We all suffer from burn-out now and then. No one likes to talk about it, so we tend to suffer in silence. Well, guess what- you don’t have to anymore. Suffering in silence can lead to isolation, depression and more of a feeling that you’re burnt out and unable to make a come back to the ‘normal’ you. I am sharing 3 tips below for avoiding and/or overcoming burn out. These are tips that I share in my professional speaking commitments. If you’re interested in learning more about having me come speak to your professional organization, please click here: https://thejoyofliving.co/contact/

The American Psychological Association’s David Ballard, PsyD describes job burnout as “an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their job performance.” Yes, I agree 100%. So, the first thing you have to consider when dealing with burn out is frustration. You may feel like what you’re doing doesn’t matter that much anymore, or you may be disillusioned with everything. If frustration is unusual for you, address it. Instead of sitting down and crying or feeling bad for yourself, put yourself in a time out and have an internal conversation. Play detective and really interview yourself as to why you are feeling frustrated. Make sure to write down the answers so you can see the results in black and white. Understanding the source of frustration will not only help you discover if you are burnt out, but discover if you need to address anything else, too.

Burnout and chronic stress may interfere with your ability to pay attention or concentrate. When we’re stressed, our attention narrows to focus on the negative element that we perceive as a threat. If you feel this way, start making yourself walk for at least 15 to 30 minuets. Physical activity will help to clear the mind and acts like oil when we emotionally feel stuck. If you can’t walk, make sure you do some type of physical movement to get the positive vibes flowing and your mind pointed in a different direction.

Finally, ask yourself if you are tired all of the time. A sign of burnout is when you feel tired all the time. Exhaustion can be emotional, mental or physical. It’s the sense of not having any energy. If this is how you feel, first seek out medical advice. There could be underlining physical problems as to why you feel tired. If the doctor rules out anything medical, you will have to address your personal and/or professional life. Maybe you are spending too much time working or too much time driving around the kids when you could be resting. Once you do take a look at your commitments, you probably will have to address when and where to cut back so you aren’t burnt out and too tired.