Do you remember the last time you felt like you had all the energy in the world to complete your to-do list AND rest? Sounds like a fantasy, huh? Stop letting burnout run your life and start healing with the steps below!
What burnout looked like for me.
Before taking time from work to improve my mental health, I was always tired, overwhelmed, disengaged, and watching the clock – counting down the minutes until my 12 hours were over.
I was snappy with my co-workers/patients, had very thin patience, felt I had no time for a break, and was mentally exhausted. I couldn’t function as a human should anymore.
The thought of work immediately stressed me out. I often found myself at home, stressing over the next time I had to go in. It was ALL my mind could think about, even on my days off.
Every phone call I would get when I wasn’t at work would make my skin crawl, thinking it was management asking me to work overtime. The daily group text of: “HELP! Can anyone work an extra shift *insert day*” will wear you down quickly.
Being a nurse, I thought this feeling was normal. Everyone around me seemed to be experiencing the same feelings. But the truth is, NO ONE should feel this way because of their career.
Do you often feel exhausted and have a dreadful feeling every day you wake up for work? Are you feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and under-appreciated?
If the answer is yes, chances are you are experiencing burnout.
Overworking is becoming the Black Plague of the 21st century.
You’re not burned out because something is wrong with you – you’re burned out because our current culture has twisted priorities.
I don’t want you to think feeling burned out is a normal state of living. It’s NOT normal to be on the brink of tears from the stress of your life or job.
In today’s society, if you’re not running yourself ragged, then you’re not busy enough. This stigma has pushed us all to work ourselves to death, and for what?
I found that the calls and texts about being short-staffed gave me a manipulated feeling of obligation to help my co-workers. Keeping them from being overwhelmed each shift due to staffing, regardless of my mental state. But is it really our place to have to do this, or is this an unrealistic expectation put in place by management and society?
Is putting your mental health on the back burner to help prevent burnout in others what’s best for YOU?
“When you function with a sense of balance and wellness, you have created space for mental clarity; when you function from a state of being overworked, you have limited space for this mental clarity and gratitude.”
Remember: Your energy is equivalent to currency, be sure to spend it wisely.
What is driving you to experience burnout?
- Do you have the super-hero mentality that you can do it all?
- Is it unrealistic expectations from management or society?
- Are you prioritizing others over yourself?
- Is it people-pleasing?
- Do you feel underappreciated for the hard work you do?
Have you found yourself feeling like your body’s gas light is on and you just keep driving like “I know my car!”?
Sounds like it’s time for you to take some time out of your busy schedule to refuel your tank. What you really need is rest. How do you expect to keep driving your car when it finally gives out of gas?
If you’re struggling with burnout, more productivity is not what you need. Doing your best doesn’t mean working yourself to the point of a mental breakdown.
How you can prevent and heal from burnout:
- Set obtainable goals for each day. Don’t set yourself up for failure by bogging yourself down with a hefty and impossible list of things to accomplish. Be realistic and be sure to leave some time for mental space.
- Develop a healthy work-life balance. Be sure to take care of yourself and only take on what YOU can handle at a time. Don’t let the view set in place by others affect your sense of worth in the workplace.
- Don’t be afraid to speak up and take a mental health day. Give yourself a break from your responsibilities and take care of your needs.
- Set boundaries. Set healthy boundaries between yourself and work. I have done this by silencing certain notifications on my phone on my days off. Only allowing certain notifications helps me set a boundary without completely ignoring work.
- Keep up with your self-care. Self-care is so important in every aspect of our well-being. I preach self-care for everything that pertains to improving your mental health. I talk about it in depth in one of my previous posts (click here to give it read)!
Yes, we can all do anything; but we can’t do everything! You’re not always able to please everyone.
Be sure to put yourself and your needs first in your life.
If you don’t take away anything else from this post: Remember to stop letting the societal norms of running yourself to death dictate the way you live.
Don’t allow yourself to get overworked to the point you’re overwhelmed by life; it’s meant to be enjoyed!
Take a step back and look at what is causing you to feel the need to overwork yourself and focus on that key point. Start defining your productivity by your own standards and stop overworking yourself.
Drop a comment below and tell me one thing that causes you to overwork yourself each week or just leave some feedback! I’d love to hear from you!
Remember: Be the fierce lion you are.
With love,
-cg <3
***Check out these FREE downloadable journal prompts to help you deal with burnout***
Great blog with great visuals. Thank you.
Great blog! Thanks a lot for the tips! All love a’d support