Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. It is extremely common in today's time as we navigate our jobs, social plans, following a steady daily routine, keeping appointments & fitting everything else in between. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that once led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.
The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu or something even more serious. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.
Physical signs and symptoms of burnout
* Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
* Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.
* Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
* Change in appetite or sleep habits.
Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout
* Sense of failure and self-doubt.
* Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
* Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
* Loss of motivation.
* Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
* Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout
* Withdrawing from responsibilities.
* Isolating yourself from others.
* Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done.
* Taking out your frustrations on others.
* Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.
Here are some practices that are particularly powerful and can be effective pieces of a regular spiritual self-care routine. I encourage you to adopt some or all of these activities as part of your regular spiritual self-care practice. Most importantly, choose something that meets your personal definition of spiritual. Here's a few ideas on how to alleviate burnout & prioritise your body, mind & soul.
1. Meditate: Quieting your mind through meditation is a centuries-old, proven way to rejuvenate your connection to spirit. A mere ten minutes a day of simple meditation can relax you, cultivate your well-being, and restore a sense of the rightness of the universe. Light our positivity candle to help you attain a sense of peace. You can get it here.
2. Practice self-love: Although you’re born to love yourself, when you’re burned out you lose that feeling of self-love. To get it back, focus specifically on ways to show yourself some love. Be at least as kind to yourself as you are to others. Talk to yourself like you would to a beloved child; or, treat yourself to something you enjoy but have been putting off, such as a massage or a leisurely bubble bath.
When you take steps to show you love yourself, your feeling of self-cherishing will snowball. To dive deeper, you can listen to our podcast here.
3. Socialise: Surround yourself with people who uplift you. The glorious feeling of being with people who support, cheer, and uplift you & ease your mind. Go get you some more of that goodness! And along the way, give back to them because you’ll set up a circle of reciprocity that will buoy and nurture you in your darker times.
4. Simplify your life: You’re bombarded with messages urging you to buy more, make more, and do more more more more until you feel both frantic and flattened.
Take a deep breath. Then assess your life. Be compassionately ruthless about what is truly important to you. Simplifying your life will clear your mind, providing room for you to reconnect with your spirit.
5. Ground: A quick grounding meditation every morning or at the end of the day can help you release excess energy so that you come into balance. Cultivate a habit of either meditating or spending time in nature.
6. Quiet Time: Enjoy a night (or several) without your phone or being glued to the screen. While it is tempting to binge watch every episode of your favourite show on Netflix, the blue light from your screens affects your sleep cycle, which in turn causes your body more trouble. Keep your phone aside & notifications on silent at least 30 mins before bedtime & enjoy a good book or conversations with those around you.
7. Rest: The BEST thing you can give your mind & body is the gift of rest. In today's hustle culture, we often feel like we must be operating on our 100. Rest is not a reward. It is essential. Rest between your tasks when your body signals that it's tired through fatigue or any pains.
Let us know what you do to relax.