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Practices That Will Help You Recover From Burnout & Rediscover Your Best Self
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It is easy to get swept up in the current of a modern day society built on the premise of go-go-go. It happens to all of us once in a while. We take on one more project ‘cause we think we can handle it, or join one too many organizations, and we just burn out. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s perfectly human. We all need rest from time to time and it’s a lesson better learned earlier than later. If you’re feeling burnt out, take a deep breath and know that this feeling won’t last forever. If you haven’t burned out but you feel like you may soon, you should take heed and do what you can to avoid the coming burnout.
Again, even if you do burnout, it’s okay, you won’t feel like this forever. In fact, there are some healthy habits you can start building now in order to help yourself recover. Through the consistent practice of these habits you’ll start to feel your energy level replenish, and you’ll have some coping mechanisms to help mitigate the potential of future burnout.
“The best way to explain the effects of work and leisure activities on our health is to use the metaphor of a battery. Work activities delete our battery charge, but certain activities can recharge us. If we don’t recharge, our battery is going to run empty. If that happens, we have developed burnout.”
– Alicia Nortje P.h.D, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Cape Town –
Meditation to Decompress and Self-Actualize
Meditation has been gaining mainstream attention and popularity in recent years. This is partially because of an ongoing problem with westernization, but the adoption of meditation as a daily habit can be a healthy one, nonetheless. Meditation isn’t for everyone, but many people find it an effective tool for stress regulation, amongst other things.
The popularization of meditation can also be linked to the internet and the power of social media. Like everything else in the world, the internet has created a vast sea of information and knowledge revolving just about every topic. This, combined with social media platforms, make it extremely easy to become an influencer of one sort or another. The new wave of spiritually minded individuals can be somewhat traced back to the influence of platforms like Instagram.
Meditation has been an important part of many cultures for thousands and thousands of years, though, and in certain contexts, is actually an engaged spiritual practice with specific religious implications. As such, practitioners, even modern ones, should do some research into the historical and spiritual practices at the root of meditation in various cultures and social contexts. This will not only provide insight into the practice itself, but will also enable a respectful engagement with meditation moving forward.
Understanding where meditative practices came from will help users utilize meditation to actualize a healthy and prosperous life in their own vision.
“When I started reading more books on eastern philosophy is when I really started becoming open to the idea of meditation and all of its benefits. By the time I was through the third book, I think, I woke up one morning and said, ‘why not?’ Now I meditate every morning and night.”
– Theresia Le Battistini, CEO and Founder, Fashion League –
Reading Regularly
Knowledge is power, especially in today’s day and age. Just about every expert and successful high-achiever gives the same advice when it comes to reading: do more of it. While it may seem like a lost art to some, the amount of knowledge available in books is just as vast as what’s on the internet, if not deeper.
What’s more, is that there are pieces of literature that will never be digitized. However, many books will be converted into audio books, which is another easy and fast way for individuals to engage with literature.
No matter how old you are, or what stage of life you’re in, it’s never too late to get into the habit of reading regularly.
“Oh yeah, I try to read at least a book a month. I mean sometimes I can do more, sometimes I get busy and I’m not quite able to squeeze it in, but yeah about one book-a-month is the goal. I don’t know, there’s so much knowledge out there, I just always want to keep learning.”
– Temoer Terry, Partner, The Mommy Care Kit –
Eating Well and on Schedule
Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is another important aspect that many individuals find extremely helpful in achieving their goals and maintaining their energy levels throughout the week. It can be really easy to get into the habit of skipping meals or forgetting to eat during a hectic workday. However, this will only add to the stress levels in your body and make you burnout even quicker.
“Personally, well personally, I have a high-carb and high-protein diet, but I eat smaller portions all throughout the day. So it’s funny, you’ll always see me snacking and my people here razz me a little for it. But yeah, once I figured that little secret out to eating basically all throughout the day, again though, smaller portions, my productivity skyrocketed.”
– Juan Pablo Cappello, Co-Founder and CEO, Nue Life –
Taking Yourself on Dates
One way to avoid burnout on a regular basis is to get into the habit of taking yourself on little dates. You can go for a walk through the park, you can take a trip to a local art-museum, or just spend some time on one of your hobbies. No matter what you decide to do, spending time with just yourself and one of your passions is a great way to avoid burnout and maintain healthy emotional levels.
“I love the theatre, so I try to go to a show once a weekend or so, but I hardly am able to go that often. I don’t even take anyone, I’m sort of selfish about it. I just go and get lost in another world for a few hours. It’s great.
– Sean Doherty, General Manager, BoxGenie –
Some Final Thoughts on Beating Burn-Out
There are a lot of methods that can help a person destress and decompress. Finding the right methods that work for you will help you avoid burnout in the future.
“Spotting the early warning signs, positive leadership, and protective and proactive policies can avoid or reduce burnout. A balanced work culture promotes a positive work environment and a growth mindset.”
– Jeremy Sutton P.h.D, Writer and Researcher –
