out, we can no longer deliver love, attention or care to others. In order to be their best selves and live lives of happiness, women must first care for themselves.
There is something we can do – we can acknowledge that we are trapped in a situation that has burnt us out, do something different and move on.
If you are worried about burnout, waking up earlier can actually help. Give yourself time to slowly eat a healthy breakfast, to enjoy a moment of mindfulness and stretch. Make sure you take the time to power down each evening, as well. Try making them technology free so that you can focus on recharging yourself. Creative outlets, too, can help dissolve the anxiety of our day.
Keystone habits will help everything else fall into place. Center your life around eating well, sleeping well and taking good care of yourself. If that becomes the focus of your life, everything that you add to your day will either fall into line with these habits or fall away.
