How I avoided burnout (and you can, too!)

Feeling like s**t

My days ended with ten tonne headaches and infernal heart burn.

My weeks ended with plunging nausea and butterflies on steroids.

My nights were blighted with insomnia.

My weekends were such a frenzy of keeping the kids alive while taking on months of accumulated chores that my Mondays and, increasingly, Tuesdays and Wednesdays were submerged in a brain fog so thick I could barely speak, let alone get anything done.

I suffered from dizzy spells, inflamed sinuses, and general apathy and, more than anything, I longed for lockdown to end; for something, anything, to take the pressure off, even though I knew I would never make it. Burnout was coming for me and there was nothing I could do about it. Sound familiar?

Not feeling like s**t

This morning I leapt out of bed at 4:55 am and set about my day with crystal clarity. My brain works; my body works; my family is happy (we sang songs at breakfast); every item on my to-do list is going to get done. I also know, with absolute certainty, that I'm going to get some me-time. Not much, but enough. Tomorrow will be identical, and the next day, and the next.

What changed? I did.

It seems obvious now but, as much as my life was a recipe for burnout, burnout needed one key ingredient to actually happen: hoping it wouldn't. Too much hoping and not enough doing. The rest is manageable: the 14 hour days; the 7 day weeks; the 45 minute tantrums; the spills; the accidents; the squabbles - not to mention the kids!

So what exactly did I do? I curated my lifestyle around stress management. It started small but the smallest things can make the biggest difference! Here are some simple tactics I've deployed:

Meditation

It all began with meditation. 15 minutes first thing in the morning to set the tone for the day ahead; 15 minutes late afternoon to provide an energy boost for the rest of the day, using a Muse headband for metrics, and to ensure I was doing it right. I didn't think I would have enough time to do this but I did it anyway and the mental and physical energy it unlocked was all I needed to do the below.

Nutrition

Our brains are the tools of our trade. Think about that. Musical instruments, cars, cooking equipment, devices: all get loving care and attention and our brains get grease and chemicals? NO WAY! It's a nonsense! Let's give our brains the care and attention they deserve. Before I set out some of my favourite foods, I'll tell you what I've eliminated. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all these things but I enjoy not being burnt out even more!

Gone (but not forgotten):

• Processed foods
• Refined sugars
• Alcohol
• Dairy 

Here:

• Inflammation-reducing foods, such as nettle leaf tea, ginger, and tomatoes - so long heart burn!
• Stress-relieving foods, such as ashwagandha, sweet potatoes, and lemon balm - see you never, insomnia!
• Neurotransmitter-boosting cucumbers and celery - farewell, brain fog!
• Foods that are beneficial to cognitive function, such as leafy greens, berries, and black coffee - hello, increased focus and productivity!

What about calcium? Leafy greens, sweet potatoes, nettle leaf tea.

What about protein? Beans, lentils, spirulina.

Are you vegan now? No. I curated my diet to minimise stress and inflammation and optimise cognitive function. That it's vegan is a coincidence.

Body

Exercise is vital. Until very recently, however, I held the following limiting beliefs:

• I have little kids
• I have a full time job
• The gyms are closed
• I have no access to exercise equipment
• I don't have enough time to exercise
• I don't have enough energy to work out

Then I discovered the transformative magic of micro-workouts. 10 minutes in the morning; 10 minutes in the evening. Doesn't sound like much but that's 140 minutes a week. It adds up.

What about equipment? We all know a few body weight exercises and stretches that require just a little bit of floor space. For inspiration, check out Ross Enamait's Never Gymless. It could change your life!

Time

A big part of the problem with burnout is that, where commutes once provided a natural cadence for work to begin and end, work is leaching into once-sacred evenings and weekends. If you habitually work all the way until it's time to go to bed, you're habitually depriving yourself of you-time. You will become frustrated, resentful, the only things you do are the things you have to do. 

Create space in your day to do the things you want to do. I get up hours before my kids, and draw a line under the things I have to do at 9pm. These times are sacred; they are my times.

Be selective. There are lots of things you want to do but don't boil the ocean or you will feel overwhelmed and come away unfulfilled. Choose the activities you love the most that are accessible in the time you have available and integrate with the rest of your lifestyle. 

Ignore bucket dippers. Any and all sources of negativity you can eliminate, you should eliminate. You literally don't have time for that s**t.

But this sucks!

I know. I seem like a particularly joyless puritan - does my bum look big in this hair shirt? All I can tell you is:

1. It's surprisingly addictive and rewarding.
2. My family and I are healthier and happier than we've ever been.
3. Burning out is no picnic.

All this is a very, very long-winded way of me saying: if you're burning out, if you feel overwhelmed, if you feel helpless to turn back the inexorable tide of exhaustion; you're not alone. Look after yourself.