Battling Burnout- 5 simple steps
Make It Stand Out.
Have you ever felt burned out, in a rush, like you have no time to breathe in your busy schedule and desperately need some white space on the calendar? Me too
I've been feeling that way lately with the business of the Holiday season, work, family, life, serving in church, working on a passion project. Sometimes when I consider all I have for the week to do I feel like my head is spinning with anxiety and a low grade sense of dread of overwhelm starts to creep in.
One thing I love about Jesus is he knows what it is like to be human. He came to earth and put on flesh and he knows what it is like to be sick, tired, hungry, thirsty, burned out, busy with the work God gave him to do. This is so comforting to me in times of feeling overwhelmed. That Jesus knows what it feels like, he has compassion on us and he has rest for us but also strength to persevere and endurance so that our character is developed.
Sometimes the answer to this strong feeling of being overwhelmed is to do less.
Recently I was speaking with my counselor about something that was bothering me and she told me I think you are really tired and stressed out.. She asked how have you been doing with the basics? Sleep, hydration, eating three meals with nutrients each day, making time for movement and exercise? The true answer was accident not great. She was like I think the “problem” you are having is not a big problem you are just needing some rest. And we can come back to it another time.
I realized that in my desire to serve others and accomplish and be productive I had totally run out of gas in my human body. Its been on my mind lately that sometimes I want my body to run more like a machine than a human body, a woman, a precious daughter of God, deeply loved, made with a purpose, a soul with emotions, and a spirit that longs for the presence and companionship of God.
After spending some time reading scripture and praying I realized my soul and spirit are sounding the alarm with anxiety, irritablitiy, more bouts of anger, desires to numb the exhaustion with another dopamine hit shopping or learning the next new makeup technique or how to organize a closet.
On the bright side I am so thankful to be tuned in ( with some help from people I love) enough to recognize that some changes are in order before a bigger melt down occurs.
Its funny how advertising and social media are constantly and extremely strategically pushing on us that we need to have more things, more experiences, do more, dress better, look better ect to be fulfilled and yet going back to the basics can be so incredibly fulfilling to our souls and often free or extremely low cost.
So how to combat feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and burnout? Here are 5 steps that have been making a world of difference in my life.
Sleep - Okay I know this sounds really silly because we all know about sleep, we all sleep but sleep is crucial to our brains ability to connect with others, feel loved, and process emotions. They recently did a study that showed that sleep deprivation makes us want to stay away from others and also makes others want to stay away and not connect with us. Sleep is essential to us having the ability to even start the process of considering the changes we should make to battle burnout and anxiety. 2 sleep tips here
put your phone to bed ( I put mine to bed around 9 pm) I plug it in away from my bed and bought and analog alarm clock so that it is not the first thing I see in the morning- allowing me to start the day in my quiet time with less distraction
have a nightime routine, wether that is a shower a bath, a cup of tea, reading, listening to an audiobook, streching, listening to music find what speaks to your soul and block out that time before bed to slow down the mind and body for more relaxing sleep . This is the time to say the latest netflix murder solving show does not fall into that category and primes the brain for anxiety. I would highly consider having a no screen time policy at least one hour before your bedtime. This is your life! You can make it what is best suited for you, be prayerful. Ask God how he would like you to spend your last hour before bed
Eat Regularly- I know this sounds silly to but its amazing how we can get of the basics. I had kinda gotten off my schedule of eating having food in the house and meals thought through for the week and the results were not great. If I get too hungry because of not planning thats when I lean towards eating junk food that leaves me hungry and still craving more.
Look over your next week on Saturday or Sunday and consider what your food needs are
Go to the grocery store or have the food delivered to your house so its in the fridge when you need it
Come up with some extremely simple (5 min and under) meal and snack ideas to have on hand for when you need it. My favorites are eggs with salsa and and avocado, or tuna with hummus and micro greens, or greek yogurt with berries. I have found it very helpful to have simple meals around for when I'm beat. If you love cooking all the more power to you go for it!
