It happens to the best of us. Busy schedules, long hours and minimal relaxation time can wear down even the hardest and most dedicated workers. But you don’t have to let burnout stop you in your tracks; try these 10 tips to help you recover without missing a step.
Shift Gears
It’s easy to get burned out when you’re doing the same sets of activities day after day. Work and school often require us to adhere to repetitive schedules, and the sheer monotony of it all can quickly take its toll. Shake things up with a small change in your routine.
Try studying at your local coffee shop, treating yourself to something yummy while you write that paper. Or ask to take on a special project at work to see what you can do to work toward a promotion. Try something new during your breaks or between classes, like taking a short walk, doing a few minutes of yoga or meditation or writing in a journal.
Really though, step one is: find ways to mix up your daily activities; the less you feel like you’re on autopilot, the more grounded you’ll be in whatever you’re doing.
Break Down Tasks
The sheer overwhelm of big projects and goals can be enough to burn a person out, especially if it seems like there’s no break on the horizon.
Make your to-do list more manageable by breaking it down into smaller tasks. You might find it helpful to make a list or two, outlining your days and finding ways to simplify the more daunting items.
You might prep for upcoming papers by outlining and researching what you can ahead of time — this is another way of breaking it down into manageable pieces. Or try spending part of a day each week preparing meals so that daily task is out of the way.
Time your tasks so you work on them in short, manageable increments rather than long, monotonous chunks.
Schedule in Relaxation and Fun
A busy schedule can leave you with little time for yourself when that might be exactly what you need to pull yourself out of that rut. If you constantly find yourself without any time to breathe, let alone to relax or have fun, burnout could be the result. Combat it before it starts by scheduling time to do something fun for you and you alone. Put it on your calendar, and then stick to it. You’ll be glad you did.
Practice Gratitude
Burnout can come quickly when you’re counting all the annoyances over your blessings. It might sound simple and cliched, but attitude really can make the difference between a terrible day and a fulfilling one. You might not have it perfect, but if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on your table every day, you have a lot to be grateful for. Make a list of all the good in your life so you can refer to it when the sensation of burnout creeps in.
Try Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being in the moment and accepting both the good and bad in life without judgment. It’s a way of exploring feelings and emotions instead of pushing them aside, and it can help with processing frustrating or difficult information without brooding or worrying about the future.
Mindfulness meditation is the practice of sitting for short periods with the focus of being fully present, acknowledging and releasing passing thoughts and feelings as they come. Practitioners use deep breathing and gentle redirection of passing thoughts to recharge the mind and relax the body. Consider adding short meditations to your routine to recover from stress-related burnout.
Burnout happens — and it’s a serious condition not ot be taken lightly. See what adjustments you can make to your schedule to keep life fun while taking measures to cope when the hustle and bustle start to knock you down. Burnout can come when you least expect it, so plan ahead of time to stave it off before it can knock you out.
~Here’s to Your Success
