Burnout is real. 

I have expereienced it.

Not once, not twice, but a few times. 

It's not fun. At all.

Cognitive overload can be very frustrating, especially if you're trying to be productive. 

As a content creator, I place a great deal of pressure on myself to create, produce, and publish. 

Here are some tips that worked well for me in overcoming burnout.

Read / Listen to Books

I love reading. My favorite genres are fantasy and Sci-Fi and what I love about those genres especially are their ability to transport me to faraway places. It's such an exhilarating feeling to get entangled in a new world, and definitely takes the stress off of thinking about reality in that moment. I've also been increasingly adamant about listening to books. We like audible quite a lot, but I've recently got very into Libby. Libby allows you to loan books from your local library for free! All you need is a library card. It's definitely been a huge game-changer for me. I love listening to my books when I'm making my smoothie, taking a leisurely walk, and doing a monotonous task that allows me to pay attention to what I'm reading.

Movement and Exercise

I am a big proponent of working out. My training incorporates strength training, plyometrics, HIIT, and agility. I've also been getting better about building a yoga practice because it always makes me feel full-body (and mind!) relaxation after every session. The endorphin rush I'd get from my exercise really helped me conquer burn out a lot faster. Getting out in nature has also helped me tremendously. Nature therapy is real. Get outside, surround yourself with nature, and let Mother Nature work her magic and healing!

Prioritize Sleep

When you're experiencing burnout your body and mind are trying to tell you something. Sleep is super important and it's especially important when you're body is in stress mode. Making sure you get quality sleep is achievable, and Dr. Matthew Walker shares wonderful sleep hygiene strategies to boost your sleep quality. I targetted 8 to 9 hours nightly and meditated before bedtime, which really helped me recover from burnout. It allowed my mind to rest and get the sleep I needed to help me heal. Sleep is one of the best remedies if you're experiencing stress on the mind and body. And that's what burnout is…a big stressor. So you might be pleasantly surprised at how great a positive impact good sleep hygiene can make on your overall mental and physical health.

Do Something New

Sometimes burnout gets magnified by doing the same things over and over again. If you're happy in your routine, that's great, I'm glad that it's working. But with a burnout phase, sometimes we can benefit from a little bit of disruption. Positive disruption, that is. Rock the routine boat a bit because it might just be the thing to jolt you out of burnout. We all have a few activities or hobbies we've thought about trying out but always found an excuse not to do (1) no time (2) not the right equipment (3) [insert your own lame excuse here]. Well, now might be high time to try something new. You don't have to immediately love and take it up as your new hobby or incorporate it into your routine. Just try something new. It's good for you. It'll light up neurons and neurological pathways that you didn't even know existed. Do it. I dare you :)

Do Something You Love    

Believe it or not, sometimes we procrastinate on doing the things that spark joy inside us. I love painting and drawing but I don't make any time for it in my daily routine. I also love journaling, but rarely sit down with my notebook and pen to write down my thoughts. During burnout, I found myself seeking out more of the activities that I love to do, but don't ever have time to do. I love working and that's part of what's led me to burnout. Work work work and no relaxation sounds great in the moment and feels ultra productive but it comes back to bite. After experiencing my most recent burnout, I make a more concerted effort to perper some relaxing activities throughout my week and weekend.

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So those are my go-to burnout-recovery strategies. It's what's been working for me thus far. 

What works for you when overcoming burnout? What would you add to this list? I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment on the video to share that with me and others in this community.

The reality is, that as a content creator and entrepreneur I work every single day. That includes “summer vacation,” weekends, and holidays. So the onus is on me to make time for mental health breaks to avoid burnout in the future. I'm making a vow to myself to seek out more balance and do more relaxing activities that allow my mind to rest and reset. I'm happy that I love to work and love what I do, but it's still work. So it's extremely important to look out for yourself and seek more balance for a mind-body-spirit reset. Your mind and body will thank you later.

Take care of yourselves and I'll see you in the next video!

Sparkle strong, 

Mary Daphne

Thank you for reading!!