Self-Care and Burnout

Work is stressful, and it can get the better of us sometimes. Having a good self-care routine can prevent feeling burnt out. Sings of feeling burnt out are: (1) Feeling tired even after resting (2) Cutting back on leisure activities (3) Increased feeling of resentment (4) new or worsening health problems (5) Difficulty concentrating (6) Neglecting other responsibilities. Fortunately, there many ways one can incorporate self-care into their lives to improve their emotional state.
Schedule some “me time”
Sometimes it is not possible to complete all your tasks and responsibilities. If we take a break for leisure time, we often feel guilty. This where scheduling some “me time” can come be helpful with reducing guilt. If we are engage in leisure activities during a scheduled “me time,” that was planned, then we are less likely to feel guilty about it.
View self-care as a responsibility
Sometimes it helps to have a perspective shift. Viewing your self-care as part of your responsibilities grants us guilt-free permission to have leisure time. It will even allow us to have more energy to be more productive when we return to work.
Listen to inspirational music in the morning
Sometimes it takes an external force, such as music or an inspirational quote to motivate us to accomplish the tasks ahead of us. Bringing in these motivational influences can often counteract feeling tired even after resting. Change the way you view yourself, your work, and your outlook for the days events.
Share a kind smile with strangers on your way to and from work.
Human connection has a way of increasing our energy levels. Something as simple as smiling at someone or asking them about their day may increase your mood for the day and contribute to feeling less burnt out.
Take a moment at the end of each day and consciously list a few good things in your life.
Often, we take the good things in our life for granted. A classic example is being able-bodied. What we have becomes a normal part of our existence and we forget to reflect on how lucky we are to have it. Reflecting on all the good things in our life or writing a gratitude journal is a great reminder of what we are lucky to have and can alleviate job stress and anxiety.