What to do when you are suffering from burnout

Stress and feeling burnt out is something that happens to each and every one of us at some point during our lives. In society there's so much pressure to be the jack of all trades, to take on extra work, have a fruitful social life and attain perfection that sometimes we forget to take time out and replenish ourselves. No-one can function going at 100mph every day without taking a break and if you do, it is likely to result in burnout - the feeling of being overwhelmed, unable to cope and feeling fatigued. Not allowing ourselves to rest can have a vast impact on our health and wellbeing and in the long run, working too hard and juggling too many things can actually set us back from our goals rather than leaping to the finish line. I'm often guilty of taking on too many things and it has only been in the last year where I've been forced to take several breaks due to ill-health that I realised how important they are. Having those breaks allowed me to re-address situations with a clearer mindset and have the energy to put my heart and soul into a project rather than my work being subpar. If you are suffering from burnout, here's a few helpful tips.

Work out your priorities

Firstly sit down and work out your priorities in a traffic light system. Red means work that cannot wait and needs doing as soon as possible, amber is fine to leave for an extra day or two and green you have plenty of time until your deadline. Be realistic with the goals you are setting, don't just shove everything into the red section just so you can get it done quicker. 

Take a rest

Once you have worked out your priorities, slot in some rest breaks. Look at which nights during the week you can afford to have a night off and focus on doing the things you love or look at your schedule and see where you can fit in an hour of exercise or going for a nice long walk.

Have a change of scenery

Where possible try having a change of scenery as it will help you feel even more rested and also could give time to look at things from a different perspective. If you work in a office, try going out for lunch once or twice a week or if you work from home try freelancing from a coffee shop for an hour. 

Take up a new hobby

Taking up a new hobby can greatly reduce stress levels as it gives you time to do something you love and allows you to focus on something unrelated to what is causing you to feel burnt out. A new hobby can help boost positivity, creativity and your self-esteem, after all we all love finding new things we are good at.

Don't worry, be happy

Finally, in the great words of Bob Marley, 'Don't worry, be happy'. Dwelling on things can be counterproductive as it often causes unneeded anxiety and fatigue. It is better to stay calm and try not to worry about what is going on around you. The calmer you are, the more likely you are to find an answer to your solutions.