How to Beat Burnout
In today’s fast-paced and ‘always-on’ world, it can feel impossible to say no to anything. Unfortunately, continually saying yes and spreading yourself too thin all the time means putting yourself at high risk of chronic burnout – a serious condition that’s on the rise at a rapid rate world wide. The good news is there are disciplines you can practice to avoid, manage and overcome burnout and live the good life. Here’s how:
Take time off
Do you ever fully unplug and take the time to refresh and renew, or are you still on call even during your downtime? Research tells us that quality time off from work – where you immerse yourself in an activity that will truly benefit you, such as physical exercise – reduces stress, decreases inflammation, boosts the immune system and improves sleep. It also increases creativity, improves focus and productivity and restores mental energy. If you want to avoid burnout, you have to make taking quality time off a priority.
Work on your emotional intelligence
People who work on their emotional intelligence suffer less burnout than those who don’t. When you have strong EQ, you’re able to control and express your emotions in a thoughtful way and handle all your relationships with care and empathy. By putting in the work to grow yourself and become more self-aware, you’re far more likely to have fulfilling and healthy relationships, and far less likely to experience burnout.
Celebrate your wins
When you’re focused on your future goals, it can be very easy to forget to celebrate how far you’ve already come. This is a big mistake because if you don’t take the time to acknowledge your victories, no matter how small, burnout can be the result. Remember to pat yourself and your team on the back when you have a win – it will make a big difference to your mindset.
Know when to say no
When you find yourself running on empty, you need to allocate some extra breathing room in your daily routine. Many of us go straight from one task or appointment to another, but it’s vital to build in margin breaks to create time and space for what’s really important to you. When your calendar reflects your priorities, you’ll know exactly what to say yes to and also what you have to say no to.
Life will always present difficulties and challenges, but if you work to establish certain disciplines you’ll be able to handle any unexpected bumps in the road without burning out. To learn more, listen to the latest episode of “It’s a Good Life”.
