Are you dealing with burnout or being overwhelmed? Both of these situations are the consequences of high amounts of stress. I know, the struggle is real!
Nowadays we are pulled in so many directions by these demands and eventually we become bombarded and overburdened with all these pressures.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is typically when you become undoubtedly drained and exhausted mentally and physically. You don’t feel like your usual self and you’re always feeling tired.
Most of the time there is no drive to do anything at all and you feel disconnected from everything and everyone.
What is Overwhelm?
With overwhelm, there are some similarities to burnout. The difference though is that you might be experiencing stress for an extended period of time.
It is often difficult to understand and communicate as to what the precise cause of the stress is. More often than not, confusion and helplessness also make their way into your thoughts.
If that is the case, then it leads you to become overloaded and feel buried with everything you are thinking and dealing with at the same time.
When you’re in this predicament it’s no joke. It can affect your work and family life, your motivation, and completely sap your energy level.
So, if you’re looking for some help to avoid or combat both overwhelm and burnout, here are some hacks and tips that will help you.
1. A Healthy Body Means A Healthy Mind
When you need to get past your burnout, stress, and overwhelm always start with your physical health.
Make no bones about it, stress can affect you physically and actually make you sick. But Eating right, especially under these circumstances is not an option and can actually help you forge through this hurdle.
If you want a healthy mind, you need to start with a healthy body. When you eat right and exercise it has a long list of benefits for you.
This means you need to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. This should consist of lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains.
Getting regular exercise is a must. Exercise makes you feel good because it releases serotonin and endorphins that help to perk up your mood.
When you exercise regularly, it helps to lower your stress level as well as any symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Also, Don’t forget to drink your water every day to keep hydrated.
There is nothing better than good health. “your health is your wealth” is indeed a true saying.
Physical and mental well-being walk hand in hand. If you don’t take care of yourself and make your health top priority, there will be a domino effect and your sanity will automatically suffer.
Get a healthy body by maintaining a good diet and eating healthy and exercising.
Do not neglect your mental health. Embrace positive thinking for a healthy mind. These small changes will make a big difference in your physical health. In turn, this will help your mental health as well.
2. Stop Focusing on Time
Everything we do is always about time. Making time for your family, making time for work, even looking at the clock every few minutes during your workday. You also try to get out of the house with enough time to spare.
All of this focus on time, whether it is time you feel you wasted, time to get stuff done, and feeling like your time is running out, causes a lot of unnecessary stress.
You might feel like you don’t have enough time but your precious resource of time needs to be managed properly, in order for you to accomplish what is important to you.
Use the time you have to do the things that take top priority and add some type of value to your life. It is important that you learn how to prioritize and use your time sensibly.
Don’t get me wrong, yes, there are certain aspects of life where time is relevant, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
There are things such as getting to an appointment or meeting on time, but don’t make your entire life revolve around time. It can be very overwhelming, sometimes you just need to slow down to safeguard your emotional well being.
3. Stay Mindful of Positive Changes and a Better Outlook
When you have full-on burnout, it can be hard to use standard stress relief methods.
At this point, you are having trouble just getting the bare minimum done, especially when you add in stress and overwhelm at the same time.
Instead of putting too much pressure on yourself, just start slow. One excellent “hack” to use is to be mindful during one moment every day.
Stay in the moment. If you feel your mind drift away, come back to the moment.
During that moment, center yourself by giving yourself a few minutes to regroup and refocus your energy from a negative thing to a positive thing.
Maybe you are in your office after a meeting that caused you a lot of stress and tension. Or, for whatever reason, you could just be having a really rough day.
Just take a little ‘time out’ and sit for 5 minutes and be mindful about something positive you feel right at that moment.
This could be gratitude for this very job you work so hard for. It could be happiness for your family and friends, or just understanding that the stressful situation is over and now you can appreciate that you got through it.
4. Don’t Work Through Lunch
Stop working non stop! Don’t be deluded….working more is NOT going to help you overcome burnout.
You do need a break. Your body and mind need rest.
The thing is, If you work yourself to the bone all work-week long, then when the weekend comes, you have no energy left to live your life doing the things you love.
One small thing you can start doing right now to help alleviate the problem of burnout is to take proper lunch breaks. Don’t have a lunch date with work.
Stop eating lunch at your desk. Another good habit to develop is to stop talking to people on your phone when you’re eating lunch, especially the people from your office about work.
Unplug from technology (it’s just for a short time) by turning off your phone. Enjoy this time. Be mindful of your meal, and just relax. Work will be there waiting for you when your break is over.
5. Find What Gives You Positive Energy
It is critical that you Look for that thing in each day that makes you feel positive and happy.
This is going to encourage more positive energy, which can then help to relieve some of the stress and tension you have been experiencing.
Again, this will be unique to you and your situation. It can be related to your home, your job or the people in your life.
Maybe it’s achieving your goals, having accomplished something you put your mind to. Or, it could also be spending time with family and friends.
Perhaps it is being more physically healthy, losing weight, just about anything. The sky’s the limit on this one.
6. Start Saying No
Old habits die hard. When you are accustomed to spreading yourself thin to accommodate other people’s needs you can be sure that you are going to be left feeling like a zombie…lifeless.
You might feel torn in this area, but there comes a time when you have to rein things in and do a complete overhaul if you want to maintain your sanity.
Saying no can be especially hard if you have always been the person other people rely on to help them. The point is you can’t be everything to everyone all the time.
When the situation arises you just have to see it for what it is and say no. Be firm about it and if they are persistent then give them an emphatic no!
You have every right to say no to hosting a party, you are also entitled to declining an offer to go out on your only night off this week or even if your boss asks you to do an extra project at work.
Learn how to prioritize and say no. Don’t bite off more than you can chew and leave yourself stranded, with no time for your priorities.
Eventually, it will catch up with you. Think about it, at that point, you will not be able to serve yourself let alone others.
You need to learn how to say no when you are already overwhelmed with all of your own responsibilities. As the saying goes, “you cannot pour from an empty cup”.
How do you deal with burnout and overwhelm in your daily life?
Disclaimer: The information provided through this Website is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by your Medical Provider or Mental health Provider. I am not a doctor, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, therapist or licensed nutritionist. Always seek the advice of your Medical Provider or Mental Health Professional with any questions or concerns you may have about your health, medications, herbs or supplements you are currently using before implementing any recommendations or suggestions from our website.
