A healthy lifestyle isn’t just about nutrition and fitness. Yes, it’s very important to have a balanced diet and a good level of exercise in your life. However, mental well-being is just as important.
In this blog, our life coach expert Suzanne Griffitths, shares her thoughts and advice about how to know when it’s time to take a break.
Burnout. It’s one of those buzzwords that we see across social media and within workplaces all the time, but how many people really know how to identify it? There is a massive difference between feeling tired, having a good sleep, and waking up positively to a new day as opposed to feeling exhausted, not sleeping, and finding life difficult and a hard slog. Although, if you’re feeling burnt out, what changes can you make to turn things around?
How to know when it’s time to make a change (or two!)
It can be hard to know the difference between having a bad day and burnout. Having an understanding of yourself, your body, and your mind will ultimately allow you to decide if it’s just a bad day or if you’re suffering from burnout.
Below are just a few things which you should consider:
- Health Issues – frequently feeling unwell, maybe headaches or stomach upsets.
- Insomnia – struggling to have a good night’s sleep as a regular occurrence.
- Overwhelmed – everything is too much; you don’t even know where to start.
- Exhaustion – total lack of energy or stamina.
- Quick-tempered – negatively reacting stronger and quicker than the norm.
- Isolated – not wanting company, easier to just be on your own.
- Self-Doubt – feeling not good enough or impostor syndrome – you will be ‘found out’.
- Recognise that something isn’t right.
Use the above as an initial checklist, everyone is unique and will have different symptoms and triggers. Some may thrive on pressure and enjoy the challenge whilst, for others, it can become overpowering much more quickly - what is it for you?
- Step back and breathe.
This to me is real self-care - the diagnostic stage, where you acknowledge that you need to take some time for you, understand what’s happening and what you need to do.
- Identify your stressors.
What’s causing you to feel like this? Often, it’s linked to your values being abused – by you or someone/something external.
- Have a tribe.
A support network is critical, people who have your back and are there totally for you – a hug or a kick up the ass – whatever you need!
- Make some changes.
What were your stressors above? What actions can you do to alleviate the issues? They don’t have to be huge, maybe just a few small tweaks.
How to build experience and take learnings:
Bounce-back-ability is a skill that everyone can develop. Although, it comes with practice! Take the time to reflect on what’s happening in your life and learn to understand what your triggers are.
I have a client who knows things are going off-kilter when he starts to lose his sense of humour (at work and at home), letting little things get to him that he’d normally laugh off. He knows now that this is something to look out for and to then take swift action.
Another client knows that if he’s feeling isolated and wanting to cancel plans with his mates, he actually needs the opposite – maybe not a big night out, but company and support from people who are totally in his corner. Previously, he would have stewed on his feelings and rejected any support; now, he proactively reaches out and, in his words, ‘cuts the darkness down to a day rather than a week’.
With development, you can master the ups and downs - identifying your tells and how you feel, and more importantly, how you respond - dealing with them proactively and quickly.
So, bounce-back-ability is a thing, and you now have the tools and awareness to learn your life lessons, up your game and come back stronger than ever!