7 Ways
To Beat Burnout

Mirjam Stoffels

I f you are like most 21st century modern women, you’re working, running the kids around, working out [at least sometimes], being mother, a friend, a colleague, a daughter, a wife, a teacher, a homemaker, a problem solver.

You do all that and stay sexy at the same time. You’re not a bird, not a plane you are, you are Superwoman! Absolutely exhausting…

Maybe you’re not flying through the sky like our caped super heroine, but no doubt that at some point in your life you’re going to feel burned out in your attempts to fulfill all these rolls.

Okay, superwomen are not by default the personalities to take advice from others or to think they need help [at least I do not ...].

But if you want to keep flying high, you have to at least start paying attention to a few things. To begin with, start noticing. Noticing what? The stress. Avoid burnout before it’s too late.

‘And how do I start noticing?’, you ask? Here are seven suggestions:

 
#1
Pay attention
Most of us super-people zoom through life so fast that we do not even notice our body signals. We push past fatigue. Blow by headache, abdominal pain and muscle tension, because we’re conditioned to do so. Then it’s no wonder we crash and burn after years of cumulative stress. Rather than simply noticing: ‘I have a headache’, ask yourself what’s causing that headache. Is it stress? Do something to relieve it! Make a game plan to de-stress.

 
#2
Body scan
Learn to do a body scan several times a day. This is key to noticing when stress, fatigue or lack of sleep is getting out of hand. Sit quietly for a few minutes, wherever you are. Close your eyes and start at your head. Scan every part of your body and note where tension, stress, or tight muscles are. Can you pinpoint the places where you hold tension and stress? Do you clench your fists or your jaw? Ask yourself: ‘How do I feel?’ Get started with the answers you get. This can make all the difference when it comes to living a balanced and joyful life.

 
#3
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is paying attention to what you’re paying attention to. What’s going on in your head? Do you ruminate or obsess about things? If so, what? How is what’s going on in your heart affecting you physically? Does it have a spiritual effect? And emotionally? Take notice of the noise in your life and do something about it if it is too much. Mindfulness involves taking a non-judgmental attitude about yourself and your abilities to do it all.

 
#4
Let go of perfectionism
We superwomen think and believe that we need to be, have to be, ought to be, perfect. You should, must, and have to perform perfectly. No room for mistakes. If you notice yourself constantly feeding yourself thoughts that push, judge, condemn or pressure yourself, change! Mindfulness can help. Bend your judgmental and condemning thoughts into positive ones. Every day!

 
#5
Practice silence and solitude
Turn everything off. Phone. iPod. iPad. Computer. TV. Yes, that’s scary, but it means everything. Now sit – alone and in total silence. Start with 5 minutes. Free your mind of all thoughts. If you get distracted, bring yourself back to that quiet place. Think of something that relaxes you. Meditate.

 
#6
Set your boundaries
Taking care of yourself means setting your boundaries. This means saying that dreaded ‘N’ word: NO. Even God rested on the seventh day! Women often have a hard time saying no. But it can save your sanity! There’s only so many tasks that you can complete within a given time. Do not feel bad about saying ‘no’. Isn’t it better to do a great job with a few obligations than to have to disappoint everyone in the end?

 
#7
Set your schedule
Make sure to set your schedule so that it’s work work work on the weekdays and fun fun fun on the weekends. Those two days of rest and relaxation may be just what the doctor ordered. Also vacation time was meant to prevent burnout. So be sure to use that time. Even workaholics should follow this advice [once in a while]. And last but certainly not least: schedule ‘me’-time!

 
If you want to do something about the stress in your life, pay attention to the triggers that cause you stress and consquently take good care of yourself.

Self-care needs to happen daily, not as a catch up after months and months of ongoing stress. So don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Use these seven suggestions to make a start and remind yourself daily of the calm, centered person you want to be.

 
Sharing is caring!
How do you cope with stress in your daily life? What is your secret to beat burnout?
Please share your insights or experiences in the comment box below!
Thank you!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, guest blogger at TEDx, Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, by women, I want to inspire you with our content! Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! I’d love to connect!
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