Are You Burnt Out Of Being Burned Out?

We hear about burnout all the time. We make jokes, and there are countless memes about burnout and the feeling that we need to do it all and be it all ALL the time. 

This one is my favorite…

So What is Burnout? 

Burn out is feeling overwhelmed and stressed to the point of exhaustion. It happens when we feel like we are drowning and then another wave comes crashing over us and we cant catch our breath. 

You know the trick where someone holds tall sticks in their hands, mouth, and even shoulders and starts spinning plates on top? That's how burn out can feel… Like you have to constantly hold several spinning plates, then another plate is added, and you want to put the plates down but you're afraid that if you do they will all crash and your life will blow up even more. 

I know that sounds dramatic. But if you know you know. Burn out can lead to mental, physical, emotional exhaustion. It can put us in autopilot, make us dissociate/disconnect, create anxiety, and negatively impact relationships. 

It can lead to anxiety and depression if not treated and tended to appropriately. 

But more than making jokes about how stressed we are, how about some practical tips?  

Tips for Managing Burnout:

• Boundaries: 

  • Ok I know, I talk about boundaries all the time, but they are super important! When thinking of managing and preventing burn out, its important to be aware of how full your schedule is. What do you need to say “NO” to? This can be difficult because of FOMO (fear of missing out). It's helpful to look at your schedule and separate your want-to's from your have-to's. What things do you need to put in place to 1. Prevent burn out and 2. Manage stress when burnt out? 

• Pause: 

  • How often do you check in with yourself? Probably not enough… Doing a daily check in can help you understand what your current capacity is. I created this Daily Check In sheet to identify your struggles, your thoughts, your vulnerabilities and skills. The goal with checking in with yourself is to be able to identify how much time and energy you have for the day to day tasks at hand. You can also ask for help, delegate tasks, or make adjustments as needed. 

• Prioritize:

  • If you are anything like me, your to-do list can run on forever! Prioritizing what is important right now and focusing on just today can reduce burn out. Often times we are stressed by the mountain of things, when we just have to go a few steps. You can also break things down into smaller, less time consuming tasks. For example, instead of cleaning the entire kitchen, just rinse off the dishes, or just throw away the trash, or just clean the counters. Doing one small thing can feel better. When you feel super overwhelmed, do the things that NEED to be done before going on to the things you WANT to be done. 

• Schedule YOU time: 

  • Just as you would schedule time to go to the doctor, dentist, etc and not miss these appointments, it's important to schedule YOU time. You can do whatever you want to do during this time. Look at your schedule to see when would be a good time. Make arrangements for the kids. And make this just as important to keep this “appointment” with yourself as you would going to a doctors office. 

I know it's hard. I have been spread thin, and just when I thought I couldn't handle more, BOOM, life happens. 

You deserve to BREATHE and feel capable and competent in managing the stressors life inevitably brings.  

Cheers to making mental health a priority!