5 steps to handling burnout

If you’re in a funk, the chances are that you probably can’t quit your job or walk off like you really want to. The good news is YOU CAN GET THROUGH IT, but you have to follow my 5 step plan on handling burnout.

Signs of burnout:

• The sight of your phone makes you sick
• The thought of work makes you sick
• You can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel
• You have a hard time enjoying yourself after work
• You find it hard to “shut off” after work

If that sounds like you, let’s pull it together.

Step 1: Get the hell away from whatever is driving you nuts

If you have a 9-5, take a break. There is no boss who will tell you that you cannot walk away for 5 minutes. Sometimes a 5er is all you need. The bottom line is , if you’re feeling burnt out or overwhelmed, getting away from the environment is imperative.

If you are a business owner, take a break. For some business owners this is especially difficult because we think the world will end if we aren’t available 24 hours a day for our clients.

Again, take a damn break. The world will still be there when you get back.

Extra Credit: If you can gracefully do this step — all the better. Sometimes we want to walk off ( I’ve done that when I worked at starbucks when I was 18) but if you can gracefully pull this off, no one might know your head was about to explode.

Step 2: Shut down!

Shut off all your electronic devices and your computer and walk away. I don’t care if you watch TV, but get the hell away from anything which could potentially ask something of you. Even facebook wants to suck the life out of you.

Try doing this for 1 minute. See how ridiculous that sounds? It’s not easy. Literally shut OFF.

Lately I’ve been telling my clients when I expect to have a day off, and the act of doing this allows me to really take a break because I know they aren’t expecting anything of me during that time.

Extra Credit: If you can shut off email notifications from your job ( or facebook, instagram & twitter notifications) DO IT! I recently shut off my email notifications, and the world didn’t end! I still have my clients and respond to them in a timely manner. You have NO idea how much simply silencing my notifications has helped me take back my sanity.

Step 3: Meditate

“But I don’t know hoooowww” Yes you do.

Stop whatever you’re doing and focus on your breath. Every few seconds your thoughts will seep back in, but bring your attention back to your breath. This may be extremely difficult at first, but the point is that you’re not punching someone’s lights out, and that’s a good thing.

Keep practicing. Focus on counting to five every breath in; and counting to five every breath out. The simple act of focusing on something other than what’s happening around you will help. You’ll  soon find yourself avoiding arguments and freakouts because you know how to cope, simply by breathing.

Extra Credit: *when your phone is on and you’re calm and inspired* Download a meditation app for your phone. Find one that has little sounds to remind you to go back to your breath . Don’t do this in the middle of a freakout, it’ll only piss you off more.

Step 4: Treat yo self

That’s it.

Treat yourself to anything and enjoy it with your whole heart. I like to treat myself to things like pens and books, but that may seem counterintuitive during burnout.

Things to treat yourself to:

• Flowers
• Lip Gloss
• A new outfit
• A walk
• Ice Cream
• A mani-pedi ( this is good because you’re forced to sit still for 20 minutes)
• A glass or bottle(lol) of wine

Extra Credit: Learn to be mindful and practice daily. This is a great article on mindfulness (and so is the blog). Being mindful is being present. Do one thing at a time and try not to multi-task.

Step 5: Get clear & Delegate

When you’re ready, ask yourself what was likely the cause of your burnout. Was it something that could have been avoided? How can you prevent it from happening in the future? Were you taking on someone elses job? If you can , let go of some of your to-do list and pare it down.

Extra Credit: Write down everything in your brain that has to get done, and put it in your calendar – delegate to your family and friends. Ask them for help! This is extra extra credit, but you can do it and it will free up so much space in your little baby head.

///  Did my post help you?! Share your burnout stories with me in the comments below.  ///