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Feeling burned out? Have you started to take steps to reset your burnout? Find out 4 things burnout teaches us today.
Welcome back to The Burnout Doctor Podcast with Dr. Jessica Louie. Today, we are talking about 4 Things Burnout Teaches us. Thank you for sharing your action steps from our last episode on how to take control of a busy day. Many of you are taking action by using our complimentary Burnout Starter Kit and Financial Freedom Kit – don’t forget to download yours today! We all write our own stories in our lives and homes. Let’s all bring joy into home and joy into work.
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If you are new here, please go back to Episodes 1-8 on the podcast or our YouTube to learn more about my own burnout story and steps to take. Episode 131 on the Early Warning Signs of Burnout and Episode 133 on The Cost of Burnout are also excellent resources to go back and listen to.
Today, we talk about 4 things burnout teaches us.
You don’t need to Change Overnight or Conquer the World Overnight
Change takes time. You don’t need to uproot your entire life to address burnout in one night. First of all, it’s unrealistic. Second, you shouldn’t try to. The good things in life take time. Life is a journey, not a destination. I used to feel like a failure if I didn’t do everything quickly. Now, it takes a pause to realize what is realistic and what is self-induced pressure.
Take Care of Yourself First (Be Selfish)
If you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others. It is the same concept as putting the oxygen mask on first while flying before helping your children, spouse or fellow passenger. If you pass out from lack of oxygen, no one benefits.
The same will happen if you let yourself go, dive deeper into stress that turns into burnout and then get to your breaking point.
I learned after my burnout in 2015 that I needed to “be selfish” and schedule in time for white space and evaluate my mental health, emotional health, physical health, financial health each week. I did this before I got married and before I had children.
Pause before Saying “Yes” and Learn how to Say “No” with Grace
It can be incredibly difficult to stop saying “yes” to everything in our life. Especially if you grew up in that type of environment or have perfectionist, people-pleasing mentalities.
After burnout, I learned I didn’t need to be in every meeting. I learned how to delegate. I learned how to adjust my standards on what was “success” at work and “success” at home (including job titles, accolades, cleaning standards).
Ask for Help
Do you constantly say “I’m fine.” Do you hide your true feelings and emotions from friends and family when talking and catching up?
Before burnout, it was difficult to share about this in an honest way. Realizing that those emotions do not go away if you bury them deep down was helpful.
Asking for help isn’t shameful. It isn’t embarrassing. We all need it in different areas of our lives. I’ve learned to realize when I’ve reached my limit and need to delegate or ask for help. Sometimes an expert will also solve your problem so much faster than trying to do it all yourself.
Make sure you’re following along on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/drjessicalouie) as well with new videos going live every Saturday!
Until next time, spark joy my friends!
Note, my views are my own and are not associated or representative of my employer(s).
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.