How to Beat Burn-Out

Are you in a funk?

Are you exhausted or overwhelmed?

Are you in burn-out?

If so, you are not alone. For this post I decided to answer a reader question I think we can all relate to:

“Hey Vanessa!

I love the science of people and I am hoping you can shed some light on something I have been struggling with. I am super burnt out. Work, family, friends nothing seems to really excite me. I don’t know why I am in this crazy funk, but I wanted to know is this a normal part of being human? How can I snap out of it?”

–Margaret in Atlanta, Georgia

Burn-out is completely normal—but that doesn’t make it pleasant. We all experience burn-out at some point.

Even the most successful people hit plateaus or funks.

A Burn-Out Story:

Arianna Huffington is a mega successful journalist, author and entrepreneur. During the peak of her business running the Huffington Post she was swamped with work and putting in tons of hours. But she kept pushing and pushing. Eventually her energy got so low that she passed out on the bathroom floor of her home—ultimate burn-out. She says that it was a wake-up call that she had to re-evaluate her life and rekindle her fire.

Anything, Not Everything

Like many successful people, hard workers typically try to do everything, but this is unsustainable. In the words of productivity guru, David Allen:

“You can do anything, but not everything.” –David Allen 

Put that quote up on your desk, stick a post-it on your mirror, tweet it out to family and friends because you do not need to feel guilty for not being able to do everything.

Getting Out of Burn-Out

I want to teach you my anti-burn-out method. I call this a power statement. 

The reason why this is so powerful is because it focuses you on what fuels you.

Burn-out comes from a lack of flame or passion. I want you to hone in on what drives you and what you need to do to move forward in your life.

Here is my burn-out challenge. I want you to fill in the following power statement:

I want to __________, so I can __________. My first step is: _________.

• First, what do you want? What do you want more of in your life?
• Second, why do you want it? What drives you? What’s the end goal you are working towards?
• Third, what is the first step you need to do to get there? Don’t make this too big. Think of the very first step you need to do to move you towards your desire. It can be as small as making a to-do list or buying materials.

Let yourself be totally flexible with this exercise. For example, here are some power statements from our other students:

“I want to write a memoir, so I can change the world. My first step is to ask my grandson to help me learn how to use my computer.”

“I want to be a volunteer fire fighter, so I can help my community. My first step is to apply online.”

The amazing thing about this exercise is it can change depending on where you are in your life. You can fill out this power statement every 6 months and see what changes. It’s a great way to start New Year journal exercises or monthly goal check-ins.

And regularly checking in with what drives you and your actions steps prevents and fights burn-out. Save this statement for when you need it most.

Right now, fill in the blanks and tell us what your answer is below in the comments or tweet me @vvanedwards. Here’s mine:

“I want to create a course on happiness, so I can help my readers have more joy. My first step is to schedule a film day.”

(Yes, we are working on a Science of Happiness course—get excited!)

I can’t wait to hear your answers. Thank you so much Margaret for this question. I hope our power statement helps you re-kindle your fire.

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