SAY NO TO BURNOUT AND YES TO REST!
HOW IMPORTANT IS REST?!
Rest is SUCH an important thing. So important that it's CAPITALISED, in bold, and underlined! Rest is even more so crucial for the person who by habit keeps themselves busy, as well as high achievers. If not careful, your body gets to a point where it's like "NOPE. You need to stop this!" In other words, burnout happens.
"Burnout is one of those road hazards in life that high-achievers really should be keeping a close eye out for, but sadly—often because of their "I can do everything" personalities—they rarely see it coming. Because high-achievers are often so passionate about what they do, they tend to ignore the fact that they're working exceptionally long hours, taking on exceedingly heavy work loads, and putting enormous pressure on themselves to excel—all of which make them ripe for burnout."
This is something that I have experienced many times with being involved in different events and got to a point that people would have to tell me to stop! I used to be that person who was involved in EVERYTHING (slight exaggeration) - this event, that meet up - and I am one person lacking the ability to be in more than one place than one time. The funny thing is when I felt like I was being ineffective at times, I didn't look at everything I was doing and saying "What can I cut down on?" Rather, I made myself feel guilty by thinking I just wasn't prioritizing my time properly. How crazy is that? What dangerous thinking!
If you're someone who over works, over schedules and takes on heavy loads, make sure you don't get to that mindset lest you add more to your schedule and increase burnout!
Here are some practical tried and tested steps (not definitive) to avoid being too busy:
1. LIST YOUR LIFE!
Write down all the hobbies, activities, groups and events you are involved in, as well as your current goals and don't forget your work. It's important to be able to physically see what you are using your time for. A broken down list of your week is a good way to do it, or a visual timetable. Use the best method that works for you.
2. UNDERSTAND YOUR PRIORITies
Think about what is important to you in THIS SEASON, and be flexible. Priorities adjust with the changing demands of life so don't worry if some of them differ over time. Use your timetable/ list to number your priorities from the most to least important and then...
3. CUT DOWN OR CUT OUT!
Using your newly prioritized list, do as this point says and redo your timetable. You might find it more beneficial to write up a daily schedule or weekly. However remember to...
4. SCHEDULE REGULAR REST SESSIONS
This is CRUCIAL. Having time to yourself, especially in 2020, helps you to switch off from the craziness of life. Think of a few things you like genuinely enjoy that energise you. A noteworthy point about scheduling rest sessions: Be intentional, be consistent and schedule a good amount of time to yourself. I’ve let this slip a bit but I try to have at least a day for myself once a month.
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Do you have any points to add? What works for you when it comes to avoiding burnout? How quickly do you notice that you are on your way? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
