Keeping Burn Out at Bay
Whether you are an entrepreneur or working within the traditional job market, burn out is a dangerous state to slide into. I had a friend recently ask me what do I do when I feel myself approaching that edge, the cusp of feeling burned out. I had a laundry list of things that I told him, and I thought I would share several:
Take a Break
Usually, when I’m starting to feel too tightly wound and on edge, it’s because I am insanely busy. I feel that I cannot take a break because I have too much that needs to be done, but I know I need it. The only way to force myself to take a break, is to schedule it. It may be a 1 hour break or 1 day, but I have to pencil it in. When I put it on my calendar, I magically find a way to work around it because I treat it like any other appointment. If I need a day or two, I schedule it at the end and/or beginning of a week so that it becomes a 3-4 day weekend.
Laugh
Laughter is great medicine and good for the soul. As silly as it may sound, I will randomly start laughing. At first it’s a bit forced, but after a while it becomes real as I realize how silly I must look. I even get a kick out of thinking how I would look and what the reaction would be if I did the same thing at a former job, or at a restaurant, or the grocery store…you get the picture. If I cannot succeed at making myself laugh, I head over to good ‘ole YouTube and watch a video from one of my channel subscriptions. There are a ton of comedic channels and I’m subscribed to a few for this purpose.
Dance Like No One is Watching
I love music and I love to dance. I’m not a very good singer and I’m a terrible dancer (but I have rhythm). I listen to music while I work, and sometimes I get up out of my seat and dance like crazy. The dance usually migrates throughout the house and occasionally I pick up a set of dumb bells for an exercise boost. The only person watching, is not actually a person, but my dog. I think he enjoys these sporadic moments although I am sure he is convinced that I am nuts. After all, on any given work day I am laughing like a crazy person by myself and and dancing aerobics-style all around the house. I would think I was nuts too.
Exercise
I took up running a few years ago and while I am not the fastest or best runner; I find it a great way to take a break and clear my mind. I run outdoors (which my chiropractor hates), because the treadmill bores me. I like to see scenery passing by plus, I am not quite coordinated enough to stay square on the treadmill. Running also does not take a lot of time from my workday. I have distances mapped from my front door and back. I run, come back, check my email and then hop in the shower. Sometimes the shower is delayed if there is something pressing I need to attend to. Now that it has gotten a bit too cold for me to run, I have been doing some weight training with some dancing mixed in between sets at home.
There are a few more things that I told him, but these four are the main ones in my arsenal. What should be in my arsenal is to slow down in general, but I’m too much of a busy body and I have too many goals, ideas and plans to execute to do that! What are some of the ways you stave off burn out?
Colleen Eakins is a dynamic and creative individual that possess a knack for great design. With over 15 years of experience in the field of graphic design, Colleen is able to effectively brand her clients with great design pieces. Her motto is: “Anyone can make a pretty picture, but is it effective? Will it make your customer buy your product or use your services? My design tries to answer with a YES!”