Stop Living Like You’re on Fire

Maybe you’re just tapping your toe in the burnout cauldron. Perhaps you’re going down for the third count. Identifying your symptoms and the degree of your burnout will help you make intentional decisions to regain healthy balance. Here’s a shortened list of symptoms ranging from the occasionally bothersome to the more severe.

1.     Decreased energy/unfocused/confused/disappointed

2.     Increased fatigue/stress/sometimes use caffeine/sweets to lift mood

3.     Change in weight/occasions of insomnia

4.     Less creativity/vanishing sense of purpose

5.     Headaches/decreased libido/muscle aches/dizziness

6.     Feelings of depression/resentment/rigidity

7.     Decreased social activity/nagging anxiety/emotional numbing

8.     Exhaustion 24/7 with inability to sleep

9.     Chest pains/shortness of breath/stomach problems/dizziness/disorientation

10.  Inappropriate outbursts/periods of risky behavior/unhealthy blood pressure/diagnosis of illness 

“If you don’t want to burnout, stop living like you’re on fire,” writes Brene Brown, a vulnerability researcher at the University of Houston. Adopting reusable freedom-producing strategies can help you avoid additional symptoms or escape an established burnout system.

1. Develop an authentic picture of yourself. Ask 3 questions: What’s good about my life right now? What concerns me? What’s currently missing in my life?  
2. Set realistic goals. By saying “yes” to a new project, you’ll automatically be saying “no” to something else. (If your “yes” means “no” to adequate sleep you’re not doing yourself any favors!)
3. Ask for support. People are often pleased to help.
4. Cultivate a detached concern for recipients of your efforts. You’re not responsibility for the success, happiness, or sobriety of another.
5. Maintain a reasonable action plan of proper nutrition and physical exercise. Take time-outs when you need them.

After one professional woman changed her burnout-prone lifestyle, her teenager said, “Mom, you saved my life. When I saw that you could take better care of yourself, I knew I could heal from anorexia. Thanks.” Self-care is not selfish.

What has helped you avoid or recover from burnout?

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