Don’t Be Afraid to Burnout
It’s part of the process…
Burnout is definitely something you want to avoid if you have the opportunity to but it can also be used to help you in the future as well. What doe sit mean to burnout exactly?
Well usually, someone burns out of energy whether it’s from too much physical energy being used at one time or even when some is using their mental energy too much at times.
You may also be reminded of weightlifting when you hear the word burnout because of the recommended amount of reps you should be doing with a certain weight until you can't lift them anymore, better known as “till failure.”
When you’re truly working hard at something for a long period of time and you’re doing it at a consistent rate, you will burn out in some shape or fashion. Some people take breaks from what they’re doing and that has been very helpful to people but it can also hurt people as well.
These breaks are needed at times but some people don't have the discipline to end that break. A one-week break could turn into a whole month's break just for the simple fact that you’ve let your mind and your body become comfortable in a relaxed state.
When you’re working at your job or even on your own business, you know there have been and will continue to be times you have to push through the pain.
You have to push through tiredness. Many people get tired of pushing constantly so guess what happens, they complain or they slow start working at their highest potential.
In order to work through burnout (yes, it is possible) you have to be willing to suffer the pain until you can't go anymore. There’s someone out in the world right now who’s coming for your spot or who has the spot you want, and they don't care about burnout as much as they care about their goals.
Take a Deep Breath and Try Again
If you feel like you’re approaching burnout, the first thing you should do before actually giving in is to take a deep breath. It seems like it won't do much and it might not feel like anything but your mind and body need a small break at times. You can’t get too ahead of yourself with this feeling, it happens to everyone at some point in their life. If you do plan on taking a break when you feel like you're burned out, have it planned out. This schedule might involve a lot of much-needed sleep, and limiting your workload to something that's more manageable. There’s a mistake that some people make when it comes to rest is that they don't know what mindset to approach it with. You can take a deep breath, but not have the right mindset. If you’re taking a break but are still thinking about your work during that breath, then that was a wasted deep breath. When you take a deep breath, you want to let go of everything that’s been stressing you out and not focus on anything. Again, your mind needs a break, even if it’s for a few seconds but you never know how that one breath can influence or entire work ethic. Also, if you’re in a state of life where you’ve been working tirelessly and even overtime on some days, allow people to interrupt you so that you remind yourself to take a break. If you’re working in an office, leave your door open from time to time, it will make you more open to conversation. People that you never talk to will stop by and say hi and you’re also showing your openness to talking. Take deep breaths as much as possible because it can help you in ways you would never imagine, even if you’re not feeling too good, use that breath to help you push through whatever task you have in front of you.
Take a Nap Every Once in a While
I’m a huge fan of naps but honestly, I haven’t been taking them as of recently. There will be times where you find yourself working so hard that you actually fall asleep. You don't even realize you’re sleeping until you catch your arm falling over or you hear yourself snoring. Yes, this actually does happen, this is a sign that you may not be getting enough sleep or your mind is literally just too tired to do anything else. You will be surprised when this happens because you’ll be in a groove with your work, but slowly and slowly your eyes begin to close. Sometimes, you feel energized after you catch yourself and other times you’ll be debating whether if you should still be working or not. At this point, just take a quick nap, don't force it because you’ll find that if you continue the work you’re doing, it will be way harder when you’re half asleep. Yes, you might miss out on some times to be doing your most ideal work but the quick nap will allow you to work more throughout the day. Also, in part of your working life, you’re going to lose sleep. Doesn’t sound fun and believe it is no fun but at times it’s necessary. How long are you going to keep going before you take some time to rest? You might be in attack mode right now and that’s totally fine but what are you going to do when you start slowing down? Push through it of course but you also have to rest at least a little bit. You always want to be in control of the energy you're putting out into your work. When you let work consume all of you, that’s when you’re in trouble. Working hard is no question but being able to rest can be at times.
Make Sure You Eat
You’d be surprised by how many people forget to eat during the day or eat properly at that. Unless you’re doing intermittent fasting, you should strive to eat three meals a day. Breakfast helps you stay focused in the morning and it shouldn't be anything too heavy. Lunch is what you look forward to after breakfast, it’s an excuse to let you take a break from your own. Dinner is what you end the day off with and your plate should be filled enough to where you don't have to eat anything for the rest of the night. Many people skip breakfast or skip lunch and just snack on a few things here and there. The only problem with that is, you never stop getting hungry. Everyone knows that work is a lot more stressful when we're hungry and we can't focus as much as we want to at that time either. Be honest with yourself, are you eating enough food a day, and how long do you have until your next meal? Burnout comes from a loss of energy and one easy thing you can do to start having more energy is eating. Make sure you’re adding fruits and vegetables to your diet as well. These will allow your stomach to feel a lot more clear during the day too.
Never be afraid to burn out, it’s a part of life and sometimes we have to go through it. There are ways to prevent it but if you feel like it's manageable, keep going. I’ll leave you with a quote from Robert Schuller that says “Tough times never last, tough people do.”
