“Run the race of life at your own pace.” ―
Healing after Burnout: 3 radical acts of self care that cost you nothing
My body was actively revolting against me. I had overdone it and now I was paying the price. I was physically exhausted, easily distracted, and mentally scattered. Even when I tried to work nothing substantial was getting done. It was time for me to admit that my motto ‘keep doing more no matter what’ was hurting me. I had to admit that I was completely burned-out.
When you are in a state of burnout, it seems like your well of inspiration, creativity, and motivation have run dry. Progress comes to a standstill & focusing on a single task can feel monumental. Burn-out combines a sense of reduced personal accomplishment, with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. To put it plainly burnout is no joke.
Thankfully the first step to healing from burnout is acknowledging it. Once you have admitted to yourself that you are burned-out you can start taking steps to intentionally replenish your well.
Self-care is an excellent way to help you heal from burnout.
Here are three (3) radical acts of self-care which cost nothing that is guaranteed to help you start recovering from burnout:
1. Embrace Nature
Spending time in Nature can be incredibly grounding. It has the uncanny ability to help you slow down & remind you of the temporal nature of all things. It also provides a radical change from the confines of your house or place of employment which can be the catalyst for a much-needed perspective shift.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”- Rachel Carson
Standing next to a tree always puts things into perspective for me. The grandeur & steadfastness of the organism is so awe-inspiring. When I am in nature I am able to bring all of my focus and awareness to the positive sensory experience of the environment.
Wondering how to dive in & experience nature? Try this: Take your shoes off and feel the ground under your feet. Look at the trees & animals. If you’re able to visit a body of water, listen to the sounds of it moving and give your self permission to be present.
2. Meditate
Once you have burned-out its important to reflect on what got you there so that you can avoid returning to the same patterns of behavior. Meditation creates space for judgment-free reflection that can help you find clarity around the behaviors that led to your burnout. The intentional, compassionate self-study will reveal signs you may have missed that will help you as you work to avoid burnout moving forward.
“To understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet, still.”
Mantra Meditations have worked wonders for me. Doing something as simple as Putting my focus on an empowering statement can be extremely reinvigorating. Whether it’s a phrase in English of my own creation or an ancient Sanskrit mantra it can have powerful effects.
To learn more about Sanskrit mantras, what they mean and how to use them visit www.MantraChant.com. It’s an incredible resource with all the information you need to get started. If you are interested in creating your own English mantra, then take some time and generate a few declarative sentences that really sum up your intentions. Once you have generated a few different statements say them out loud to yourself to see which one resonates the strongest. For example here is mine: I fearlessly succeed no matter the circumstances & I remain victoriously affluent.
3. Journal
Nurturing a healthy connection with yourself is essential to healing from avoiding future burnout. Sometimes the most radical act of self-care is the most obvious one. Giving yourself permission to journal creates a safe space for you to be with yourself. It allows you to create a record of your journey back to you.
Too often when people think of journaling the vision of a teenage girl writing in her diary pops into their heads. The truth is that that the ‘dear diary’ style is just one of the many ways to journal. Two other common methods are Free form stream of consciousness writing & pointed reflection based on prompts.
“Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.” – Robin Sharma
Stream of Consciousness writing has a free form of non-judgmental style. You just write whatever comes to your mind, without organizing or analyzing. The writing becomes a conduit to flush out the subconscious mind. It can be a truly liberating and eye-opening exercise.
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