I needed to take a break from everything because my body desperately needed to rest and I had to give myself time to adjust to my new life changes. I was feeling lost and exhausted, I realized my alert systems were turned on and I had to slow down.
I took time to reflect on my life & and created a plan to focus on important projects and goals. This brings me to this reminder, burnout culture is not normal!
For a long time, I would overwork myself, to the point my health was compromised and I had a terrible work-life balance. I was not able to meet my potential and I wasn’t nearly as productive as I am now. I didn’t make my health a priority and I was following the crowd, wearing a “badge of honor” of feeling exhausted and stressed out.
I hit a turning point and realized I need to make a change and listen to my body and honor myself. I developed a routine for self-care and I set boundaries with myself.
We often think when we are stressed out and not sleeping or eating we are working the hardest. That’s completely backward, to be productive you must have a full tank of energy. If not, you will feel burned out and you won’t be happy or productive.
I come across this a lot with my clients who are entrepreneurs, founders, or just busy folks. I understand the concept of “if you don’t overwork yourself, who will get the job done?” BUT that’s my point, work smarter not harder. If you are not taking care of yourself then how will you get anything done and enjoy your life? Your business can not be successful if you are not well-rested and functional.
Here are some tips on how to avoid burnout:
Intention: Create a nighttime routine to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep, (YES, I said 9 hrs).
Self-care: Schedule free time for yourself so you have time dedicated to unwinding and live your life.
Self-aware: Don’t stress about work & projects in your free time, instead create a list of what you need to complete and focus on it at a later time.
Boundaries: Stop making yourself feel guilty for not accepting “burnout culture” and don’t let others influence you either.