The Antidote for Burnout

I like spending my Mondays with mindset work. It sets the tone for a productive week and keeps my motivation running more long-term throughout the week.

Let's talk about burnout. Burnout is when something in your life is feeling stagnant, pointless and lacking progress toward what you want. You get no motivation to keep going and you start to question what it's all for. It may feel like a crossroads of important decisions.

What are you working for? Besides an income, what is the point? What do you get out of it? Is there some sort of fullfillment that you get out of it? What kind of reward does it get you inside your mind? Depending on your answers inside, you may have to think about how to make a change. But chances are, you probably have some positive answers as to why you keep going back every day. Only you know for sure.

So the next thing to look at would be whether what you're feeling is burnout or fatigue? Feelings of fatigue are always obvious, and you might know the solution right away. "I need more ______________." Sleep, healthy food, rec time, fresh air, time with certain people, alone time, time doing something you like that you've neglected, etc.

Because you can't pour from an empty cup.

Fill it with the good things you need. And if you do, you take that day and give yourself what you need, ask yourself that question again. If you feel even a little less that whatever you're burned out from is the issue, you're probably more fatigued than burned out.

And sure. There might be a grey area. It might take time to figure out. None of this is cut and dry and everyone is different.

But what's important is to not lose your sense of progress. One of my favorite teachers in high school used to say "If you're not growing you're dying." I swear by it now even though I didn't understand what it meant at age 15.

So, progress.

Let's talk about the word "investment" on the topic of progress. An investment is the word, money, time that you spend in order to have a better outcome later. If you're burned out, and you know for sure, then making a change is a form of progress. If you're fatigured, then the time you invest in what your needs are will allow you to be more productive later.

That's a promise.

Yesterday I only worked for about an hour. I did nothing for a couple hours, took a nap for 2 hours, played video games for an hour, went hiking for 2 hours. Yup. Things were left unfinished for sure.

But I feel like I can take on the world today. It works. Try it. Even if you feel you can't, do it anyway.