How to overcome burnout

Many friends and colleagues have told me that they are “crawling” to the end of the year.

Certainly 2022 has been challenging, but the festive season gives us time to focus on self-care (once we get over all the family get togethers or mad rush to buy presents or stock up on groceries).

Here’s some simple steps to reset your energy.

Set your priorities

Deciding what you want to let go of in 2023 and what is important to you in different areas of your life can lead to an instant de-stress. It’s about your energy going where your attention is. So get out a journal and spend some time considering what you want your schedule to look like next year, or who you want to be spending time with. Beware of energy vampires – they have to go – as well as habits that deplete energy such as spending hours on social media.

Diary downtime

If you never leave space to rest and refresh, you are setting yourself up for burnout.

Don’t eat your lunch at your desk – take a walk or meet a friend. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, spending time outdoors has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce stress-related hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

Schedule mini-breaks throughout y0ur day too, and consider mini getaways during the year instead of one block of time off.

Focus on wellness

Yoga, swimming, walking, running, golf … it doesn’t matter what you do but make exercise a priority.

Combined with healthy eating – ditch the sugar and processed foods and max fresh fruit and vegetables – and restful sleep, it should form the core of your wellness regime that get health-destroying stress out of your body.

Make fitness fun and/or get a fitness buddy to help you commit to a regime.

Set healthy boundaries

Don’t answer phone calls, texts, or emails from colleagues after hours, or in personal time. Keeping regular hours and not burning the candle at both ends is crucial to preventing burnout.

If you feel that you are being overwhelmed by your job, consider talking to your manager about your responsibilities and how they fit into a reasonable time frame.

Don’t feel guilty

Prioritising yourself is not selfish. It’s about putting your oxygen mask on first so you can help others. Set an example for friends, or children, about how to commit to a balanced lifestyle that leaves time for what matters.