If the path to the Fantastic Life seems exhausting, that’s because it is! It’s easy to get burned out. Over the years, one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is how to slow down.
Mel Robbins gives us 9 things to do when you are feeling burned out. Of course, I added my comments in orange.
- Stay active on the weekends – Find time to go on an outing or hang out with friends. I have found planning 3-5 fun things (not your to-do list) is a great way to start the process of decompressing.
- Manage stress – Meditate, exercise, and stay in the present. There is that word again—meditate (click here for a primer).
- Get off the Grid – Detach yourself from your electronics. Fantastic Life Rule #6 is Stay out of the Matrix. (See my book The Fantastic Life.)
- Change your Environment – If you’ve been working in the office all week, work from home for a day.
- Organize your Downtime – Make it a point to schedule buffer time for yourself (see #1 above). Planning is not just for the work week. Plan your life!
- Sleep! – I found this one out later in life. Here is a good reminder on this topic. As is this article.
- Find your Pain Point – What tasks are burning you out the most? Delegate them to others.
- Take a Walk – Find 10 minutes in your work day to take a walk. And BREATHE.
- Lend a Hand – Take a break from your work to help someone else.
The Fantastic Life is about more than getting ahead in your professional life. It’s about finding success in all areas, and learning to recognize when it’s time to take a break.
Rule #6 from my book The Fantastic Life: Stay Out of the Matrix
Sometimes we build the Matrix ourselves when we get too caught up in routines. That comes back to bite us. Find what helps you detach, and make plenty of time for it.
9 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Burned Out
By: Mel Robbins
October 26, 2016
Are you feeling burned out, stressed about your job, overwhelmed by your work?
Burnout can be caused by one big factor or a combination of small annoyances that build up over time. It can leave you physically and mentally unable to focus on day-to-day tasks, and you certainly will struggle to focus on long-term goals.
But you can take back control of your day, by taking on new challenges and finding healthy coping mechanisms for normal daily stressors. We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council for tips on how they avoid burnout.
Use your time away from the office to refresh and energize yourself. If you spend the entire weekend working from your home office, you’re bound to experience burnout. Try heading outside for a hike or bike ride.
—Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors
Stress can easily contribute to burnout if it’s not managed effectively. Adopting simple techniques in your daily schedule—such as meditation, exercise and practicing mindfulness—can help you get mentally and physically fit so your brain is fresh and ready to return to work.
—Anthony Pezzotti, Knowzo.com
Part of the high level of stress and burnout that we currently experience is the intense connectivity and demand for attention placed on us by the supercomputer in our pockets. By checking emails, social media and text messages every few minutes, it’s easy to burn out. Schedule media detox times into your life—entire days or blocks of time when your device stays home, off or both.
—Marcela De Vivo, Gryffin
When I realize I’m burned out, I stop everything and change my whole environment. Because I work at home, I might visit a client’s office for a day, attend a conference or go commune with nature. Stepping away from the daily stress and grind and viewing the world from a different perspective, even temporarily, reawakens my curiosity and enthusiasm for work.
—Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work
Everyone needs to disconnect and rejuvenate. How you do that is up to you, but build time into your schedule to take a step back and pursue something that feeds your mind, body and spirit. If you build that time into your schedule on a consistent basis, you won’t experience burnout. It’s all about finding balance.
—Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
You get burned out answering late-night emails before you go to bed. And since it is the last thing you end up thinking about, you feel overwhelmed and it can be hard to sleep. Instead, quarantine your computer, phone and TV in another room. Enjoy a good book, then meditate a few minutes so you prepare yourself for a restful night’s sleep without distractions.
—Amerisleep, Firas Kittaneh
We usually don’t get burned out by the entire business. It’s usually a few aspects that cause burnout. Although you can try to soothe burnout by taking occasional breaks, until you identify the tasks that cause you to revolt, you’ll keep running into burnout. Identify a few tasks you can’t stand to do anymore and find a way to outsource some or all of them.
—Mark Daoust, Quiet Light Brokerage, Inc.
I enjoy a short walk around the block listening to music to get my focus back. I find that when I walk away from a project for as little as five minutes, I come back refreshed with new ideas and perspectives I might have never thought of if I hadn’t left my desk. Sometimes occupying your mind with other thoughts and senses can bring you right where you need to be.
—Stanley Meytin, True Film Production
Accomplishing something meaningful is a great way to recharge, and switching problems is refreshing. Offer to help people without expecting anything in return. Your fresh perspective can be invaluable to them and the simple act of helping someone else will help you get back on track.