(dramatic music)
- Okay, now that we have figured out
how to recover from the effects of burnout,
let's get into how we can prevent it from happening again.
'Cause there is nothing worse
than finally feeling better,
only to feel thrown back down again.
And there are many tips and tricks to burnout prevention.
So make sure you take notes during this episode,
because we are going to cover everything
from time management, to compartmentalization.
And as always, this video series
is an educational project brought to you by Google.
Okay, let's get into some tools and tips
that you can start using today.
Obviously, everyone is gonna be different.
So take what you want and leave the rest.
Think of it as like burnout prevention buffet.
And my first tip is, to know your limits.
And what I mean by that
is to know the signs and symptoms,
that you experienced when you're getting burned out.
Remember, we talked about that a few episodes ago.
Notice how it feels for you.
What are the physical mental things that you notice first.
That's the best way, and the best telltale sign
that something going wrong.
And that allows us to understand our limits,
and recognize when things are pushing into
maybe an unhealthy realm.
And then we have to use some of our self-care techniques,
whether it's exercise, socializing, eating better,
all the things we kind of talked about,
we can then implement those tools.
In my second tip, is to set up healthy boundaries.
And I know therapists and mental professionals
talk about boundaries a lot, but nobody really explains it.
So let's explain it.
Boundaries can be talked about
in consideration to my property, and your property.
But when it comes to our mental health,
a boundary is something that we set up
in order to keep us safe, happy and healthy.
Meaning that we have to decide where the line is
between us feeling good and happy,
and us feeling tired and upset.
And the way that we can best tell that,
is the physical feelings or mental thoughts
that pop up for us.
Meaning I might feel really uncomfortable,
or think that someone is just asking
for too much personal information,
or I might all of a sudden feel
really irritable or agitated.
So just try to recognize what symptoms you experience
when you're feeling burned out,
or when you feel a boundary being overstepped,
so that you can notice it more quickly,
and put those self-care tools into action.
And along the lines of boundaries,
decide how much you're willing to give to your work,
or personal relationships.
We're gonna have to have boundaries around
relationship issues, vacations, family members,
our own personal struggles.
If you think about it, we don't wanna bring work home,
and we don't wanna bring home to work.
And so we're gonna have to have boundaries
around such things.
And we also have to leave something for ourselves
at the end of each and everyday.
Imagine that.
And another way that we're gonna need
to incorporate boundaries is,
taking breaks, work life balance.
We aren't robots, we can't work around the clock.
We need time for sleep, exercise, socialization,
and many other things.
That's why we have to give ourselves breaks each day,
each week, and take annual vacations
where you really disengaged from work.
Like we talked about in a previous episode,
everyone's needs are gonna be different.
So try out different ways to take breaks during your days.
What types of vacations feel best for you?
Make time for that.
It will also allow you to focus more,
and do more when you are working.
Another tip for boundaries
and something I've talked about on my channel before is,
work life space separation.
I know that sounds like really fancy,
but really what this means is that we can't work,
socialize and sleep in the same space.
I know that can sound crazy,
but our brain is adaptive,
and it will get used to focusing in that place
where we do all of our work.
If that place happens to be our bed,
then it's gonna have an even harder time shutting off,
and allowing us to go to sleep,
because it thinks that's where we do our work.
That's where we focus right?
So make sure that your different areas
are broken down and separated.
It can really help us unplug and recharge when we need to,
and also focus when we need to.
And since we're talking about boundaries,
and how we're gonna change
potentially how we interact with our friends and family,
we're gonna need to communicate them.
This will ensure that they understand
you're working on yourself,
and not get offended with the changes you're making.
I mean, think about it, if we normally talk to our mom
or our sister, or a friend for hours everyday,
and we find it's cutting into our personal time,
or recharge time,
and we're not gonna make time for that anymore.
We have to let them know,
so they don't think they've done anything wrong.
It can also give them an opportunity to support us
as much as they can, while we work to better ourselves.
And my third tip for burnout prevention,
is to work smarter rather than harder.
This can be done in many ways.
But some of the tools that I use are,
creating to done lists.
This means if I get up, I shower,
I make breakfast and I check my email.
I write all those things down and check them off right away.
This helps me feel accomplished when I start my day,
and helps keep me motivated throughout.
The next thing I do,
is I keep my to do lists to seven things or less.
This is because we know through research,
that we can't hold more than seven things
in our head at one time.
That's honestly why phone numbers are seven digits long,
without the area codes.
Doesn't that just blow your mind?.
Also, make sure each item on your to do list
is achievable that day.
One thing on this list cannot be right book, or do project.
Be reasonable with yourself,
so that you're able to check off all the items
each and every day.
Next, keep a schedule.
Allocate specific time blocks to specific tasks,
so that you are breaking up all you need to do each day.
For example, for the next hour,
I'm working on my inbox, or my book report.
Then I'm moving on to the next item on my to do list.
If we find ourselves jumping from project to project,
or trying to multitask,
it can rob us of our focus and ability to complete
all that we need to that day.
And my final tip, delegate,
outsource or possibly create a team.
Depending on what you do,
you'll need to have other people pick up certain tasks
that you A, don't have time to complete yourself,
or B, your time is better spent doing something
only you can do.
Meaning that if you're a specialist in some things,
you should be doing those things.
And someone else can do the other tasks
that you don't have time for.
Does that makes sense?
In a way to figure out when, and where you need to delegate,
is to first decide what your biggest pain points are.
And just as a tip, in order to find good people
to hire or outsource to,
you'll need to go to a few work events,
and chat with other people in the same field.
This way you can see who they work with,
how they've done in the past,
what they liked doing most etcetera.
Because word of mouth is always the best way
to get a good recommendation.
I know that was a lot.
So just to remind you of all we discussed today.
Here are the tips and tools we learned
that can help prevent burnout from coming back.
Number one, know your limits.
Number to take breaks.
Three, create and maintain boundaries,
And forth work harder, not smarter.
And finally, delegate.
And the homework for this week
is to pick one tool or technique from those discussed,
and apply it to this week.
I know changing our habits or schedule
can be really difficult.
And that's why we're only picking one.
Keep trying to incorporate this one thing
and see if it helps.
And remember, it's a process not perfection.
So be patient with yourself as you try it out.
And now to get that comment section going,
are there other tools that you use to work smarter
rather than harder,
or ways that you have been successful
in setting up healthy boundaries?
I know a lot of us have trouble with that.
And I definitely didn't talk about them all.
There's no way for me to cover them all.
And they're going to be different tools and techniques
depending on where you work.
So please share your helpful resources below.
And I will see you next week. Bye.