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Like I address in my video (below), the advice I give is not meant to replace advice from a professional. I am just someone who has experienced burnout and has found something to help me. Hopefully, this will help you. If it doesn’t, I have links in the description of my video to help direct you to a solution that may be better suited for you.
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Burnout feels so common these days. Especially, during a pandemic. So many people have abandoned their previous life of going into work and were stuck at home with little to nothing to do. COVID-19 became a financial burden for many, and a very real battle for others. On top of this, so many of us became burned out…or in my case, realized how burned out we already were. By doing inner work, however, I learned how to combat my burnout and feel better than I have in years! Read on to find out what I did.
My story with burnout:
I was raised in a society that constantly tells you that you should work hard. By the time I got out of college, I knew I had to work EXTREMELY hard to get half of what other people got. This started me on the road to burnout. Throughout high school, college, and the real world, I would work without taking a lot of breaks. In college I worked, went to school, took classes during the summer…etc. And through all this, I was dealing with panic attacks and depression which made it hard to function on a daily basis. I turned to art, religion, and unhealthy coping mechanisms to combat it, but nothing helped. When I finally graduated college, I moved out of my parents’ house and I started working two-three jobs at a time. There were some days where I would go from one job to the next and not be home for some days because I was working. On my days off, my physical and mental health weren’t good. I would be too physically exhausted to do anything else that I would just sleep most of the time but wake up feeling unrested. Mainly because I felt like I wasn’t doing things to further my career. Then the pandemic hit. At the beginning of 2020, I was constantly working and not giving myself breaks. I felt that I needed to do so much work in order to be successful. When COVID hit I felt like I had this great opportunity to focus on my actual career goals. By the end of the year, I realized I had a lot of issues I wasn’t dealing with and was not taking advantage of the opportunities I could have. I was not really living, just existing.
Getting rid of burnout:
So at the beginning of 2021, I had two weeks off and I decided I would stop working in those two weeks. I can only do things that I like…things that are fun to me. So if you’re looking to implement this in your life, this is what you should take away:
Take time out of your day to do an activity you enjoy.
-Even if it’s just 15 minutes, do what you want in that moment. Doing this repeatedly, multiple times a week can help tremendously.
Take a longer break and take days to do the activity you enjoy.
-This is what I started off doing with the two weeks I had off. It’s the same thing as the first option but longer.
Being present by journaling
-I saw this in a video about meditation. There was an activity where you take a journal and write down what you are thankful for in that current moment. It forces you to be present which is good because it’s hard to be present when you’re burned out.
Meditation
-Meditation can help you destress after each day and help you to realign yourself.
Physical Exercise
-Doing yoga or other physical activities can help a lot with reducing stress.
Where I’m at now
The following week I went back to work and I noticed a difference in my typical behavior. I woke up, got ready, worked on things in my job and my career. Currently, I feel like I am in a positive mental space. I’m not as depressed. Now, I know how my depression works. What works for some time eventually stops working. It hasn’t been a month but I’m thankful for a few weeks of positive mental health than having nothing. Which is why I want to share this with others.
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For a summarized version of this article, feel free to watch my video on Burnout, attached below.
Love & Light,
Laila Flores
Laila Flores 