How do you know you are close to burnout? Only we can decide our limits, but there isn’t a big red stop sign when we are taking on too much, so how do we know? Often we push ourselves too far before realizing we’re one step from collapsing. Here are 5 check-ins to find out if you are close to burnout.
1. Have you been getting enough sleep?
4 hours of sleep is not enough (unless you are an elephant). Research suggests that most young adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation can cause irritability, trouble focusing, difficulty learning, forgetfulness, and lack of motivation. Sleep is so basic that it’s easy to not prioritize. However, you need to recharge. Set time limits of when you need to stop working and create a bedtime reminder on your phone. And of course, put the phone down before bedtime.
Your phone emits blue light similar to sunlight and convinces your brain to stay awake. If you absolutely must be on your phone at night, turn your phone on “night shift” mode or get blue light blocking glasses. If you struggle to fall asleep, there are also natural sleep aids that can help. Did you know tea actually helps with sleep? Read about how tea can help with your self-care routine here.
2. Have you said “no” this week?
If you have ever burnt out, you probably have a big heart to help people. However, you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Don’t be a people-pleasers at your own expense. Say “no” without guilt feeling guilty. Saying “no” is an essential step to speaking up for yourself and setting boundaries. It also creates more time for you to take care of yourself and conserve your energy. Check-in with what you’ve committed to for the next week, and say “no” to anything that doesn’t align with your values or if you just don’t want to do it.
3. Have you exercised this week?
Overworking makes it easy to skip exercising. However, people need physical activity to stay healthy and sleep well. Many people associate exercise with weight loss, but did you know it has many benefits to your overall physical and mental health? Regular exercise can improve your mood, sleep, productivity, and reduce anxiety.
It’s okay if you’re not a huge fan of working out, I wasn’t either. Let’s face it no one wants to do something they don’t enjoy. The trick is to find an activity that fits you. I use to dread the gym because I didn’t like cardio. However, eventually, I tried yoga and lifting and now I look forward to exercising because it feels more like relaxation. Try a few different activities until you find the one you enjoy. Start small. Take a 15-minute walk each day or just do 10 jumping jacks. Reframe how you feel about exercise by understanding that it’s self-care.
4. When is the last time you did something for yourself?
What does self-care really mean? Self-care is any activity that you do to take care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. It can be a small gesture like treating yourself to an expensive latte or a grand gesture like getting a mani-pedi and soaking in a rose petal bubble bath. Find something you enjoy that is not related to work or productivity and fit it into your schedule. It doesn’t even need to cost much, it can be something free like going to the library and checking out your favorite book or movie. For a list of free self-care ideas, read more here.
5. Have you been celebrating your small wins?
Small wins are of bigger importance than you think. Often we are so busy trying to reach the next step, the next goal, the next place that we forget to appreciate how far we’ve come. This can lead to burnout because it’s easy to feel hopeless like we are on a hamster wheel with no end in sight. A simple way to solve this is to practice gratitude.
What is gratitude though? Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in hopes that it will make them happier. The more you practice gratitude the stronger it gets. Research shows that gratitude helps people feel more positive, relish experiences, improve health, deal with adversity, and improve relationships. You can practice gratitude by being thankful and expressing appreciation for what you have. You can practice it by being thankful for past, present, or future experiences. Here are some simple tips to practice gratitude.
- Write a thank-you note either to yourself or to others.
- Start or end your day with 3 things you’re grateful for.
- Meditate and breathe for 1 minute without multitasking or doing anything else.
We all want to avoid burnout, but it’s typically comes down to our habits and mindset. Ask these 5 simple questions each week to check-in with yourself and your friends to prevent burnout before it’s too late. If you want more tips, read our 10 tips to avoid burnout.
