Battered by the demands of a fast-paced work & home life or burnt out?

If so, maybe the only new year resolution you should be working on right now, is to take time out for yourself in 2020.

The demands of modern day living can be overwhelming, leaving many people feeling physically and mentally drained. If you’re reading this and feel it’s been written about you – it’s important to take action now before you burn yourself out completely.

What is burnout?

Until recently burnout was described by the medical world as a stress syndrome, however the World Health Organisation recently updated its definition and refers to burnout as; a “syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”.

They list the following symptoms;

·      feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion

·      increased mental distance from one’s job or feeling negative towards one’s career

·      reduced professional productivity

The reality is burnout may leave you feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, hopeless, resentful, cynical and unable to meet constant demands.

The negative effects of burnout can also spill over into every aspect of your life, including relationships and home life. It can make you vulnerable to illnesses such as common colds and flu’s, headaches, muscle pain or in the long run more serious health issues.

Some people may find themselves withdrawing from responsibilities, isolating themselves, taking longer to get things done, taking their frustrations out on others and in a lot of cases using food, drugs or alcohol to cope.

So what do you do?

Firstly, take a deep breath, I mean it – Close your eyes, breathe slowly in out. Focus on the sound and when you have more time practice the 4, 7, 8 breathing technique, it involves breathing in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds. This technique is proven to reduce anxiety and can also help with sleep and controlling and reducing anger responses.

Now let’s think about the other positive steps and changes that you can take to deal with managing or preventing burnout.

Who can you reach out to? Reaching out to people you trust can be one of the most effective ways of dealing with the issue, once you have recognised the problem and have acknowledged that you are burning out. Organise to meet up now and then for a coffee or a walk, don’t forget to ask how they are feeling these days too!

Limit your contact with negative people. Hanging out with people who do nothing but complain can drag you down. If you have to work with negative people, limit the amount of time you spend together – separate at lunch and coffee breaks, take a walk rather than sit and listen to negativity in the canteen.

Find new friends and balance in your life. It’s never too late to establish new friendships. Join a group, pursue a hobby or something that you always loved to do. Have a look on-line there’s lots of great options from book clubs to walking groups etc. You don’t have to just join up for sports these days. You could always connect with a cause or a community group that is personally meaningful to you, the interaction with like-minded people will really help and working for a cause can be very gratifying.

Take time off if you need it. Use holidays to completely detach and that means also switching off emails or your phone all together for the duration of your break. You could always buy a new sim card to use instead of your usual phone during your holiday and only give the number to people who may need to contact you in the case of an emergencies only.

Take a daily tech break. If you can’t take time off right now, at least take a daily break from technology. Set a time each day or evening when you completely disconnect. Switch off your phone, put away your laptop and stop checking emails or social media.

Make ‘me’ time a priority. It may sound selfish, but in the long run you will feel better for it. If you feel better, your quality time with those around you will also improve when you are with them.

Take some exercise. Even though it’s probably the last thing you want to hear…but yes, exercise is a powerful antidote to stress and burnout. Even a 10 minute walk can improve moods for up to 2 hours. Start with small goals and it will be easier to increase the amount of time you spend exercising when you start to see the positive results. Instead of focusing on your thoughts and moods try and focus on your body and how it functions. Feel the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, the cold wind against your face, the sound of your breathing etc when you take a walk.

Review your diet. You may be craving comfort foods right now like sugary snacks, pasta and French fries, but sugary and high carb foods will quickly lead to crashes in mood and energy levels. Be aware of mood altering foods such as caffeine, trans fats, alcohol and foods with chemical preservatives and hormones. Replace them with fresh fruits, vegetables and more nutritious options where you can.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself, be kind to your body. Set boundaries and set rules for yourself. Don’t overextend yourself, learn how to say ‘no’ when required! Saying ‘no’ allows you to say ‘yes’ to other activities that make you feel better about yourself. It’s not healthy to consistently function at a very high level – know your limits.

None of us are super human so stop beating yourself up!

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Best of Luck in 2020