Letter From The Editor: How to keep yourself from getting burnt out
My average week can get pretty intense. I get asked about how I do it all and where I find the time to run a company (with different verticals - retail, PR, media), attend speaking and hosting engagements, and still do a little sports or art in between.
The simple boring answer is that I wake up at around 5 AM and sleep at 9 PM on most days. I work hard, but I also make sure to get a lot of rest. I also completely tune out when I need to, because while there are many things to do, not everything is important or has to be dealt with ASAP. I prioritize what is most important and go from there.
Burn out happens when you’re running on fumes and are unable or even unwilling to meet the demands of your work. It happens to everybody at some point, but it can be headed off with a bit of self-awareness and a commitment to having balance in your life.
Take breaks and get off the Hamster Wheel Of Endless Work, Where Everything Is Equally Important And Needs To Be Done ASAP. Take small breaks during the day, say, a cup of your favorite drink, a chapter of your current book date. Play with your pets (if you work from home or nearby). Take a 15-minute nap. Sheet mask up. Just tune out for a bit and you’ll come back with more energy! The Wheel will always be there, and you’re allowed to rest when you’re tired.
Remind yourself of the big picture. What are you working towards? What results (personal and professional) do you expect to have in a year, three years, five years? I find that writing or even doodling this in a journal helps with visualizing goals. Finding “meaning” in what you do isn’t as difficult or intimidating as it sounds. If it’s important to you, then that already calls to meaning; what the wider world thinks of it is something you can’t measure or know 100%. So trust yourself and the body of your experiences from birth until this moment.
Write your mission and vision down. Your mission is your list of objectives. Your vision is how you want the world to be. This will keep you from feeling aimless, like nothing you do matters. You matter, and every one of your actions has an impact. You simply need to live your life with intention.
Honestly, my work can get pretty exhausting and I can only do so much. But what gets me out of bed is the excitement of seeing my plans come to fruition, and the excitement of new possibilities I haven’t even begun to explore yet. I’m just excited all the time! I wish for you a life that excites you, too.
