How to overcome burnout?
Are you feeling burnt out? Feeling like every last piece of energy and happiness was sucked right out of you? You woke up and tried to have a good day, you had great intentions, and did all the right things to set yourself, but yet you still find yourself tired, with no motivation to do anything? Every day you get more and more exhausted, more and more drained, and each and every part of you just wants to go to sleep.
I understand.
I've been there. I actually have been feeling burnt out myself the past 3 weeks. Work is stressful, I have no time to even eat lunch, I feel like I have no energy and time for my business. I've been doing all there right things. Waking up doing my morning self care routine. Motivational podcast on the drive to work followed by my daily affirmations, and a prayer before walking into work. Yet, I still felt empty, tired, drained, and entirely exhausted. For weeks, I couldn't figure out for the life of me what I had to do to change things. Then after lots of tantrums, walks, meetings, and journaling I realized I was too far into burnout to just wake up feeling better after a little self care routine.
I really feel resonated with you to share the things I learned that starting working for me to overcome the feeling of constant burnout.
The 3 step process...
Finding out what in your life is making you feel burnt out.
- Something in particular is causing the massive burnout. Sometimes this may be obvious and other times it's not. For me it was obvious, it was my job. I knew that the rest of my life was pretty good, but my 9-5 job, is kicking my ass. Coming in early, staying late, skipping breaks, taking work home with me. Taking on responsibilities I didn't need to be doing. What is that for you? A relationship, a job, your child, financial situation, living situation, family drama, etc.
2. Figuring out how to change small things in your stressor to help your day go better.
- You've been doing a lot more then normal, maybe you've put up with something for too long, a lot of drama and added stress has been added that wasn't always there. For me, its a mix between putting up with something for too long and adding more stress and doing a lot more than normal that led me to where I became burnout. I realized there was a 2 part process on helping me feel better.
A. Feeling all the feelings. Suppressing my feelings, and ignoring them just trying to keep going was only making my hole a lot worse than I thought. I needed to be a kid again, and express all my feelings. If I was feeling angry, I started screaming in my pillow, or yelling and beeping the horn in the car. Allowing myself to have tantrums and release that built up feeling I had inside. Maybe this is different for you. Go to those smash rooms, ax throwing, scream, cry it out, etc. Give yourself the space to feel all the frustration.
B. Changing small things within your stressor. For me, this meant taking time for a lunch break even if I didn't think there was time. It's about making sure you take time for yourself. I started packing a lunch again making sure I was eating throughout the day. Certain things I knew I couldn't handle either had to wait, or I would ask for help. Maybe these are different for you. Maybe it's asking for help with house chores, asking for financial help, get a baby sitter for your child to allow yourself a break.
Burnout can be scary because we get so worked up over our emotions, so tired and over the entire situation it makes us want to act out of impulse. Quit the job because you're burned out, leave the relationship because you're burned out, Basically give up on it. Maybe you lost your job and money is rough and you are so burned out from busting your ass to make ends meet you say "fuck it" and give up. This can give us a major set back. My coach told me a good rule of thumb I use for myself. Sit back and give yourself 2 whole weeks. Give yourself the patience to think it all the way through, on what you really think is best.
We think we know what we want during our time of feeling burnout. We feel angry, tired, exhausted, drained, for a few days, or maybe weeks, and it clouds our judgement on what we really want. We often think, " it took me to go this far to realize what I want." However, its our negative feelings that told ourselves that. So, give yourself time and space think it through. Think through the pros and cons. A strategy on how to move forward, and then re visit everything in 2 weeks once you've gave yourself time to think all your feelings, and change your small stressors.
Remember, this feeling you are having right now.... its only temporary. It too shall pass.
You can do this
You are stronger than your obstacles.
You have what it takes to overcome your burnout.
