When you find yourself in burnout but still have to show up and perform at work, what do you do? It’s hard to go about business as usual and stay in that burnout stage. You feel fake or can completely give up and then you might be asked to look for a new job since you aren’t performing anymore. The same is true for entrepreneurs as they have all the pressure of making sure the work is done and outcomes are reached as they build a business. I have five tips for helping you recover from burnout while still working.

Set boundaries with commitments.

Give yourself a break from taking on new projects and allow yourself room to breathe. If you are employed by someone else, it might seem harder but with most companies, there is always another person that can do the task. Decline with a thoughtful response “That sounds like a great opportunity and is something I would normally love to participate in, unfortunately, the timing isn’t good as I have too many other commitments right now to do quality work on another project.” If it is something you really want to do then ask if it can be done in a few weeks or when you get another project wrapped up. 

For entrepreneurs, we tend to think “So and so is on all the social media platforms so I need to be also.” We add the undue stress of taking on another project to grow the business instead of making a solid foundation and expanding when we have a good system in place to have the mental capacity to tackle the next thing. We probably put more pressure on ourselves than we would allow from a manager or supervisor. 

Having specified work hours keeps you from working beyond the point you are productive. It allows you to plan for other commitments outside of work. Unless you have someone to cook and clean, it will need to be done multiple times a week. Do you have kids or pets? If so, they will need some care and attention.

Sometimes we look at these things as keeping us from working rather than work keeping us from things that are important to us. I mean, aren’t we all working hard to buy our animals ridiculous outfits and take pictures with them???

Maybe it’s just me then…

Give yourself a break from thinking about work. Several ways to do that are to exercise, spend time in the garden digging in the dirt, meditate, paint, or take a long warm shower. Doing things that require you to focus on your body or something else (like not damaging the roots of the plant you are moving to a new spot in the yard) will help break the cycle of what you were working on before. If you can do this at lunch that is a bonus because when you come back, you will be more energized and will be able to focus on what you need to accomplish before you leave for the day.

Schedule something fun during your work week. Do you have a coworker you are also good friends with? Perfect! Schedule a lunch or dinner date with them so you have something to look forward to during the day or week. Don’t focus on work but really catch up on the family, new house project (if you are a homeowner, you know there is ALWAYS a new project!), what shows you are watching, etc. This will allow you to disconnect from work rather than just moving work to a new location. If you are unable to get out due to weather or a global pandemic (thank you 2020!), then video chat and have coffee. If you have good weather but can’t visit due to distance then have lunch with them while sitting on the porch. 

Take vacation days

…even if you sleep in and stay on the couch watching your favorite new series on Netflix! This rest helps your body and mind reset to a place you can be more productive and will allow you to recuperate in a way you might not have known you needed. Stress does terrible things to our bodies- especially our tensed muscles and posture. If you ever see a massage therapist, you will know exactly where your body holds tension. 

As an added bonus to your time off, I would like to remind you that no one outside of work has to know you are off that day!! If no one knows, they won’t ask you to help them run an errand or get out of your PJs. Doing a ton of stuff on your off day doesn’t feel like an off day so you don’t get rest, just a different kind of stress that keeps you feeling burnt out and ready to lay face down in the driveway while it rains. Let’s try to avoid that feeling as well as it actually happening. 

As a recap for ways to recover and still show up:

1. Set boundaries with your time commitments.

2. Have set work hours.

3. Clear your mind at least once a day. 

4. Schedule something fun in your week

5. Take vacation days to relax

Peace and love,

Teresea

Photo Credit: Unsplash