Avoiding Burnout

June 1, 2019

What is burnout?

Burnout happens when we have committed ourselves to too many things without proper time to allow ourselves to recharge. When we feel burnout we feel emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted. We have simply used up too much of our energy.

So how can you avoid burnout?

1). Take time to evaluate your limits:

How long can you really go without a day off? How many engagements can you commit yourself to before you need to take a day off?

2). Schedule free time:

Prioritizing free time will help you manage balance. Even for just a few minutes a day–make sure there is time to sit quietly, breathe deeply, reflect on yourself, your body, your emotions and see what it is you need.

3). Take time to unplug:

We know you can’t really love or work in our world today without constantly being connected, but setting aside specific chunks of time to be without your phone or laptop can help you rejuvenate your energy. Consider setting a time when you’re done with screens for the day.

4). Ask for help:

How many things are you juggling? Many of us like to be able to do things completely on our own, but it’s just not realistic. If you are too overworked, asking for help, delegating, or dropping something from your plate is a necessity.

Holistic Consultation again co-sponsored the Indianola Informal School Carnival on May 10th. Thank you to all who supported our community through attendance at this wonderful event. The carnival was the school’s largest annual fundraiser and funds raised will be used for field trip transportation, classroom expenses, technology, music equipment, and enrichment activities not otherwise available to the students.

We’ll be talking a lot on our social media this month about Pride and ways to support the queer folks in your life. We thought we’d share a few articles here.

If you are interested in attending a Pride event in Columbus this year, you can learn more about the festival here.

Here are the dates for the events happening this year:
Friday, June 14th: Festival
Saturday, June 15th: Parade
Saturday, June 15th: Festival
Sunday, June 16th: Pride Brunch

One of the ways to increase self-care is to take regular breaks.

There are many benefits to taking regular breaks.
Taking a break improves attention and focus. Breaks improve the immune system, allow for better performance, generates creativity, promotes happiness and well being. For more on how rest can improve your overall health, check out:
➡ https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/205427
➡ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201704/how-do-work-breaks-help-your-brain-5-surprising-answers

Where and how you take a break is almost as essential to taking a break at all.
Taking a break from work means diverging attention away from work or studying, so it is important to avoid the phone, emails, or calendars. For articles on how to optimize your breaks check out the following:
➡ https://www.inc.com/neil-patel/when-how-and-how-often-to-take-a-break.html
➡ http://time.com/3518053/perfect-break/

One of the most stress-reducing environments already exists: nature
Being in ‘green space’ reduces stress and is related health outcomes. Even simply looking at a picture of nature can reduce stressors in some people. See for yourself in this article about the benefits of spending time in nature.
➡ http://mentalfloss.com/article/60632/11-scientific-reasons-why-being-nature-relaxing

Here are a few additional resources recommended by Whitney to accommodate all kinds of learners:

Podcasts:
➡ Happier with Gretchen Rubin is the podcast that teaches people what kinds of decision-makers they are, what motivates them, and how to make little changes that yield big results for life satisfaction.
➡ Mental Illness Happy Hour is like hanging out and eavesdropping on discussions between comedians, artists, doctors, and laypeople about mental health.
➡ Anxiety Slayer is a podcast for people looking for anxiety relief tools and techniques.

Youtube:
➡ Kati Morton is a therapist making Mental Health and Psychology videos.
➡ The Mighty: encouraging stories by and for individuals with mental illness.
➡ Your Beth Friend: a real person tries pop-culture mental health tips and explains them to you with the most adorable Kiwi accent you’ve ever heard.

Television Mini-series:
➡ Brene Brown’s “The Call to Courage” on Netflix if you want to learn more about the power of vulnerability.

Ted Talks:
➡ An empowering way to view the Self Care movement

Events:
If you want to learn basic mental health first aide and you’ll be in the Dayton area look here.

Books:

“Who Are You: 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself” by Malcom Godwin is a dream come true for anyone obsessed with self-exploration quizzes and assessments.

“The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul” by Danielle LaPorte is part journal/part guide for people who want a creative way to explore their values and has strategies for setting life goals aligned with your true feelings and desires, instead of societal pressures.

Read “How to Weep In Public” by Jacqueline Novak if you ever wanted to know how you could possibly learn to laugh at yourself when you feel depressed.

You may have seen our updated tagline “Your Life, Better” reflected on our website, social media accounts and all related practice-wide materials. The updated tagline better represents our overall mission of:

  • At Holistic Consultation, we are dedicated to treating the whole person in a welcoming, safe and supportive environment.
  • We recognize the importance of relationships so that all people can feel connected and live meaningful lives.
  • We believe in the power of authenticity, vulnerability, and understanding.
  • We are the practice that accepts you for who you are on all levels, have a commitment to a shared sense of responsibility to the greater good and firmly believe that every person deserves to feel connected and understood on a core level.
Posted in Mental Health