Breaking Burnout
Feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed? I know I am! Lately, I've been feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day. In reality, thanks to my “ I can do everything” attitude, I'm just doing too much. I’m traveling between two states twice a day for work, running a side hustle, maintaining friendships, and spending time with my spouse — which leaves me with zero energy. I need my internal battery re-charged. (Why hasn't Apple invented this yet?!)
According to Psychology Today, what I'm experiencing is called burnout, which is the state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness. I thought I was going through a quarter-life crisis but I was just experiencing all the classic signs of burnout.
SIGNS OF BURNOUT
Feeling physically and emotionally exhausted
Trouble sleeping
Anger/Anxiety towards insignificant situations
Trouble focusing on tasks
Loss of appetite
Increased irritability
Feelings of hopelessness
Burnout sneaks up on you but can be avoided with consistent self-care and self-evaluation. In a culture that values work and productivity above all else, many people have a hard time admitting when they're burnt out. You might believe you’re the only one feeling this way. You're not! Ignoring burnout won't make it go away. In fact, not taking the time to recover from your burnout can lead to chronic health problems. Here are some tools I’m personally using to recover from my burnout:
SURVIVAL BASICS
We must sleep, drink, and eat in order to survive. However, with a demanding lifestyle, basic maintenance is easily forgotten. The solution is simple - sleep as much as possible, don't skip meals, eat healthily, and drink lots of water. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel once you start incorporating a healthy dose of all three into your routine. Personally, I’ve had trouble getting a good night’s sleep, so I’ve incorporated a CBD Infused Golden Milk Tonic into my nightly routine. It allows my mind to relax while helping me fall asleep and stay asleep. Meal prepping on Sundays helps me make sure I have enough to eat at work and allows for more ‘me time’ once I get home.
MEDITATION
Meditating is basically taking time to think about nothing else but your body: your mind should be still and your thoughts boxed away. The best way to start a meditation practice is just to focus on your breathing. I once read that Beyonce meditates every morning—if she can do it with her busy schedule, I know I can. I try to perform a seated 5-minute meditation every morning to clear my mind for the busy day ahead. When I’m in a rush, I listen to a guided meditation of mindful affirmations as I get dressed or on my way to work.
SETTING BOUNDARIES
Don’t spread yourself too thin! You may not be able to control a demanding job, so take control of everything else. Put yourself first and be realistic with your time. I recently told a close friend I couldn’t continue working on a project with her because I was focusing on personal matters. I’m here to tell you it’s okay to put your wants and needs first. People will understand — and if they don’t, you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life anyway!
SELF AWARENESS
Your mental and physical health should always be a top priority. Having a strong knowledge of self can help you see the warning signs of burnout before it’s too late. Journaling and spending time alone has positively impacted my self-awareness and put me on the road to recovery from burnout hell.
EXERCISE
Exercise is a great stress reducer. Even if you can't find time for a complete exercise routine, you can still incorporate exercise into your day. How? Take a brisk ten-minute walk during your lunch hour. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I don’t have the time to attend as many yoga classes as I’d like, so I’ve turned to the wonderful world of YouTube. Yoga is my favorite form of exercise because, “you can stretch, burn, sweat, soothe, tone, trim, release, massage, relax and most importantly bridge the gap between your precious mind and body.” Wise words spoken by my favorite online instructor, Yoga with Adriene.
TURNING TO NATURE
Spending time in nature offers me a temporary quick-fix from burnout symptoms. Turning my phone off and reading in a lush park or just laying on a blanket and staring at the sky for a few hours really helps me unwind. Besides, meditating outside is magical.
The ultimate key to avoiding burnout is discovering your own "program”. Find a routine that works for you and your lifestyle, one that you can realistically commit to incorporating into your life. Don't let the shame of not being able to “do it all” (an unrealistic goal) keep you in a vicious cycle of misery.
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Heaven Jones is a freelance video producer and entrepreneur. Find her on the web at her blog and on-line store, The Healthy Curl, and Instagram at @heavenj0nes for a unique perspective on wellness.
Caroline Reedy is a Brooklyn based digital artist, who has been mixing comedy with pastel colors since 2016. Her work is mainly inspired by pop art portraiture, mental health advocacy, and internet culture. She has had her work featured on Overheard New York/LA, Link NYC, and Hello Tittie. Check out her work on her instagram @doot_doodles.
