Bouncing back from burnout is not an easy thing to do, but it is possible. After weeks of going full tilt, my body crashed and said enough!!! I’ve been paying the price for the past few days, and still trying to get back into the grove again. Here are some tips for becoming productive again after burnout strikes. You can check out the YouTube version by clicking here.
Steps For Bouncing Back From Burnout:
- Take time off.
- Make a list of things you like to do.
- Show yourself grace.
- Reintroduce activities as energy allows.
- Reward yourself for what gets done.
Taking Time off.
The first step after burnout strikes is to take time off. Those with FM or chronic illness know that pushing through is just a reality in their lives. With burnout however, pushing through is not an option. This is when you have to take the day, week, or month off depending on the severity of the burnout. This applies to those without chronic illness as well. The consequences of not taking the time off that you need will be devastating.
Taking time off looks different from person to person. You may be able to shut off your computer and do absolutely nothing, or it may be doing the bare minimum. Whichever works for you, do it. Honouring what your body tells you it needs is the most important thing. If you don’t give your body the break it needs when the warning lights go on, you may find yourself in dire straights. You wouldn’t continue to pass a gas station when your car’s empty gas tank warning light clicks on, so don’t do that to yourself. When your body tells you it needs a break, take the break.
Once you do get back on track, make sure to plan vacations in advance to help prevent burnout from hitting you out of the blue.
Making A List Of Things You Like To Do.
Don’t panic, this is not a new list of to do’s. This is a list of things that will help you relax and help your body heal. It can include:
- Sleeping
- A movie marathon
- A day at the beach
- A hike in the woods
- A trip to the zoo or aquarium
- Playing or listening to music
- A day at the spa
- Wood working
- Needle Work
- Writing
- Sports
- Etc…..
As you can see, the list is truly endless. Whatever you have been putting aside because of your busy schedule, and fits your budget, is fine. The whole point is to find something that will give your body and mind the break it needs. Doing something you love to do has a marvelous way of reinvigorating your body and mind!
Showing Yourself Grace.
This step is probably the hardest. I hate being unproductive! When I hit the wall, like I did this weekend, I hate not being able to accomplish the things on my schedule. Accepting that I just wasn’t going to be able to complete them that day, was the best thing I could do for myself. I notified my family that I was taking the day off, and I did. I decided that a Bridgerton marathon was exactly what I needed! My daughter even joined me for awhile. Having an amazing family to pick up the slack of making meals really helped too.
When my mind brought up thoughts of everything that wasn’t getting done, I had to gently remind myself that it was ok. Reminding myself that I deserve a day off once in awhile, went along way to helping me enjoy the break. Having a schedule and goals for yourself is a good thing, but we also need to be flexible enough to move things around when our days don’t go as planned. Being too rigid on ourselves can have very negative results. Be willing to make adjustments as necessary, and always show yourself Grace.
Reintroduce Activities As Your Energy Allows.
Whether it takes you one day, or one week to recover, don’t jump back into your activities right away. This may be hard for us overachievers to follow, but it’s vital for not relapsing back again. One of the challenges FM and chronic illness brings, are the crazy fluctuations in energy from day to day. One day you feel like you can move mountains, and the next you can barely crawl out of bed! Creating balance in your daily routine is essential for staying consistently productive.
I tend to start with the necessities of the day, which means feeding the family, doing my paid VA work projects, and coaching clients. Once that is done, I can then move on to other tasks on my list. As I’m writing this, I’m working through the Grant Cardone 10X System course, and getting the print version of my Tips For Living With Fibromyalgia And Chronic Illness book reformatted and available on Amazon. My goal is to have both done by the end of August. I’m very close on both, but my unrelenting focus on these two tasks are what has led to my burn out.
Rewarding Yourself For What Gets Done.
I was set to get the Grant Cardone course done this week, but with the multiple days I’ve needed to rest, it will most likely be done sometime next week. Although I was looking forward to having it done by Friday, I am showing myself grace with the knowledge that it will still be done by the end of the month. Today has been a good day, so I may even get in a of couple hours on it yet, but most likely I won’t get to work on both.
I’m honestly OK with that, because I’m giving myself credit for what I have accomplished. We are often our harshest critics, and that does not help us in our productivity or healing. It all comes down to the old adage of “is your glass half full, or half empty?” How do you want to look at life? If you look at everything you do from the perspective of what you haven’t done yet, you will never feel good enough. When you don’t allow yourself to reach a finish line, you will inevitably exhaust yourself chasing it.
Living from a glass half full perspective allows you to celebrate what you did accomplish. If you think back to teachers or coaches you’ve had in your past, I’m sure you’ll agree that the ones that gave you kudos for where you were at, were more inspirational than the ones that didn’t. You can be that coach for yourself!!! Don’t be afraid to set out rewards for yourself at the end of day, week, or project. Our teachers didn’t give us gold stars in school for nothing; they knew that little gold star would propel us forward to our next task!
In Conclusion.
Bouncing back from burnout is possible when we give ourselves a chance. By allowing ourselves to take a break, do things we love, show ourselves grace, add activities back slowly, and reward ourselves, it becomes much easier. Punishing ourselves is never the answer, and it’s proven that productivity increases when you take breaks. So when you hit the wall, honour yourself by taking the break you so greatly deserve. The world will keep on turning while you take time to smell the roses!
As a natural encourager, I live to help others!!! One-on-one coaching is a great way to start building your confidence, and improve your health! I help people with Fibromyalgia and chronic illness manage their symptoms with ease, so they never feel held back again! Click here for an application form and I would be happy to help you in your journey. You can also contact me at andrea@nopainallgain.ca or check out my website: www.nopainallgain.ca
