How to Avoid Burnout
We know all too well that burnout could be just a step away, especially for those of us who have very full lives and wear multiple titles like “mom” and “entrepreneur”. We’ve seen many of our colleagues in the online marketing world go too hard and the fizzle out or fall out of love with the business they built.
According to the New York Times, in 2021 half of us were feeling burned out. So there’s a good chance if you’re reading this that you might be feeling this way right now.
How do you know if you’re burnt out?
Great question! A few common symptoms include:
Anxiety or having a cynical outlook
Lack of sleep, having a hard time sleeping, waking up often at night, feeling fatigued even after sleeping well
Lack of creativity, or feeling like you don’t have purpose
Feeling emotionally numb
Sadness, anger, irritability
Any of those ring a bell? Ok, keep reading!
What’s the root cause of my burnout?
The following journal prompts are for you to reflect on what is at the root of your burnout AND how can you use some tactical strategies to take care of yourself, make changes in your life, or reprioritize so that you can continue pursuing your purpose.
Dr. Dina Glouberman says “burnout is a state of mind, body, and spirit when we have reached the end of a particular road, but haven’t acknowledged it.” If you check in with yourself, is there a road you are still on that is no longer working for you? This might not look like “quitting your job” or “ending a friendship” (although it could!), but maybe it’s even a smaller shift of how you are showing up in those places.
What about whatever is causing you to feel burnt out feels heavy? Is there anything specifically that is taking away your energy (vs. filling up your metaphorical energy cup)?
What needs to shift in order for you to feel supported, lighter, or back in the game? Note: oftentimes this shift needs to come from you! No one is going to prioritize your healing and burnout for you, so this could look like you setting a boundary, changing your schedule, asking for support, etc.
What are your top core values? If you don’t know, check out this blog post right here!
If you were living in alignment with those values, what would a typical day look like for you? Be specific (who are you spending time with, what projects are you working on, how are you taking intentional time for outside work activities, etc).
What else can I do to prevent burnout?
In episode #57, I shared some of the personal things that I then implement after I understand the root cause of what’s going on. Here’s a few additional prompts with those in mind:
Where are you (or could you) seek out intentional moments of calm during your day? Note: this doesn’t have to look fancy! This could even look like a quick dog walk outside. Whatever this looks like for you.
What do you like to do for FUN? What hobbies do you currently do? And if you’re struggling with this one, think about things that you either used to do when you were little that you loved OR your go-to things before having kids. What would it look like to create space to prioritize this for you?
How does your relationship with social media make you feel? Is there anything you need to change about the content you are consuming to support your healing? For example, do you need to unfollow certain accounts? Do you need to mute certain accounts? Do I need intentional time away from certain apps?
Who are people who light you up? How can you intentionally create more space for those people and fiercely protect your time and energy from people who take away your energy? Does anything need to change in your relationships?
Don’t let your burnout take priority over your purpose. Now is the perfect time to look at what is and isn’t working in your life so you can continue to show up big in the world and in your relationships.
That’s it for now! Did you like this content? Shoot us a DM on Instagram @pursuingherpurpose and let us know what you thought!
On Purpose,
