From Burnout to Balanced: How to Reclaim Your Sanity

When you're burnt out, it can be hard to imagine a state of being that isn't emotionally exhausting. But believe it or not, there is such a thing as balance—and you can achieve it if you're willing to do some work. In this blog I’m sharing six steps to help you get there.

Notice the signs and symptoms.

• You're unable to concentrate and focus on your work.
• You're not interested in what you're doing
• You feel exhausted, but even when you take a break, you can't relax.
• You feel like you're always behind on everything—even things that aren't really urgent at all!
• You feel like you're constantly being pulled in different directions at once—the demands of your life and the demands of your job are both seem too much for you to handle.
• You're not as efficient at your job as you used to be.
• Instead of feeling productive, you feel like a failure because nothing is getting done (or none of it feels like it's good enough).
• You're neglecting your health and well-being.
• You're not sleeping well anymore because all day and all night, your mind is racing with thoughts about work stressors and what needs to get done tomorrow/this week/next month/etc.
• You've lost interest in things that used to be enjoyable for you, like spending time with friends or family, watching movies/TV shows, hobbies, etc.

Stop, drop, and do some deep breathing.

A simple way to start getting the balance you need is by taking a break. When it’s time for a breather, whether it’s during your commute home or at lunchtime, take a few minutes to stop what you’re doing and focus on your breath. Sit quietly in a quiet space—you don’t even have to close your eyes if you don’t want to! Just pay attention to the rhythm of your breathing, noticing how much air goes into your body with each breath and when it comes out again. When thoughts pop up (and yes, they will come) become a curious observer without judging. Instead, just focus on feeling the inhale and exhale happening naturally as part of being alive.

Look at your life holistically.

There are many different factors that contribute to your well-being. To achieve balance, you need to make sure that all of these areas—your health and happiness—are being taken care of.

In addition to relaxing and exercising regularly, it's important that you get enough sleep at night. Make sure that the food you eat is healthy and satisfying. But don't skimp on meals either: eating too little can lead to cravings for unhealthy foods later in the day.

If possible, spend time with family and friends on a regular basis so those relationships stay strong as well! Remember that one of our basic needs is to belong to a group.

Flow and ebb.

Flow and ebb are two essential components of the human experience. We all know how it feels when we're at our peak—we're in the zone, working in unison with our environment to create something great. This can happen when you're working on a project or simply doing something that feels natural for you.

But burnout is equally as familiar, as we've all felt the exhaustion of pushing ourselves beyond our limits when it comes to work or personal goals. If we want to avoid these extremes, we need to learn how they fit into our lives and schedule accordingly.

To achieve this balance, consider scheduling time for both flow and ebb throughout your day.

Flow is when you're at the top of your game and working in concert with your environment. It's a state of mind where time seems to fly by as you move seamlessly from one task to another. This is the best time to tackle complex projects or tasks that have many steps, like writing an essay or learning a new skill.

On the other hand, ebb is when you're tired from pushing yourself and need some rest before going back into flow again. Much like the tide flows and then ebbs, rather than constantly pushing all of the time, with no rest periods in between.

Get real about your energy levels.

"I'm exhausted, I'm so tired."

If you've ever uttered these words, you're not alone. And these words indicate, you are out of balance.

 Burnout is a common and serious problem in today's world of work, but it's also one that can be managed—or even prevented—with a little education about how our energy levels work.

In order to find the right balance between burnout and healthy balance, we need to understand the difference between physical and mental fatigue. Physical exhaustion comes from overwork or overexertion; mental exhaustion is more related to emotional stressors like anxiety or depression. These are two very different things with very different solutions!

The best way to know when your energy levels are optimal is by keeping track of them as accurately as possible. Your personal bests and worsts may vary depending on what kind of job you do, but if you keep track of your average performance over time then it'll become easier for you to see patterns emerging across days when things went well versus those that were less productive.

Set limits in all areas of your life.

When you set limits, you’re telling yourself and others that there are things that are more important to you than other things. Limits give us permission to say no when we need to and prioritize what matters most.

Setting limits can be a challenge, but it’s worth it. When you set limits, they help you make better decisions and avoid wasting time on things that aren’t important to you. It also helps you manage your energy so that you can focus on the most important things in your life right now. And have the energy to maintain healthy relationships with your family and friends.

You can build a balanced and sustainable life if you're willing to change how you do things.

The first step to building a balanced life is learning to take care of yourself. This means making time for things that are important to you, but also taking care of your body and mind.

The next step is take regular breaks from work. Your body needs time to recover from stress, so make sure that you're not working every hour of the day. Include taking time off when possible, or at least find ways to reduce the amount of energy that gets drained out of your life. Find hobbies and activities outside of work where you can relax and do things that make sense for your own health and well-being.

And spend more quality time with friends and family members who support what's important in life - whether it's going out together or simply having an honest conversation over coffee!

You can accomplish each and every one of these things by completing the Mental Fitness program in just 7 short, powerful weeks, so that you live in balance and not burnout. When you build your mental fitness, you ultimately spend more time in peak performance, increase your peace of mind and well-being, as well as enjoy healthier relationships in your life. Imagine increasing your emotional intelligence the same way that 92% of clients did when they completed the program. Learn how you too can move from burnout to balanced by setting up a Mental Fitness Success call with me today.

As a career coach, I work with busy women executives struggling with self-criticism, impostor syndrome, stress, and anxiety to increase their mental fitness so that they can feel at ease again in their own skin and fully enjoy the careers and life they've built.

Rather than coach the symptoms, I leverage my Mental Fitness training so that women resolve the root causes that threaten to sabotage their lives and get immediate results. 

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