Decades ago, people lived more simple and balanced lives. Today, being busy is the new norm and busy-ness is constantly glorified by society. Society has placed so much value on being busy and has glorified the “hustle culture” lifestyle which, as the name implies, is the idea of constant working. Today’s norm equates not being busy to not doing enough. This constant state of busy-ness has ultimately become a mindset, philosophy, and lifestyle embraced by many. As a result of this, we as people have become accustomed to this idea of constant productivity and working. Although productivity isn’t a bad thing per se, it does become detrimental when your life begins to spiral out of control because you can’t find the balance between work and rest. We have all been there and know it’s unpleasant. So what exactly do we do when we reach that state of “burn out”? Out of the few things we can do, self-care is the most effective tool here. Self-care may be way off your radar when you can hardly make time for anything else. However, it’s actually when we find ourselves in this “burn out” state that we must step back, rejuvenate, and pay attention to our needs. Here are a few ways you can manage burn out and practice some much-needed self-care techniques.
1. Access Your Stresses
The first step after acknowledging that you are burnt out is to asses what you are taking on: work, favors, and other responsibilities. Begin by asking yourself how exactly did you get to this point and things lead you to burn out. You have to identify where your time and energy are going to as well as how much. It’s important to assess what things you’re adding to your workload; it will allow you to identify how much you’re really adding to the weight you already have. Whether that is agreeing to help a good friend or a coworker in completing an important task, the goal here is to be mindful and work towards reducing that list of inessential activities.
2. Nourishment is Important
When you’re burnt out, you’re more likely to feel stressed, exhausted, and have difficulty concentrating. You have to make a choice in prioritizing your health in the same way that you’re prioritizing the work you have to get done. This is a choice, but it’s imperative to do. Otherwise, how else will you have the energy to continue going? In the same way that a car can’t function without gas, you can’t function without fueling your mind and body. Nourishment is essential in combatting burn out. One way is by taking vitamins each day; it will help you prioritize your health and provide your body with the nutrients it needs. If taking vitamins isn’t appealing, there are plenty of other ways to nourish your mind and body. Other great ways are by maintaining a well-balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetable intake. Feed your mind with positivity, read a devotional each morning to begin your day, or use essential oils to help you de-stress. The goal is to find something that will help to nourish yourself and prioritize your health.
3. Prioritize Your Sleep
You can’t combat burn out without getting a night of quality sleep. Like everything in life, balance is needed and getting very little/no sleep will not help you. You will need to make some adjustments to your sleeping schedule and prioritize. One of the most useful things we can do to help us get a better night’s sleep is to replace our phone time before going to bed with something that will stimulate your mind. This will help you reduce phone usage and the time you spend awake at night; you’ll get more sleep. You can use an oil diffuser with essential oils or listen to soothing music to fall asleep with more ease as alternatives.The goal is ultimately to find the technique that best works for you in helping you get more quality sleep.
4. Unwind and Engage in Fun
When you’re at the burnout state, you tend to feel very dissatisfied and the things you love won’t bring you joy anymore. With the heavy workload we have on our plates and all the responsibilities we must take care of, somewhere along the way our needs are forgotten. Everything but our needs become our top priority. Managing burn out requires self-care which involves the act of allocating time for ourselves to engage in something that brings us joy. To combat burn out, you have to understand that it is okay to take a break every once in a while and unwind in something that makes you happy. Learn to be intentional with your time. Whether that’s a hobby, playing a sport, or watching your favorite shows, this is the time you will dedicate to just unwind. This will allow you to slowly gain that satisfaction and joy you once had prior to being burnt out.
