How to stop feeling overwhelmed by work and master transition strategies throughout the day. 3 actions steps in this episode.
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Mentioned on Ep 021: How to stop feel overwhelmed at work and master transitions throughout the day. One way to help with the mental overload and mental clutter in our brains.
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Welcome back to The Burnout Doctor Podcast with your host, Dr. Jessica Louie. On episode 21 today, we are talking about one way to decrease the mental clutter and mental overload we feel as healthcare professionals and women. We carry so much clutter around with us, it’s time to let it go, shift our mindset and apply a strategy we can use in less than 2 minutes.
Now, why am I talking about this today?
When I talk about overwhelm today, I’m going to be focusing on the feeling you get when you end the day thinking it was a blur. Recently I’ve felt overwhelmed by a new leadership position I’ve been appointed to serve as the interim Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at my School of Pharmacy where I’m also an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice. This includes back-to-back meetings, more emails on top of teaching, precepting students, committee work, and running my own small businesses. So when I felt this way earlier this week, I sat down and re-implemented ways to reset my own burnout that I want to share with you today.
3 action steps to take to decrease mental load:
Step 1: When you have back-to-back meetings or things scheduled on your calendar, become a master of transitions throughout the day. We all have transitions throughout the day. We transition from home to our car to commute. We transition from our car in the work parking lot to going into work. We transition from reading emails to working on a project. We transition to mom when we pick our kids up from school.
Master Transitions throughout your Day
Think about all the transitions you experience during the day. Take a moment and write a few of them down here. Answer these questions about transitions each transition:
Do you ever carry over negative energy from one activity to the next?
Do you ever feel depleted but still plow into your next activity without a break, even though you know you should take a breather?
Are you losing a sense of presence and appreciation for life and others the further you go in your day?
Step 2: From now on, as you move from one major activity to the next, try this Letting Go Exercise:
Close your eyes for 1 minute
Repeat the phrase let go in your mind over and over again. Command body to let go of tension in shoulders, neck, face, jaw, back, legs.
Set intention.
What energy do I want to bring into this next activity?
How can I do this next activity with excellence?
How can I enjoy the process?
Letting Go Exercise
Close eyes, sit up straight, breathe deeply, let tension fall away from body as you repeat the phrase let go to yourself
Step 3: ideally, you are in charge of your calendar. You set the tune and you are not reacting to other’s schedules and plans. Take a Break and Generate Energy. We we feel the day has been a blur, it probably has been because we are not taking intentional breaks to let our mind reset, our eyes take a break from screen time and our minds to let go of information it is accumulating at a fast rate.
Every hour, take a 5-10 minute break (15 minutes between classes)
Plan out what you would like to do during your break – do not check email, texts or social media
I will…After each break, start work again with intention
Ask yourself, who needs me on my A game the most right now?
Today we went through 3 action steps to take when you feel life is knocking you down
Now it’s time to take action. Share how you are coping with burnout with me. I will check-in and hold you accountable.
Until next time, spark joy my friends!
I have an exciting announcement my friends! I partnered with FabFitFun and together we produced 4 videos on decluttering and simplifying your life! One video is open to the public and 3 are exclusive to FabFitFun members. The FabFitFun community is filled with supportive women and lots of extra resources.
- YouTube Announcement
- Free video to watch now on decluttering your storage space/bathroom
- 3 videos + article in Fall 2019 magazine available to FabFitFun members
If you’re struggling right now, my coaching program offers 30-minute weekly sessions to check-in for accountability, reflect on progress, answer and guide you through difficulties. Apply now at DrJessicaLouie.com/coaching.
Until next time, spark joy my friends!
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This podcast is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.
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