Are you tired? Maybe you are beyond tired, reaching into fatigued, weary AF territory. We can all agree that it’s challenging to be a boss when you feel crispy inside and out. Sadly burnout is a state of being (and doing… and thinking…) that many of us know all too well.
If you’re living life on the raggedy edge as of late, you might recognize the exhaustion, cynicism, detachment and impaired performance that characterizes burning out.
Studies indicate that women are more likely to suffer from burnout than men due to a combination of factors typically related to job roles, household responsibilities and advancement opportunities (more like the lack thereof). Add in sexism, racism, ageism and throw in a handful of mansplaining plus microaggressions for good measure and it’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how we keep from going under. Did you see what I did there? Kurtis Blow was truly a prophet.
Yes. I know that you’re doing a lot of things already. Clearly. But what if I told you that you could do a few strategic things that would help you reclaim your sanity (at least some of it), reduce your stress and put burnout at bay? You would be intrigued, right? Let’s be honest you would totally want in. I know it.
Do these 5 things consistently for a week and witness the difference:
#1 Get sleep. As in what you reasonably need each night. Look, I’m not going to be prescriptive, but suffice it to say that there is a huge difference between being sleep deprived and well-rested. Leaps and bounds. And here’s a PSA: if you have a CPAP (and I know that some of you do), use it. Because getting quality sleep with actual oxygen in every breath is sexy as a mofo. Ask me how I know.
#2 Say no, nope and hell nawl. They say if you want to get something done, ask a busy person. That ish ends here. When your plate is full, you owe it to yourself (and all of your existing commitments) to decline the ‘opportunity’ to do more stuff. Trust and believe that ‘No’ is a complete sentence. You can even say it with a smile.
#3 Move that body-ody-ody. There is magic in movement. Seriously. Go for a walk with your partner or play with your kids (human or of the fur baby variety). Stretch for 15 minutes. Or if you’re into it, get in a run. Or turn up some music and dance in your living room. Get your freak on with Missy Elliott or whoever else you choose (wink wink nudge nudge). Whatever gets your blood moving and your heart pumping to diffuse the tension of the day is fair game.
#4 Ask for help. No woman is an island, and frankly, you’ll get so much more accomplished if you aren’t trying to shoulder the weight of the world by your doggone self. Ditch the superwoman cape (I see it billowing behind you – it’s lovely, really, but put it away). There are no true prizes for martyrs, so cut it out, put your ego aside and get some assistance. No one to ask or delegate to, particularly at work? Sit down and have a focused chat with your manager about what you should prioritize given everything on your to-do list. Going it alone is a quick recipe for cultivating inefficiencies, resentment and mediocrity.
#5 Feed the fun. OK. This might be the toughest assignment of all. Think about the activities that light you up… energize you… make you feel good — no, make you feel great! When was the last time that you met a friend for coffee? Walked in the park? Read a great book? Sang a song out loud? Went skinny dipping? Received a massage? Slept in until noon? Identify 3 things that make you feel alive and commit to doing at least one of them in the week ahead. You don’t have to spend a dime to have enjoy yourself.
So are you ready to give it a go for 7 days to start? Small shifts can make all the difference in how you feel, and in turn, how you think and act. Burnout doesn’t have to be permanent. Let me know how it goes (no really, let me know – DM me on Instagram or message me on Facebook). I’ll be right here doing this work with you.