Hello! I hope you’re having an amazing day and week:) I am so excited to talk about self-care for burnout and just how to recover when you’re in a slump! With life constantly changing, there are SO many ups and downs, and being able to navigate your way through the downs with your head high can be a game-changer!
Sometimes, the hardest thing can be just to get started. It’s hard to find the motivation to push yourself right from the get-go. However, taking it slow and being kind to your body and brain will make the process a whole lot more bearable. I also think the tips that I’m going to share won’t strain you, they will make you feel more energized and ready for what comes at you!
This post is ALL about self-care for burnout, let’s get to it!
What IS burnout?
Well, my friend, I’m almost positive that you’ve felt it before. Usually, people describe burnout as working at your job so hard that you just feel dead and like you can’t get yourself to do anymore! The WHO describes it as ” a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. ” However, I think burnout is something that can apply to a lot of different situations, not just the workplace.
Sometimes, I feel burnout from school. Sometimes from work. And on some occasions, I feel burnt out from my workouts. Being “burnt out” is just saying you’re exhausted. You can’t handle your situation anymore. And most importantly, you need a BREAK!
By going through these next few tips, I hope that you will be able to learn not only how to recover from burnout, but learn about habits that will KEEP you from being burnt out. Teach a man to fish, yanno? Anyways, these are the things that have worked quite swimmingly for me, and I hope they’ll affect you all the same way.
To the tips!
1. Take a moment for self-love & self-care
There is a difference between self-love and self-care, but I feel like the line between them gets blurry, especially throughout social media.
Self-love is focusing on your mind. It is showing yourself forgiveness, acceptance, and compassion. It is looking inside of your brain and trying to heal what is broken and bruised. It’s journaling your feelings or high-fiving yourself in the mirror and saying “good job!” to yourself (shoutout to Mel Robbins)! Sorry if this sounds sappy, but I think it is a good way to put it.
Self-care is, in my opinion, is more physical. It is the facemasks, shower scrubs, tea, and lighting candles while watching your favorite rom-com. Self-care is resting.
Both of these things are CRUCIAL to preventing burnout. They are the things that will make you happier and more ready to take on your hard tasks throughout the day. However, I think there is an idea that these things are things you do every once in a while.
I would like to disagree! I think that you can incorporate self-love and self-care throughout each of your days! Maybe you light a candle, drink tea, and watch a movie after work. Maybe you journal every day, meditate even (we’ll get more into that later, haha!) Anyways, you can make these things a part of your everyday routine.
It’s all about finding what works for you! But, you should find time to show yourself kindness and let your mind and body have true rest. It will change your mindset and even change how you feel physically. It is SO important!
2. Make a list of things that refuel YOU and your SOUL
Making a list of things that refuel me is one of my favorite things to do. While I go throughout my day, if I notice that a certain situation or thing is bringing me joy, I will write it down in a list in my notes.
Then, if I’m having a particularly rough day, I can go through my list and choose out a few things I could do to make myself feel better and get myself in a better mindset. I think my note is titled something like “things that make me not depressed anymore”, which is probably not the BEST title…but, it DOES help on days for I feel depressed.
I’ll share some things that are on my list, just to get the ball rolling for you and your ideas.
- Playing the guitar
- Making playlists on Spotify
- Baking
- Writing in my journal
- Going to a bookstore
- Driving up the canyon
These are just a few things that refuel MY soul. It is going to look different for everyone. My only small word of advice is to make it things that genuinely help you to rest your mind. Not things like scrolling on TikTok or playing video games. Do things that will genuinely make you feel ENERGIZED afterward, yanno? I think you guys catch my vibe.
So open your notes and get started, and start becoming more conscious of what makes you happy. It is quite a beautiful thing.
3. Reevaluate your goals & habits
OOOOh, this is one of my favorite things EVER! Does that sound nerdy?
It’s true, though. I LOVE writing down my habits and trying to decide which ones serve me. So let’s get a little deeper into the whole routine.
I first got the idea to do this from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. He created a method for reevaluating your habits that is PERFECT.
Basically, you write down ALL of the habits that you have throughout the day. Personally, I love just writing down my morning and night routines. Then, you put specific symbols next to habits that are positive or negative, and maybe ones that are just in the middle.
After doing this, you evaluate the good and the bad. You will, then, write and create a NEW routine for yourself. It makes it so efficient to create habits that you want in your life! I try to do this monthly to make sure I stay on track.
It is also important to reflect on your goals. I reflect on my goals weekly so that I can create a “daily action plan”. Which basically just means things that I’ll do every day in order to reach my long-term goals. Reflecting on your goals will also motivate you, and hopefully get you out of a slump.
Doing these two things together is SURE to work wonders!
4. Start meditating every day
Last, but most CERTAINLY not least…
I don’t remember who said it, but it is crucial that you have a good, calm, and healthy mind in order to be successful. It will make it easier for you to achieve all of your wildest dreams. Guess what the easiest way to do this is!?
Meditation. It seems like the most simple thing in the world, but it is a night and day difference. I have dealt with anxiety for a good chunk of my life, but once I made it a habit to meditate every morning, I feel myself becoming calmer and more productive. My brain can be at peace.
Personally, I don’t have a lot of time in the mornings, so I squeeze in a 5-10 minute meditation before I workout. It helps me wake up while also calming me, it makes me feel ready for a day of school and work, AND it helps energize me. I also love doing manifestation meditations which help to motivate me!
There are SO many meditations out there. You can easily search them up on youtube, and find ones that cater to your personal needs. It is so nice and efficient, so there is no reason why we shouldn’t all take advantage of it!
Just take a week to try it, and I hope you can see the same benefits that I have.
So there ya have it! Going through a slump SUCKS…we’ve all been there. I hope that you all can create habits and routines that will help you to recover. I truly can sympathize. If you ever need someone to share your thoughts and feelings with, please reach out! I will do my best to help 🙂
I’ll leave this blog post with some words of wisdom. This week comes from the book that I’m currently reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling.
It states, “To achieve a goal you have never achieved before, you must start doing things you have never done before.”
What seems so apparent is actually so profound! It also ties in perfectly with this blog post. To become the person you want to become, you HAVE to go through change. It is just how it goes. So don’t be scared to step out of your box. Don’t be scared to make changes for your own greater good. It will all be worth it in the end.
Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on Instagram @xojacilynn. ANNNDDDD, if you want, check out my second to last blog post…Here’s the link: 5 AMAZING journaling techniques for a clear mind
I love you all so much, have a FANTASTIC day. Remember what you want, remember how you can get there. Until next time!
Xo,
Jaci Lynn
