Let’s Talk About: Burnout!

Well, you clicked on this blog so you are likely experiencing some element of BURNOUT. Whether you are singed, burnt to a crisp, or somewhere in between… WELCOME.

Welcome. And CONGRATULATIONS on taking the first step towards recovery. Ha. That sounds like as if we’re talking about AA or rehab. But it does end up being a rehab of sorts. And theoretically we are more at risk for substance abuse… but that’s a tangent for another day and another post.

BURNOUT.

It’s a real thing. It’s an overwhelming, life-shattering, wake up call that life brings us when we STOP. LISTENING. TO. OUR – Body, Mind, Soul.

Burnout comes from high amounts of stress somewhere in that life of yours. Burnout comes with an emotional roller coaster of a trek to get to the other side of this crispy part of life. So pack your bags… because you aren’t stayin’ here! This might be the day of struggle. The day of overwhelming situations and impossible circumstances… but today is also the day you take back control.

Did you know?

Did you know that according to a Gallop study reported on CNBC in August of 2018 67% of people surveyed felt some extent of burnout. Whether that burnout was frequent, or infrequent varied. Sixty-seven percent. Man that’s a lot. I’m of that 67%, are you?

What is BURNOUT did you say?

Burnout is the body’s response to stress. While there are different forms of stress, and different responses from our body… The response from a burnout body, mind and soul is restlessness, insomnia, exhaustion, lack of motivation, difficulty focusing, and depression.

Stress is fun. It can bring about a whole lot of things from our body, mind, and soul. We may be more inclined to eat, or skip meals. We may have trouble losing weight, easily gaining weight (even if we are eating right), or lose weight we weren’t trying to lose. We may have changes to our skin, hair, teeth (*grinding’s bad m’kay!*). We may get tension headaches or just have pain. A friend of mine even went as far as developing a coagulopathy that resolved by LEAVING her JOB. Yikes!

There are lots of ways to take back your life, one piece at a time. Here are some helpful ways to try taking back your life, mind, body and soul.

Set Up A List

Making a list of all the things you need to get done, want to get done, or would like to get done. Have it written down to both help you remember and set a goal.

I’ve created several lists. To a certain extent it helps me cope with life, the stress, the chaos, the rigor of the day to day. Without my lists I easily forget to… buy eggs.

I used to use post-its. I had them EVERYWHERE. I remember my dorm first term in Grenada. WOW. It was amazing…ly crazy. Now I just use my iPhone note app or reminders. Sometimes it’s even in my iCalendar. And sometimes I have more than one reminder… because I keep forgetting lately.

But there is nothing quite like crossing that last item off your list… or just just a couple of items off the list. If I forgot to write it ON the list, I’ll just add the task I just completed in order to cross it off and feel better about myself for that moment.

The list can be daily reminders… brush teeth, wash yo face, etc. Or maybe it’s things like pay tolls, pay bills, walk dog, clean house, do laundry, or even the grocery list. Whatever items on your list, make sure to set up a plan of action to complete this list. It may be today, or 3 months from now. But try your best to get all of the items on your list crossed off. It’s a great feeling to complete the list.. once that should be celebrated!

Eat Right, but do NOT Deprive

We all hear about the new fad diets, weight loss regimen, or quick ways to get healthy. Speaking from someone that needs to get healthy, but hasn’t been horribly off with my diet and exercise I have zero interest in the fad diets or exercise programs. I just plan to keep an eye on my snacking, food choices and overall activity. I already have a ridiculous amount of dietary restrictions so commercial diets just aren’t for me. Unless you’re talking about the AIP diet. . . . But seriously.. you want to take away my caffeine and sweets. Not right now you don’t!

