Chile, listen......from being a woman, mother, partner, business owner and blogger, my life can get super busy! I'm pretty much a very organized person and to me, that reduces my chances of experiencing burnouts for the most parts of my everyday life. It hasn't been the easiest to do but I have used several methods and strategies in my life currently, to avoid burnouts.
DISCONNECT: When I feel overwhelmed, I take the time and disconnect from the area in my life that's overwhelming me in that moment. That area for me is either writing nonstop, networking on social media and somewhere within motherhood. I will find time to simply disconnect. Even being a mother, when something my children does that frustrates me in the moment, I disconnect from them even if it's for five minutes. My children are older and need me less but that doesn't mean I don't experience stressful moments as a mother. Teenagers = STRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TAKE A MINI-VACATION: It doesn't have to be a vacation to an island so that you can flex for the 'gram. But sometimes just taking a small road trip on the weekends just to unwind, reload and refocus is very helpful. Me and my partner recently took a two hour road trip to a blueberry farm and wine vineyard which cost under $100. The farm and vineyard was so peaceful and calming .......and it was my birthday.
STOP TRYING TO FIND BALANCE: There's no such thing as living a balanced life. I don't care how many times people promote something about living a balanced life, it's IMPOSSIBLE to do. Whatever areas in your life that you are thriving in, that's great but there's going to be an area in your life that doesn't get your full attention sometimes and therefore, your life can not and will not ever be "balanced."
KNOW WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: There are certain triggers that I experience mentally and physically that let's me know that I'm wearing myself thin and I need to do something to avoid being burnt out. In college, I had a nervous breakdown because I had taken a full course load, working after school and raising two small children, the doctor called it a panic attack, I call it Armageddon. My heart was racing, I had shortness of breath and BOOM full blown panic attack happened. From that one experience, I've learned to know when your body is saying enough is enough.
CANCEL PLANS, CALL OFF, FAKE SICK, ETC.: If I'm being honest, we've all used our personal or sick time off and probably wasn't sick or had no particular plans, we just needed a break from the hustle and flow of our work days. Do whatever you need to do to take better care of you and to avoid burnouts. You don't have to attend every single event that you're invited to. Just because it's on your to-do list or placed on your calendar, doesn't mean you have to do it or go to it. Simply cancelling something on your schedule to free up time for you to rest or do something more meaningful, is enough to help you avoid burnouts. Disclaimer: Make sure that you have accumulated enough time to take off from work don't add stress to your life with your employer.
DELEGATE TASKS: You can't do it all and neither should you. Learn how to delegate tasks whether you're at home or at work. Have the kids or the husband help you with dinner or the chores. The kids are playing video games and hubby is off golfing while you're stressing over a full-course meal. Cook meals that basically cook themselves in a crockpot or oven. Find recipes that takes 30 minutes or less to cook and everyone in the house needs to contribute to the chores in some type of way.
To avoid burnouts overall, you need to find time in your busy schedule to rest your body, relax your mind and renew your spirit. Excessively doing too much of anything is dangerous to your well-being and health.
How can you avoid burnouts in your life? Post your responses in the comments.
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