Burnout is Real: You Can Do Anything But Not Everything

Well, here I am. It's the beginning of Quarter Two and I just recovered from a burnout season. My light was very dim...there was barely anything left. After a few weeks of being locked in my cave, it was apparent that something wasn't right. A few of my friends and family members begin to notice and they attempted to help. If you have experienced burnout you know that it's something that you have to bring yourself out of. I remember sitting on a zoom with my business mentor as I tried to mask my uneasiness with a subtle smile and small talk. She immediately sensed that something was wrong. She exposed the elephant on the zoom. I was experiencing burnout.

“Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long.”- Michael Gungor?

We've all experienced this in some shape or form and we've learned to manage it based on our life experiences. How we were raised, our educational background and our circle of influence are a few factors that guide how we perceive burnout. We know that it doesn't feel good but we don't always know how to recover. This mental state robs us of our joy, motivation, creativity, and sometimes empathy for others. My greatest challenge was finding the time to disconnect and recharge. As time passed my energy level decreased, and my irritability increased. I literally felt like I was in a maze searching for my breath.

After a month I became tired. I was exhausted and I could not fake the funk by continuing to show up. I had to be ok with sitting on the sideline to get recharged. Does this sound like you? "I love the hustle." or "The grind never stops."

I hate to break it to you---Eventually, your mental and physical well-being will feel the wrath of the constant hustle. You can shut down voluntarily or your body will do it for you. I learned the hard way. Stress, anxiety, migraines, weight loss, weight gain, and sleep deprivation are all signs of your body crying for a break. Listen to it.

Here are a few tactics to use to restore your energy and get back on a path to feeling like your best self.

Step #1 Admit that you need a break

Accepting that there is truly a problem is the first step. I get it--you're busy running a business, you have a family, and you have bills to pay. I can assure you that prolonging a break will intensify your burnout. It's kind of like putting off that diet, prolonging that tough conversation with a co-worker, or staying in a relationship that offers no value. Once you admit there is a problem you can start to work towards the solution.

Step #2 Analyze the Burnout

How did you get here? Is your workload too intense? Have you lost your passion for the work? Are personal issues distracting you and affecting your productivity? There could be a number of outside forces that contribute to burnout so it's best to sit with it for a while. Get in a quiet place and figure it out. This was the most uncomfortable step for me. I allowed my social life to distract me from addressing the monsters in my closet. I'm a social butterfly so it was hard for me to say NO to the invites. Saying NO was the best decision that I made.

"The biggest myth about being an entrepreneur is that you're STRONG because your grind is consistent." -Ashley Garth

Step #3 Map out Your Solution

The key to coming out of this season is determining how you got there and creating an exit strategy. I learn from my mistakes by giving myself an evaluation. If something isn't working it's simply time to move on. I'll give you an example. Many creatives lack systems and eventually shit hits the fan when they can't manage their work. They love to write down tasks in journals or sometimes they just wing it and depend on their memory alone. There is never a real strategy... they just GO! This never works. There are a number of apps to help manage workflows, calendars, reminders, clients, and creative assets. The resources are out there, you just have to tap in. Most of the time the solution to our problems are right in front of our faces---we just have to map out time to learn how they work.

During this phase, I learned that I had become obsessed with my systems and work ethic. I was proud of my grind. My solution was to determine how to maintain balance and turn ON the OFF switch. I also sought counsel from my business mentor to discuss tough projects that I had been working to complete.

Step #4 Rest

I know what you're thinking. How am I going to find time to rest? After you map out a solution don't work on it immediately. It's hard to be ALL IN when you're mentally and physically drained. This was one of the most important steps of my burnout season. I took a solo vacation and enjoyed great food, music, and downtime to journal and meditate. I came back rejuvenated and ready to work on the plan! My vacation felt peaceful because I knew that I had a plan to come back to. I also eliminated distractions like social media. I wanted to take in every moment of my withdrawal from the world.

The last few months were definitely a learning experience. I convinced myself that certain things were ok because these traits made me a strong entrepreneur.

Remember, a happy life requires balance and the opportunity to do NOTHING. You don't always have to be ON.