It’s the beginning of the year, after a very long year. Goal-setting has run rampant, there are more runners outside than you’ve seen in months, and it seems like everyone in your social life is thriving. So why aren’t you motivated to join them?
You may be burnt out.
Stressors in our personal and professional lives are natural, and honestly, they can even be healthy. But unrelenting pressures have seemed to come at us from all angles lately causing what was once a manageable, low-level of stress to quickly turn into burnout. In fact, burnout has become its own pandemic. If cynicism, exhaustion, and inefficacy are your cohorts on the daily, consider some of these realistic solutions to beat burnout.
Be Self-Aware and Prioritize Self-Care.
Recognizing its burnout and not just a lack of confidence or a “phase” comes first. Get in tune with your personal benchmarks. Does it typically take this long to complete a task at work? Are you losing efficiency? How about how you divide your time between personal pleasures and professional goals? Make sure you’re getting satisfaction out of life in whatever form that comes for you. Before you forget all about this rut, start tracking yourself so you don’t fall into this pattern again. Remind yourself to prioritize self-care and revel in the healthy habits you maintain.
Maintain Healthy Habits.
Sleep hygiene, nutrition, exercise, social connections, and personal time should all be in balance but you don’t have to be a life coach tomorrow. My first suggestion would be decreasing the habit of screen time without intention. If you wake up every morning and immediately look at your phone, my question is this: “What do you really get out of it?” The latest headlines, opinionated posts, and meeting invites could actually be what sets the tone for the rest of your day. Consider replacing that initial morning screen time with new-found free time. Light stretching or exercise, relaxing with the dog and a cup of coffee, or completing simple chores to start your day off with an easy but necessary task could all set a better example for the rest of your day.
Minimize Unnecessary Stressors.
In order to truly find a healthier routine, you’ll have to find a healthier balance as well. Instead of just increasing the relaxing and rewarding activities in your life, make sure you’re also reducing the stressful ones as well. If your job is the primary stressor, a simple change of perspective may help open up your workspace or improve efficacy when tackling new challenges. If now is not the time to extend yourself past your capabilities, don’t over commit yourself; only do what’s beneficial to your overall growth and satisfaction.
Burnout can not only decrease your personal satisfaction but your business’ success as well. Don’t let burnout poison any more of your year. Call 973-809-5466 to speak with a JK Consulting Group consultant and see how we can rebuild healthy routines and reestablish motivating goals for this year.