Burnouts
Preventing Burnout
Everyone experiences burnout, even if you do not recognize the name. Burnout is described as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Burnout can be brought on by many things, most notably work and stretching oneself too thin. It is also important to know that burnout causes both physical and mental damage. You might be thinking, how is this the Motivational Monday content I need to start my week? Simply put, sometimes we place so much emphasis on being productive that we forget to take care of ourselves. By avoiding burnout, we will feel more motivated as well as mentally sharp and physically strong throughout our week. Here are four tips to avoid burnout and stay your most motivated self this week!
Appreciate your progress. So often, we are so dedicated to achieving our goals that we overwork ourselves until we achieve them. However, many of us fail to celebrate those small landmarks. When we work hard, it is important to recognize our efforts and appreciate ourselves for what we achieve, even if we are not yet at our big picture goal.
Take a break. Mental health breaks are so undervalued, but can be so crucial to preventing burnout. It is important when we are overworking ourselves to take a step back and claim time for ourselves to get our mental health right. Not everyone has the same liberty to take a long mental health break as others, but even taking five minutes to decompress and clear your mind can go a long way in the fight against burnout.
Make time for what you love. As people fall into their work or their studies, they forget to distinguish it from their personal lives. By making time for your hobbies and interests, you break up the monotony of what is causing you stress. This also gives you something to look forward to if you can schedule it, preventing burnout.
Talk to someone. Unfortunately, burnout can affect us even if we take care of ourselves. The most important step we can take to prevent burnout is to talk to someone when we are close to our breaking point. This can be a friend, family member, partner, or even a professional. Talking to somebody who has our best interest at heart will help us re-center ourselves and allow feelings of burnout to come to the surface rather than eat away at us in silence.
Burnout is a dangerous feeling, but we can take action to keep it at bay and be our most motivated selves. Stay healthy, stay motivated, and STAY VALID!