I hate the phrase “work-life balance”.
The balance part annoys me, the idea that we can find the right balance between what
we have to do and what we want to do.
My life is never in balance.
I’m always either spending more time on work or with the people I love.
Email also makes separating my professional and personal life impossible.
But being overwhelmed with work or the people you're close to is a serious problem because
it can lead to burnout.
You know the feeling - being exhausted, just going through the motions of the day, and
really questioning whether the work you're doing even matters.
Burnout makes you less productive, leaves you feeling really bad, and compromises your
immune system making you more vulnerable to health problems.
How can we prevent burnout?
It begins by taking good care of ourselves.
And I don’t mean having a self-care treat yourself day every now and then.
I mean that's really nice, and I love treating myself, but the feeling is temporary.
Real self-care has to be a sustainable habit that builds the strength you need to deal
with the stressors coming your way.
Here’s how I do it.
I start by going to sleep before 1am every night.
If I stay up later than that, I won’t get enough sleep and will feel horrible the next
day.
Scientists think sleep restores your brain and removes the toxins that build up during
the day, just how you flush a toilet after using it.
But if you don’t get enough sleep, it’s as if you never flushed that toilet...which
I know is gross, but that's how I want you to feel about not getting enough sleep.
If you're sleep deprived, it's going to make it harder for you to focus, learn, and deal
with your emotions the next day.
After a night of sleeping, your brain is craving a fresh supply of glucose.
That’s why I start the day with a breakfast full of whole grains and protein.
Just like sleep, a good breakfast will improve your ability to focus, learn, and remember.
Once I get to work, I make sure I only check my email, social media, and the news during
specific chunks of time - morning, noon, afternoon, and evening.
THAT’S IT!
Notifications from all this stuff are distracting and make it harder for me to get any real
work done.
Having it always on in the background just stresses me out more than I already am.
I'm always thinking maybe there's something new and important that popped up but there
never really is.
So I turn on do not disturb mode, close unnecessary windows, and get to work.
Halfway through the day I get out of the office and go for a walk.
Even if it’s just for 5 minutes, walking outside makes it easier for me to get through
the second half of the day.
Psychologists have found that midday walks boost your mood and reduce stress, probably
because it gets your body active and gives your brain a chance to rest.
At least a few times during the week I have to say no to someone who’s asking me to
do something I don’t want to.
When I’m overwhelmed, I only add something new to my workload if I can get rid of something
else.
If I don’t do that, I WILL burnout.
The way I say no is by using the DEAR assertiveness skill:
“I know you originally wanted the TPS report by tonight but I’m really overwhelmed with
all the other assignments that came in today.
Can I get it to you tomorrow?
I want to do it right and I'd hate for you to get you a rushed report.”
At least once during the day I connect with my favorite people at work.
Just seeing them makes me feel better and reminds me of why I’m working here in the
first place.
When things get really bad, they also help me figure out ways to deal with my problems.
The hardest self-care skill for me is being at work when I’m at work and being at home
when I’m at home.
It’s about mindfulness and being completely present mentally and physically in the moment
I'm in.
It’s easier for me to be fully plugged into work than it is for me to be fully home.
At home I’ll often get stuck thinking about all the bad things that happened at work,
everything I got wrong, everything left to do, and that gets me irritable.
What’s helped me be more mindful is when I’m getting ready to go home, I dump out
all of my thoughts about work onto a document that I’ll review first thing the next morning.
On my ride home, I’m tired and hungry.
It's usually late at night and I haven't had dinner yet.
I tolerate these feelings by using distress tolerance skills.
My favorite skill is temporarily distracting myself through music.
Music can change your mood and transport you to a different place and time.
I’ve got a playlist called “hope” and whenever listen to it it makes me feel like
a superhero who just saved the day.
When I get home, I use the rest of my night to connect with the people and things that
give my life purpose, meaning, and value.
That means my friends, family, and this little pup right here.
Say hi Mwaj!
Connecting with the things that give your life meaning can make it easier to deal with
work that could feel meaningless.
That's it, then the whole cycle starts again.
What’s your self-care routine and how do you deal with burnout?
Let me know in the comments below.