I share my tips on how to deal with burnout.
Hello friends! I hope you have a wonderful morning. Today we have a few meetings and it's back to school and the *real world* after a glorious winter break. We slept in almost every day, watched tons of movies, played Tucson tourists, ate takeout, hung out with friends and family, and just enjoyed our time together. I've barely touched my laptop, but I'm excited to get back on it today!
For today's post, I wanted to talk about burnout, which is a bit of a touchy subject. Many of us know exactly what burnout feels like, and it's horrible. I picture myself in burnout mode, and how drained and completely drained I felt, and I just want to hug my past self.
I was a type A, super anxious kid, who spent my childhood until my 20s in flight or fight. Then I got married, started this the wild adventure of military life (we're almost done!!) and became a mom. It was such a beautiful time, but it was hard – I feel like I missed out on a lot of girl years because I was dealing with postpartum depression/anxiety and I was completely burned out.
I know it guided me along the way mysterious health problems and autoimmune symptoms.
Although I'm not *fully* recovered from the burn, I am now symptom free and feel a million times better. I'm always up to date and learning as much as I can, but I wanted to share some of the things that have helped me in today's post. As always, this is not medical advice! I'm just sharing my experience, and if you're dealing with burnout, reach out to someone who can help you on your way to wellness and peace; you deserve to feel amazing <3>
How to deal with burnout
Allow yourself to be a little more type B
This was the big one for me, and also the hardest. I just learned that I can't be everything to everyone all the time. I can't do it all, I can't be perfect, I can't have a perfectly clean house 24/7, put on makeup and look cute all the time, and say yes to millions of social activities and children's events.
Sometimes now I leave the dishes in the sink until morning, I'll leave the laundry on the chair for another day, I'll go out in public looking like a hot mess, I'll say no to events and invitations. I used to work 24/7 too, but I stopped answering emails after hours and tried to shut down the computer at a reasonable time.
A messy house is stressful for me, so I still try to clean every day, but I will set a timer. When it goes off, that's it. Also, the kids are older now and can help more!
Include things in your day that you enjoy, that are just for you
This is SO important. It's so easy to feel burnt out when your whole day is filled with tasks for other people. You *have* to make some time for something you enjoy every day, whether it's a walk outside, a bath, time in the sauna, reading a book, a phone call with a friend, a juice from your favorite place, whatever brings you a little joy. Even if it's just 5-10 minutes, it's worth it.
Set your future up for success
Try to do small acts of self-care in the future, such as taking time to put away leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day, book something to look forward to (like a facial or massage), order something you use regularly before you runs out, filling the water bottle for the next morning, etc. Sometimes the only person looking out for you is YOU, so take care of yourself. <3>
Outsource where you can
I strongly believe in outsourcing everything of value to you, which would make your life as easy as your budget and life allow. We have a house cleaner who comes every two weeks and saves my life. I would get rid of a ton of stuff in the budget before I get rid of that lol. Maybe order some healthy meals, like Sakara, to deliver groceries, laundry, car cleaning, pet care, anything to make your life easier.
Make a list of things you love to do, and a list of things you HATE doing, and try to outsource some of them!
One of the biggest components of burnout is feeling like you're drowning, so find some people who can help you feel like you're on top of things.
Focus on the basics
The basics are fresh air, exercise, nutritious food, clean air/water and stress reduction. Try to get a little of these things in every day. I didn't walk nearly as much during the break and I can feel it. I feel more balanced and energized when I do these things every day.
Functional testing
Functional testing has been a game changer for me. When you're burned out, you're likely both nutrient depleted (stress burns nutrients!) and dealing with toxicities, which can affect gut health (affects neurotransmitter function which affects mood!) and how we absorb nutrients.
When I did functional lab testing, I was able to see how much stress was having on my body and work to restore it from baseline. If you are interested in testing, email me at gina@fitnessista.com subject TESTING. My new program starts in February, which will include functional testing! To get first access, make sure you're on my newsletter.
Tell me, friends, what has helped you with burnout? Are there any books or resources you love??
xoxo
Gina
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