At some point or another, we all have been there. That all-consuming feeling of exhaustion, overwhelm, and burnout that steamrolls our life. This is especially true for women leaders, type-A personalities, and perfectionists. When we're used to juggling multiple priorities simultaneously and don't take a break, we're very likely to experience workplace burnout.
The truth is, burnout is prevalent in our society, and it takes a considerable toll on our emotional, physical, and psychological health. But the good news is, you can recover from burnout with the right strategies and mindset shift that I will discuss in this blog post. It starts with awareness, self care, boundaries, re-prioritizing and getting help.
Recognize and Acknowledge Your Burnout
The first step towards recovering from burnout is to recognize and acknowledge the symptoms. It's crucial to recognize, acknowledge and validate your emotions and feelings that come with burnout – exhaustion, anxiety, depression, irritability, and disengagement from everyday activities. Once you identify the emotional symptoms, pause, evaluate and list the factors that contributed to the burnout. This can help you identify what needs to change in your life to prevent burnout in the future.
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is a crucial aspect of recovering from burnout, and it is the act of creating and maintaining good self-care habits in your life. Self-care includes mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Some self-care practices that you can incorporate into your daily routine are getting a good night's sleep, regular exercise like yoga, meditation, journaling, spending time with loved ones, spending time with nature, and indulging in a hobby.
Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is not selfish. Just like the airline's mandate, I always say that we need to put on our oxygen mask first before assisting others. When you honor your boundaries, you honor your worth, and you take care of your well-being. It’s important to set boundaries with work, family, friends, time and social media. Prioritize what is essential and valuable to you, say "no" when you need to, create clear and healthy communication, and delegate tasks that allow you to do what you enjoy and love.
Realign Your Priorities
One of the most common reasons for burnout is overcommitting. As a woman in a leadership role or a perfectionist, it’s easy to take on more tasks than you can manage. However, it's essential to review your priorities regularly and eliminate non-essential tasks when necessary. This will free up more time and energy for other things that are more important.
When you're experiencing burnout, it can be challenging to do what you love and care about. However, realigning your priorities can help you reignite your fire, joy, and passion for life. In my 6-month program, Freedom, I walk my clients through this pillar, step-by-step. If you’re not currently enrolled in my program, take some time to contemplate your personal and professional goals, create an action plan, and prioritize what's essential to you. This can help you ditch the unnecessary tasks and focus on what brings value and joy to your life.
Seek Help
Finally, don't be afraid to ask for help. As the hardest-working women, it’s easy to put our needs on the back-burner, but doing that is a long-term strategy for failure. Yes, recovering from burnout is a journey that can be overwhelming, but seeking help can make a difference. As a burnout coach, I have years of experience and over a hundred happy clients, but you can turn to trusted friends, family, or a therapist. Seeking help can provide you with a safe space to process your emotions, develop coping strategies, and seek guidance and support. Also, it helps you accomplish your desired results faster and with less hiccups.
It’s not that you can’t solve burnout on your own, but often we don’t have the right tools to recover the
most efficient way. Considering the high-stakes lives we live, we don’t have a moment to spare on trial and error. Furthermore, if you’re reading this, you’ve likely been trying to manage burnout on your own. This time, consider taking your well-being to the next level and get the help you need.
Recovering from burnout can be challenging, but it is not impossible. I’ve seen it so many times, and I know that you can benefit as well. With the right strategies, mindset shifts, and support, you can overcome it! Recognize and acknowledge the symptoms, prioritize self-care, set boundaries, realign your priorities, and seek help.
Remember, taking care of your well-being is not selfish or self-centered, but it is necessary for a happy, healthy, and productive life! I hope this blog post has provided you with some insights, encouragement, and inspiration to reclaim your life and recover from burnout. If you’d like to schedule a consultation to see if working with me as your burnout coach might be the right fit for you, book your consult today.
