Burnout and fatigue are common challenges that many people face in their personal and professional lives. They can affect your mood, motivation, productivity, and well-being. However, you can take some steps to cope with them and restore your energy and confidence. Here are some self-care tips that can help you deal with burnout and fatigue.
The first step to prevent and overcome burnout and fatigue is to identify the sources of stress and pressure that are draining you. These can be external factors, such as deadlines, expectations, conflicts, or demands, or internal factors, such as perfectionism, self-criticism, or unrealistic goals. Once you recognize what is causing you to feel overwhelmed, you can try to reduce, eliminate, or manage them more effectively.
Who are we to say what is too much pressure or stress? Conversely when do we not experience enough for us to become more enabled or empowered? We each have our own lower and upper limits as well as zones of sustainability. We need to gauge these regularly and adjust them depending on when we are experiencing stress and how intensely. We need to know what levels and kinds of stress undermine us and result in more damaging strain. It is critical we have measures for recovering from strain or we will end up in a state of suffering or trauma we might not recover from. Watching how we are moving along the spectrum of support, stress, strain and suffering we can develop our own radar for managing and sustaining our state of being.
Another self-care tip is to set healthy boundaries for yourself and others. This means saying no to requests or tasks that are not aligned with your priorities, values, or needs. It also means respecting your own limits and preferences, and not letting others take advantage of your time, energy, or generosity. Setting boundaries can help you avoid overcommitment, resentment, and guilt, and protect your mental and emotional space.
As with Cybersecurity, managing boundaries, protecting vulnerabilities as well as defending our resources and functionality is critical to sustaining our operation as human beings. We have anti-malware and anti-virus systems for our computers but metaphorically we also need similar functions for our psychological integrity and security, behaviours and disciplines that, based on values, keep undermining forces at bay while reinforcing ones that support our empowerment.
Taking regular breaks throughout the day can help you recharge your batteries and prevent burnout and fatigue. Breaks can be short or long, depending on your schedule and needs. You can use them to do something relaxing, enjoyable, or fun, such as reading, listening to music, meditating, or playing a game. You can also use them to stretch, breathe, hydrate, or snack. Taking breaks can help you boost your mood, creativity, and focus, and reduce stress and tension.
Something I use with my clients is: every hour, on their phone have a little alert /alarm, to take 60 seconds to STOP, check their posture, are they holding tension in their jaw, shoulders, are they breathing too shallowly, and what was their last thought and feeling. Then release whatever they may have to, and CHOOSE how they want to go into the next hour of their life, it's great for bringing awareness to their internal state. Denise Bosque
It can be useful to set reminders for every hour to take a little break, especially for those who are in front of a screen. Doing some deep breath exercises and stretching can help release some of the tension.
You don't have to deal with burnout and fatigue alone. Seeking support from others can help you cope and recover. You can reach out to your friends, family, colleagues, or mentors, and share your feelings, challenges, and achievements. You can also ask for help, advice, or feedback, and accept it graciously. Seeking support can help you feel less isolated, more understood, and more confident.
Its important to get the right kind of help. You don't want to be with people that collude with you on unhealthy habits. It's important that we get a mix of help each day. Support to reinforce what needs more sustainability, Challenge for where things have reached an expiry date and must change out of comfort and complacency zones as well as Reflection to help identify what must stay as it is because it is not broken and doesn't need fixing. Support, Challenge and Reflection are like Vitamins, we are harmed when we don't get them at the right times in the right doses from the right sources. Without this mix we end up in an echo chamber or can spiral into chaos.
Practicing gratitude can help you deal with burnout and fatigue by shifting your perspective and attitude. Gratitude is the act of appreciating what you have, rather than focusing on what you lack or what is wrong. You can practice gratitude by writing down or saying out loud three things that you are grateful for every day, or by expressing your appreciation to someone who has helped you or inspired you. Practicing gratitude can help you increase your happiness, optimism, and resilience.
Finally, rewarding yourself can help you deal with burnout and fatigue by acknowledging your efforts and achievements. Rewarding yourself can be anything that makes you feel good, proud, or satisfied, such as buying yourself a gift, treating yourself to a meal, watching a movie, or taking a nap. Rewarding yourself can help you motivate yourself, celebrate your progress, and reinforce your confidence.
Take time to acknowledge yourself and acknowledge others really benefits you and them expedientially. Flourish by listening to the quiet voices and calm the busyness.
This is so important. Remember to be kind to yourself. Life happens and sometimes we are thrown with unforeseen circumstances that can really cause stress and trauma. Keeping up with daily activities can be hard. It is okay to relax. Do not be hard on yourself for not being able to do much when you are burnt out.
Even Stars burn out but long before they do they have an incredibly long life radiating out light. They do their best to operate in ways that respect the most fundamental law in the universe, The Law of Conservation of Energy. Whatever aligns its operations with its principles sustains itself the longest. Energy cannot be destroyed or created, only transformed from one form to another. To sustain yourself you have to moderate your ongoing transformation as a human being. The better you conserve your energy in that process the more sustainable your way of being is. Its not about following the path of least resistance but being the form of least unnecessary resistance. That form of being ensures grace, longevity and sustained performance.