Instead what I try to do is make sure I get up early enough to cook a quick breakfast. One of the things my endocrinologist recommended was regular eating habits. While I do not always succeed in regularly scheduled meals, I am making an effort to eat a healthy breakfast everyday. I make sure to bring snacks with me to work to get nutrition in throughout the day, and on good weeks I have meal prepped a decent lunch. Some weeks my meal prep is pretty… lame. Like protein and carbs without veggies or greens to go in it. Hey, I’m a work in progress still.

The key to any lasting diet is making it a lifestyle. And making sure to keep any overeating in check while balancing your meals to meet your needs. If you need help in this department I’d recommend Pinterest for recipe recommendations, or speaking to a dietary specialist. A formulated program for you may be just the thing to keep you on track.

Get OUT there and MOVE

Exercise is a great way to release endorphins… Endorphins are amazing because they make you feel…. amazing! Whether it’s going for a walk, a trip to the gym, a yoga class or app, work out videos in the comfort of your own home… either way it’s movement. And movement burns calories, releases endorphins and helps improve our moods.

My iWatch is currently set to encourage me to complete 30 minutes a day of exercise. Some days that 30 minutes is hard to come by. Other days I blow it out of the water. Prior to having the iWatch I tried to make the effort to do bathroom squats… Yes those sound ridiculous. However I would squat when I brushed my teeth in the morning and at night. 1. I was improving my time by maintaining brushing my teeth for two minutes twice a day. 2. I was burning calories in the process. I mean… who isn’t bored while brushing your teeth?

I tried sticking to doing an ab work out before bed… I just can’t always find the motivation. On the bad days I just give myself some slack. Mainly because sometimes we just need some sleep to reset our bodies. Other times we just need a goal within reach. Low hanging fruit helps to boost motivation and morale. I like to run, so I planned to run a 5k to keep my miles working for me. It worked with the exception of I was beyond hurt during the run and made some real decisions to let my body heal before I keep running.

What inspires you to get out there and MOVE?

Make Plans

Sometimes the last thing we want to do when we are struggling with burnout is make yet another plan. For me I just want to lay in bed, or on the couch. I don’t want to walk the dog, or cook dinner. And I certainly do NOT want to have to GO ANYWHERE.

But sometimes planning to get OUT of the house is exactly what I need. There are definitely times where I plan the outing.. and then really DON’T want to go when it gets here. Those moments are a bummer. Usually I’m glad I went , but sometimes I’m not. The struggle is real for me. I love meeting people and doing the things, but I also really like watching Hallmark Movies, trolling Pinterest, and chillaxing. My dog is definitely over the lazy person.

What’s your plan for this week? Try to plan one “thing” to do this week and see where that gets you.

Take Time for YOU

The most important thing about self care is that it’s about you. That’s the self aspect of self care. These days people think it is selfish to take time for ourselves. But I say its just self preservation. We all have our own ups, downs and diagonals. Life is unique to the individual. It’s cannot be duplicated or replicated. Each of our lives are special. So treat your mind, body and soul like it is exactly that. Special.

Get the manicure that you have been putting off. Drink the water you keep leaving at your desk. Stay in and watch your favorite movie. Read a book you’ve had your eye on. Take yourself to brunch… or dinner. Book that trip you REALLY want to go on. Do something for YOU.

Ideally we each do something for ourselves each day. Some days that’s not necessarily a self care bucket list item, but saying NO instead of yes. For me it’s making sure I do the best job I can…. without overdoing it. Setting boundaries. Like right now my goal is to leave work on time everyday. If it cannot get done by 6pm then it can wait until tomorrow. Life isn’t just what we make it… it’s also what happens while we are busy making it happen. Sometimes we get so busy in the “it should be like so” that we forget about what is happening each and everyday. LIFE.

TALK

Talk to friends, family members, or health professionals. But TALK. If you aren’t careful burnout can turn into something worse, or it can become scary bad. SO lets talk. Let’s TALK about BURNOUT. Let’s TALK about what’s going on in our lives. Let’s TALK so we can work through it in a healthy and constructive manner.

Talk so you can save yourself… and maybe others. TALK.