Try not to completely skip meals but eat something on a schedule that works for you. Our bodies do really well on a schedule knowing what to expect.
3. Hydrate- Drink water! Okay you are definitely sarcastically thinking thanks for all this new information! But our body needs water. Studies show staying hydrated increases alertness, better mood, cognitive function, athletic performance, as well as maintains health and performance of the heart, liver kidneys, and brain just to name a few. Being hydrated has quite the effect on us whether we are aware of it or not. So keep that water bottle with you. Also side note but I have a friend who is a top tier model and she says her number one skincare secret is to stay hydrated- so free beauty tip there :)
When you wake up first thing in the morning drink 16 oz of water or two cups of water. The body is dehydrated from sleeping and not drinking so it is very important to start the day off with water
Water before coffee! If you'r a coffee drinker like me start the day with water but try to pair a cup of coffee with a water
Ditch the soda, swap for water or flavored water if you need flavor- sorry friends but someone needs to tell it to you straight. The stuff in soda is not good for you the sugar or artificial sugar are not helping your body. If you love soda maybe reduce it to once a week but soda is empty calories its making our bodies crave more sugar and store extra fat. Not great
Try herbal teas, I love to have this at nightime and its such a cozy way to settle into sleep
4. Move your body- Exercise and sweat is surprisingly one of the best ways to combat stress and improve our mood. Honestly that is enough right there. How many of us want to reduce or release stress and be in a better mood! Everyone raise your hand. God in his kindness made us to work; our bodies and minds thrive when we put our hands to work wether it is yard work, gardening, cleaning the house, or exercising.
Spend some time thinking about what kind of exercise you ENJOY! If you don't know try out some different classes or activites by yourself or with a friend. Find what makes you feel good and accomplished.
Consider if there are any specific exercise related goals you have for yourself ? Mine is to be able to walk, hike, do yoga, get down on the floor with my grand babies, carry groceries up the stairs, swim in the ocean when Im 90 . This does mean I need to move my body and keep it in motion. For me this also means I need to work on flexibility, overall strength, and cadiovascular fitness. My routine includes some yoga, weightlifting and running
Listen to your body. Care for your body while excercising and be very patient with yourself. The goal isn't to turn into a fitness model overnight, it is to care for your body, reduce stress improve mood and work towards your ultimate fitness goals. Take breaks, take rest days as needed. Don't do excercises that hurt or pinch if it doesn't feel right. But be willing to strech yourself and embrace soreness the day after or tiredness after workouts because that is how our bodies grown.
5. Get outside- Sunlight specifically is excellent for resetting our circadium rhythm and improving mood. God is so good in providing what we need to grow. Studies show being in nature sparks in our brains the same center for creativity as if we were painting a picture or dancing. Being in nature is so healing to my soul personally. It reminds me that although our world may be getting faster and faster with technology there is a pace of grace in nature that is unmoving and unchanging. Nature grows at its own rythm and beats to its own drum and our bodies do well to get in rythm with it.
Find a local park you can sit in and read a book, try leaving your phone at home
go for a long walk in your neighborhood or park nearby
consider your next travel destination to be more focused on being the natural beauty God created rather than exploring a city
try a short walk in the morning to get outside, morning sunlight and late evening sunlight somehow triggers in our brains the time of day and can help us sleep on a normal cycle
Final Thoughts: Scripture to encourage you
1 Corinthians 6:19–20: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies".
Pray about it:
Father, thank you for giving me this body. Thank you for the health that I do have. Thank you for your guidance in our lives and help me remember that I can trust you and don’t need to lean on my own understanding. Would you help bring to mind any area in my health or what I take in or do not take into my body that is not honoring you and give me courage to make the changes this week. Help me to guard my mind and my thoughts especially at nighttime as I prepare for bed. Help me to use that time to renew my mind with thoughts of all that is good and true and pure. We thank you for your faithfulness and steadfastness even when we fall short, that you are coming after us to give us an abundant life.
