4 Steps to Help Bounce Back from Burnout
Burnout is the worst. If you've never experienced burnout before, it's basically when you come to the point of utter exhaustion - mentally and physically. Burnout occurs when we've pushed ourselves to the max for way too long, it's kind of like driving your car 10,000 miles past an oil change. It's important to be able to recognize Burnout because when you don't know that your experiencing it it's even more frustrating when you know something is wrong with you but don't know what it is. I experience extreme burnout about twice per year. My goal is to eventually cut that down to zero times per year by learning when "my oil needs to be changed" before it's too late. Learning our limits takes time and being patient with ourselves.
Here are the 4 steps that I take when bouncing back from being burnout out:
*Before starting this check list, I clear my schedule as much as I possibly can and I don't scheduled anything unless it's an absolute must for at least a week (besides work.)
#1. I focus on my body
Chances are if am burnt out I'm also dehydrated, my adrenal glands are toast from caffeine, I'm not eating very healthy and I haven't been working out. It's easy to lose track of our physical health when we are insanely busy and working crazy hours. When this occurs I start: cutting back to one cup of coffee or decaf, drinking 3 bottles of water per day, taking out processed foods from my diet as much as possible and plugging my workouts back in. I also like to use essential oils, take baths, and drink CALM.
#2. I take care of my mind
When I'm burnout I'm sad, upset, frustrated, exhausted and sometimes plain depressed. The best way for me to take note and check in with myself about my mental health is to journal it out. Journaling is like dumping the 10,000 photos from your iPhone onto your computer - it makes so much room for new storage space in your head. This is so important for all of us to do.
#3. I assess how I got here
Once I'm feeling more like myself I take the time to assess how in the world I got so burnout. I write down what the last few months / weeks looked like. Usually it'll consist of me working too many hours, not having a social life, or having really difficult work projects. I make a list of all of the struggles in one column and in the next column I write down how I can combat those struggles next time they come around. This helps me to understand myself better and helps me prepare to battle against burnout next time around.
#4. I get re-inspired
I like to find a good book, TED Talk, podcast, or even a movie that moves or inspires me. This is usually the last step that I take that gets me back to feel 100%.
Burnout can take days or weeks to bounce back from - everyone processes it differently. I like to encourage myself to start on these steps the minute I recognize that I am experiencing burnout. I actually caught myself last weekend and first the time I knew that I was headed in the direction of burnout so I started with step #1 before burnout could get me - and it worked!
Getting burnt out is completely normal and it can actually be a good thing once in awhile because it's our body and minds way of saying "Hey! Don't forget about us!" and it forces us to reevaluate what our priorities are. So if you're experiencing burnout don't feel down on yourself or like a "weirdo" (I used to before I knew what it was!)
I hope these steps help you defeat burnout and replenish your body and mind back to 100%! If you want to chat further feel free to comment bellow, email me, or message me on IG / FB.
Cheers!
Hannah
