I’ve been face to face with burnout in the past and it is not something I want to ever encounter again. I was working 24/7 between my full-time job and my part-time job. I was a mother to 3 young kids and I wasn’t taking breaks or taking care of myself. I took everything to heart, and it eventually built up and led to burnout.
I was struggling BIG time. I didn’t realize what had happened when my anxiety was getting worse and worse. I started having panic attacks, which I had NEVER had before in my life, and I was in my 30s. It took months to figure out what was going on with me. I had so many “medical issues” going on, and then we finally realized it was panic attacks and uncontrolled anxiety.
This image was taken of me shortly before I faced burnout. Burnout is horrible. My anxiety was through the roof and I started having panic attacks. If you are close to becoming burnt out, please take time to relax, seek help, and confide in someone you trust.
I felt dumb and embarrassed by it all. I didn’t want to be known as “that girl or that mom with mental health issues.” I didn’t think life was going to get better. I lost hope and thought I was going to keep having these frequent panic attacks for the rest of my life. I sunk into a dark place in my mind because I didn’t think I was going to get better. It was awful.
I was at the lowest point in my life. Prior to my mental health crisis and burnout, I was a happy-go-lucky person. I loved the outdoors, my career, and my family and friends. I was so thankful and grateful for all I had. As a hospice nurse, I knew all about loss and how short life can be. I tried to live my life in a positive way. I never imagined I would be faced with such dark times. But see, that is the thing with burnout and mental health, you never know when it is going to strike. My struggles seemed to come out of nowhere, however, looking back I now recognize that there were warning signs.
Knowing what some of the red flags are important to keep in the back of your mind. You never know when you might face burnout which can lead to a mental health crisis.
Some signs you are facing burnout:
· You have low energy
· Reduced productivity and performance
· Anxiety
· Detachment
· Fatigue
· Sleeping too much or too little
· Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep
· Low mood
· Lack of creativity
· Being on edge
· Difficulty concentrating
· Feeling like you must do it all and only you can do it
· Feeling like your to-do list is never-ending and you can’t get caught up
· Headaches
· A negative attitude toward your job
· A negative attitude towards coworkers
· Loss of purpose
· Quickness to anger
· Emotional rollercoaster
· Numbness
· Frustration
· Being sick more- colds/flu
· Muscle tension
· You are turning cynical
· You feel useless
· You feel depressed
· Your mind wanders
· Stomach aches
· You are using food, alcohol, or drugs to cope
· Isolation
· Calling in sick to work/missing work or assignments
· Missing deadlines
· Procrastination
Burnout can occur seemingly out of nowhere, but again, there are usually warning signs that you are facing burnout. Listen to your body, listen to your heart and mind.
Don’t ignore the warning signs of burnout
There are many ways to help prevent burnout. I do not want you to face burnout like I did. I want you to work hard and meet your career and life goals, but without the burnout. Burnout stinks!
Here is a list of things you can do that will help prevent burnout:
· Take breaks often (every 50 minutes)
· Drink water
· Exercise
· Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet
· Get outside
· Deep breathing
· Ask for help
· Get enough sleep
· Keep moving (go for walks, stand at your desk, take the steps)
· Journal
· Self-reflect
· Build a support system
· Check in with your goals and dreams
· Start a hobby
· Set boundaries
· Set up dates with friends
· Focus on family time
· Read books to help calm your mind before bed
· Create a work schedule for tasks and stick to it
· Delegate tasks
· Say “no” to things you are not passionate about
· Let go of perfectionism
· Learn and utilize stress reduction techniques]
Go for a walk, get out in nature, meet up with a friend, do what you can to prevent burnout
Maybe not all these tips to prevent burnout will resonate with you. Hopefully knowing that there are many ways to help prevent burnout will allow you to take note of how you are feeling, and you can put some of these tips into place. If you are feeling burnt out, say something. Let your boss, coworkers, or partner know you are feeling this way. Talk to your trustworthy friends. Reach out to me, I would love to connect with you and talk with you about how you are feeling. Take the initiative to implement some of these prevention techniques now.
I think these techniques are good “rules” to live by in everyday life. I would love to catch up with a friend while eating a healthy meal and drinking water while going for a walk. Can we do all of that at once? I think so! Well…I know I can totally go for a walk while drinking water and talking with a friend, the healthy meal might have to come before or after the walk though.
The important thing is that we need to take care of ourselves, our families, and our loved ones. We need to reach out to someone we trust who can support us when times get tough. We need to try to be ahead of the “game” when it comes to self-care and preventing burnout. Take time for yourself and make time for connection with others. I know this is easier said than done. I still find it difficult to find the time to focus on my self-care.
One thing I am currently working on is having deep and meaningful conversations with others. I want to dig deep and go deep. I want my friends and loved ones to be able to fully trust me with whatever they are entrusting me with. I want to form long-lasting relationships that are healthy and fun. I think I can always improve on how deep my relationships are.
I want to be fully transparent; I still tend to work a lot and I work hard. I love working on my part-time businesses and that tends to mean that I work a lot of hours on those after my “day job”. This brings me mostly happiness and gratefulness, however, it can lead to stress. So, I must remember to take things slow and steady. I cannot push myself 110% like I used to. There are many times when I work during my boys’ hockey practices, but rarely during their games. I have to set boundaries and stick to them. This can be difficult because I am a very motivated person and I love to accomplish many things. I am also multi-passionate, so I like to do many things. I also put others first and I am an empathetic person. I tend to “feel” what others are feeling. This can also lead to burnout.
I have 3 jobs and I work a lot. I love it, but I have to be careful not to burn myself out again.
If you are like me, hard-working, dedicated, and possibly a slight work-a-holic you need to be careful that you do not burn yourself out. I want you to have a long and healthy relationship with your career, job, work, business, and whatever you do for your job. I want you to do it well, but also remember to put yourself and your family first.
We can all get caught up in tasks and to-do lists. Take time for reflection and self-care. Take time for family and friends. Take time for walks and hobbies that you enjoy. There is always time to work more.
My 4 reasons why. It is difficult to remember to focus on me and take alone time away from these 4, but sometimes it is needed and it makes me a better wife and mom.
Take a deep breath. Not everything has to be perfect. You do not need to do it all. Ask for help. Allow others to help. Take time to just be still. Meditate. Do yoga. Do what feels good to your soul. You’ve got this!
