Ever had that feeling of having burned your candle from both ends to then find you’re out of wax and wick? I have! It’s hard to reach your dreams when you have the energy and motivation of a rock!
We are living fast-paced lives – bills to pay, relationships to maintain, while keeping up with a mile high to-do list. Yet, there comes that time when we’ve said yes to too much and sadly our motivation and fuel are completely lacking. We find our focus is shot and our productivity is approaching rock bottom. Hmmmm….more to do but with less energy to do it with.
The big question is how do you rescue yourself when you don’t feel like moving…you’re stuck or feel paralyzed? Or better still, how do you avoid feeling this way in the first place? I’ll give you a long-term strategy to prevent burnout from sneaking up on you, but will also offer 3 quick tips to help you immediately!
One of the best long-term strategies is to clarify your priorities. Understanding this will help you set the stage 
for the quick tips for relief I provide below. When you are juggling a lot of balls and someone throws you another, how often do you grab it and keep it moving as fast as the others? No shame here, it happens to all of us! We get so busy we stop asking, “what are my priorities?” I am borrowing a concept from John Maxwell here, but ask yourself which balls are glass and which balls are rubber. When everything is equally important it is hard to give yourself a break.
A great exercise I perform with clients is having them list the roles they deem most important, i.e. spouse, mother, employee (fill in your role), entrepreneur, community leader, etc. What MUST get done to support your success in these roles? These actions are your priorities and it helps if you can review them once a week or at least monthly for a few minutes. Keep sight of which balls are glass!
Now, let’s get you some immediate relief here in the short-term. Employ these 3 strategies to start tackling your overwhelm.
1. Declutter your mind. Scientifically speaking, we want to free that part of your brain that does all the heavy lifting. Your pre-frontal cortex can only handle so many “balls” before it jams up and just shuts down! Examples are writer’s block and rereading the same info over and over with little to no comprehension. Keep this list so you are not keeping any ”remember” thoughts in your head (along with the accompanying “don’t forget” message that causes additional anxiety). Keep this at your desk or on your phone. This is ONE place where you can dump ALL your thoughts/ideas/to-dos.
2. Make a STOP doing list. Here’s the part where we figure out which rubber balls you can just let bounce. Grab your list of roles and priorities and your to-do list. Make sure it’s up to date and you have everything listed. When looking at what is really important to you and the actions you need to get there, are you doing things that DON’T support your goals? WARNING: You will see things on your to-do list that are completely unrelated. As hard as it may be to pull yourself off a committee or limit nights (and drinks) out with a friend, you must draw a firm line in the sand to eliminate activities that don’t advance your long term-goals.
Think of it this way, you are saying yes to you and your dreams – not the dreams of others!
3. Opt for a change in scenery. When you have deadlines and are feeling overwhelmed I know it might seem like the last thing you’d want to do is walk away from your desk. So trust me when I say I too feel the magnetic pull to “power through” until the end! But more frequent breaks, although short, can actually increase your focus and productivity by almost 20 percent!
What are ways to get in a quick 2-5 minute break? Try a single tip or a combination of these: walk outside or open a window for some fresh air, stand up and reach up as high as you can for 10 seconds, take 10 deep slow breaths and exhale quickly, stretch, take a 5 minute walk around the office, laugh, or drink a glass of water.
How much extra time would you capture if you only worked on what was important and when you did the work it was focused and productive?
With an extra hour or two you could get more sleep, workout, or pick up that hobby you walked away from years ago. This extra time is your chance to begin the recovery process so use it wisely!
With burnout, it can take months if not a year to reverse the damage, but you have to get the ship turned around and even though it’s slow, eventually it will be pointed in the right direction. Being clear on the direction and taking small consistent steps is your ticket to more consistent energy and meaningful success!
Please share your thoughts and experiences below. If you have a go to strategy for managing stress let’s share it with those that need some fresh ideas Thanks!
Recent Comments