Keith Major
Discover Your Worth! Anxiety tightened in my chest like a fist squeezing a rubber ball. My mind raced at 100 miles an hour and couldn’t focus on one thought. I could barely finish the work in front of me, because I knew that there were only more projects and deadlines that needed to be fulfilled. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about the million things that remained on my to do list. I was burned out! Seriously!!!
Many of you can easily understand how I felt. You’re building careers, managing businesses and running your homes. There are very few hats that you don’t wear and sometimes it gets overwhelming. Burnout is a real issue affecting millions in our fast paced, “GET IT DONE” culture.
It can be hard to tell others we’re coming undone, because sometimes we’re unaware ourselves. Here are a few questions to help you identify burnout: Are you tired all or most of the time? Is your temper shorter than normal? Are you constantly missing deadlines or running late on projects? Do you spend an excessive amount of time engaging in escapist activity like drinking or watching TV? Does your life feel out of balance?
If you suspect that you might be dealing with a mild to severe case of burnout, here are some small things you can join me in doing TODAY to start restoring our souls:
Identify Why: Everyone handles stress differently. Similarly, what exhausts one person may not even bother another. Sometimes burnout is due to living at a pace that works for those we love—not us! Your spouse might enjoy socializing more than you do. So, instead of staying home sometimes or saying “no” to a spontaneous get together at your place, you swallow your needs and spread yourself thin. Identify what drains you and then determine the changes you need to make to add buffer into your life.
Cover The Basics: No matter how much things change—some things stay the same. The human body will always need exercise and proper rest to perform at its optimum. Work on incrementally growing in these areas. If you’re not exercising now, set a goal of adding more physical activity to your life. Whether that means walking 10 minutes a day or getting off the bus/train one stop earlier—little changes can produce great results!
Schedule Solitude: It is easy to jump on the rollercoaster of productivity. But we have to be intentional and committed to slowing down, quieting ourselves and listening to what our hearts are telling us. One of the great ways to start that practice is to schedule solitude into our lives. A solitude appointment should be about three to five minutes long. Two or three times a day, sit quietly and meditate on a powerful scripture, quote or simply something for which you are grateful. The practice of slowing down and listening will help bring calm and clarity into your environment.
Do Your Work! Starting today, spend time applying the three tips above.
Define Your Wealth! Say the following to yourself throughout the day “My body is energetic and my mind is clear.”
Named eWomenNetwork’s first “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” in 2012, Coach Felicia is a Certified Executive Coach who empowers her clients to “Turn their Worth into Wealth” as she partners with them to DISCOVER their WORTH, DO their WORK and DEFINE their WEALTH. Get more insight, download the FREE “8 Choices Winners Must Make” seminar MP3 at www.coachfelicia.com!
Copyright © 2015 by Felicia T. Scott. All rights reserved.