3 Creative Steps to Rethink the Burnout Cycle
(A guest blog by Katelyn Smith: MS, LMHC)
Burnout tends to sneak up on you.
It starts with taking on one more responsibility or skipping one meal to get more work in but then that pattern of putting your needs last becomes the new normal. Slowly but surely you start to lose control of your life and start to lose yourself in the process. Stress and responsibilities build up until you feel crushed by the weight and by the time you recognize there is a problem you feel like there is no way to relieve the pressure. With burnout one thing is inevitable, either you slow down and make changes or your body will do the slowing down for you.
So let’s get in front of that all or nothing scenario and find a healthier path forward.
Below are the 3 steps I take with clients in order to rethink their burnout cycle.
Step 1: Identify where your energy is going
Whenever I hear the phrase ‘give it 110%’ I roll my eyes. The whole point of giving 100% is that it is all you have, so that extra 10% is impossible. Sadly against logic, this mentality has stuck and has made people believe that impossible goals are not only possible but expected.
So how can we break this exhausting way of thinking?
I start with the idea that your time and energy is not unlimited.
I have clients draw a pie chart to represent their life and all the things that are juggling. All of your time and energy exists inside this circle and has a limit.
Then I have clients list all of the activities, responsibilities and stressors that are taking up time and energy in their life. Common answers are school, work, family and friends. It is also helpful to circle the answers you believe need to be prioritized.
Next I have clients put these areas into their pie chart and see what is taking up the most energy.
With the pie chart filled in we then explore the following questions:
What areas are taking up the most energy?
Example: Work 50% Family 25% Friends 25%
That would be the ideal so if one area is stressful or seems like it is falling apart, the others provide balance and a safe haven from other stressors.
Are my priorities getting the energy they need?
Example: If I want 50% to be family and friend time/energy, work can not be taking 80%
Is this how I want my life to look?
Bonus: Make another pie chart to represent your idea of balance and compare them
Cut out the stressors that take up too much of your time and energy.
After seeing your stressors plotted out in black and white it is easier to see what is taking all your time and energy.
With these factors mapped out I ask the following questions:
Is this stressor needed?
Example: Family ~ One family member takes a lot of energy
Can I limit my interactions with them? ~ Text instead of 30 minute call
Can this area be broken up into smaller factors?
Example: Work 70% ~ Long hours 30% Commute 40%
Can the factors be changed?
Example: Commute 40% ~ Can I work from home?
Find a balance
If you are trying to fit in too many priorities and responsibilities something has got to give. Overtime equals less time with family, staying out late with friends equals a struggle at work the next morning. There will be times in your life where family and friends will need more energy such as during the holidays and times where work takes up more energy like the end of a quarter. The key to these ups and downs is to find a way to balance the fluctuations so they do not become overwhelming.
Step 2: Make a future plan for balance
The next piece is identifying what factors will ‘get you back to ok’ and have a go-to plan before the burnout takes over. I break these factors into daily, weekly and monthly activities in order to have a variety of choices.
Daily: The idea behind daily coping skills is taking a moment for yourself in order to reset when things are becoming overwhelming. Popular responses are take a deep breath, make some coffee/ tea, or stand up and stretch if you are sitting too long.
It is also helpful to link these reset moments to the 5 senses in order to ‘pack more of a punch’. Taste: Tea or flavor drops
Smell: Aromatherapy or perfume
Sight: Picture of a pet or family
Touch: Fight toy or stress ball
Hear: Thumb drive or listening device with a’reset playlist’
I keep these items in a ‘crash stash’ which can be anything from a shoe box to a fancy photo box from your local craft store. This way my items are always on hand when I need them most.
Bonus: make a mobile crash stash in a makeup bag or pencil case for recalibration on the go!
The next piece is identifying weekly and monthly actives that ‘refill your cup’ and allow you to recharge after being depleted. These activities can be further broken down into active and passive coping skills depending on the type of recalibration needed.
I like to think of these actions in terms of recharging a cell phone. If you have apps running in the background and draining your energy, it is time to close them out. If you put your phone on airplane mode, it will charge faster. If you leave your phone on the charger for too long its redundant because it does not go past 100%. With these factors in mind it is important to identify the types of coping skills need and have a timeframe in mind.
Active Coping Skill (requires an action): work out, hangout with friends, read ~ be honest with yourself if these actions will recharge or deplete your energy Example: I have enough energy for a 20 minute walk and after that I will see how I feel
Passive Coping Skill (resting/sleep mode): take a day to ‘do nothing’, watch tv, nap ~ these actions are positive when they are intentional and in moderation
Example: I am going to take a day to recalibrate so I am feeling refreshed tomorrow
The last piece is identifying what brings you joy outside of work. It is not our purpose to just go to work, come home and have nothing else to live for. We as humans need to be engaged and inspired by things in order to be balanced and healthy. These bringers of joy can be as small as eating your favorite food or as large as taking can epic vacation, but the main point is that you identify and cultivate these moments so they you are able to live a sustainable life and prevent future burnout.
Step 3: Find a way to maintain these positive changes
The last step is all about being aware of the time/energy outputs that often lead to burnout and finding ways to limit these factors. The ultimate goal is to know what challenges you face and be able to get ahead of them before burnout catches up with you . I have found that the usual suspects for burnout are time and energy outputs and in this step I help clients get to the bottom of their unique combination of factors.
Identify factors in your current schedule
Time: Outline your current schedule and notice any trends that might contribute to burnout Example: Thursday is a 10h day ~ no wonder am exhausted on Friday
Energy: Identify weekly events and see if the difficulty lies in the energy spent on them Example: Tuesday has 2 staff meetings ~ on those days I might need to recalibrate
Bonus: You can use the pie chart from step one to break down the time/energy outputs of each day of the week and see if aspects can be further altered/calibrated
Identify your ideal schedule
The last piece is putting it all together to create a more sustainable schedule. Sure, life happens and this perfect plan might not aways be possible. But it is important to have a vision of what your ideal schedule would look like in order to recalibrate when things seem to go off the rails.
Want weekends off? Cross those days out on your calendar. If you want to go deeper you can look at what days seem the hardest and schedule a more passive day for the day after.
Example: If during a 5 day work week you find that most of your meetings/commitments are on Monday and Tuesday, set aside Wednesday and Thursday for more passive activities and Friday to wrap things up before the weekend.
Alter and maintain the positive changes you have made
Life is not perfect There will be days, weeks or even months where things seem overwhelming and out of control. But with these tools my clients have found it easier to identify these trends earlier and correct course before burnout occurs.
The goal is not perfection, its progress. So if these techniques shift your thinking about your burnout cycle even a little bit, you are on the right track.
More of a visual learner?
Click here to check out my burnout workbook with visual prompts for the techniques above.
~~~~ Sending all the positive vibes ~~~~
Katelyn Smith: MS, LMHC
Online therapist in Florida
About the Author
Katelyn Smith is a licensed therapist in Florida who is passionate about helping clients navigate burnout. She is passionate because she has been there and eventually found out that life does not need to be a constant cycle of burning out and starting again.
Katelyn uses imagery and analogies to help you better understand how and why your body and mind is reacting the way it is. Like a birds eye view, she is able to see some of the signs that are right in front of you but are too zoomed in to see clearly. In a non-judgmental space she uses education and a bit of humor to help you see the full picture and move towards a healthier balance.
Ready to break the cycle? Click here to schedule a free 15m consultation with Katelyn.
