By: Kelly Lynn Adams
Whether your are focusing on your career, starting a family, building a business or simply just living your life day to day we can all experience burnout. The demands that we put on ourselves (and the demands of others) along with our fast paced, technology driven world can cause anyone to burnout quickly
“Women can have it all, but not all at the same time. Our life comes in segments, and we have to understand that we can have it all if we’re not trying to do it all at once.” Madeleine Albright
We can have it all, but not if we are trying to do it all at once – and especially not if you want to feel peaceful, stress free and in the flow.
Put these 7 steps into action, though, and you’ll go from burnout to blissfully balanced in no time!
1. Identify Your Top 3 Values. What do you value the most? Freedom, Creativity, Money, Time with Family & Friends, A Successful Business & Lifestyle? Identify and list out your top 3 values. This exercise will help you to decide what tasks you will need to spend more or less time on according to what you value in life.
2. Prioritize. Just the thought of trying to do it all is exhausting. The most important exercise we can do is to prioritize what we want to get done. First, take out a piece of paper and list out EVERYTHING that you want to get done in the next day, week or even in the next couple of months. Secondly, take a look at your top 3 values and start to prioritize what you want to get done according to what you value. This list should only contain 1-5 items at a time, any more than 5 items is just a really unrealistic to-do list that causes unnecessary stress. Finally, get to work on those items.
3. The Fiercely Focused Game. Whenever I need to get something done quick, I play a little game with myself. (Warning: this may cause you to be fiercely focused). I start off the game by picking one “thing” I want to get done. I think of a realistic time frame of when I would like to get this task done by. Then I start the task and see if I can get that task done quicker than my originally estimated end time. If I do get the task done quicker than my original estimated end time, I reward myself and celebrate!
4. Tune Out All Distractions. Shut off all technology. Stay off social media. Find a place where you will not be disturbed. Eliminate all distractions even if that means going somewhere quite or someplace that inspires you. This is extremely important.
5. Get Enough Rest. The most important self-care act that we can do is to listen to our bodies and not push ourselves. Burnout is mostly caused by ignoring our bodies, not eating the right foods, not moving our bodies and not getting enough sleep. The average person needs between 7-10 hours of sleep. When you sleep your body repairs itself. I challenge you to get an extra 1-2 hours of sleep each night and notice how you feel.
6. Have Fun & Experience Pleasure. At least once a day. Life is too short for all work and no play. Slowing down and taking the time to have fun and experience pleasure is absolutely essential for a successful lifestyle.
7. Healthy Eating & Movement. Everything we put into our bodies affects our mood, energy levels and the way we feel. Incorporating healthier eating habits and foods along with moving our bodies will help to increase our immune systems. When we have a healthier immune system it is more difficult to experience burnout. This week try eating a little bit healthier and moving your body and notice how you feel.
