7 Steps for Avoiding Burnout
This weekend found me utterly exhausted and quite a bit overwhelmed.
The week had been full with moving my blog to a new location and completely redesigning it, sick children, a broken toilet, a going away party for some sweet friends, a bridal shower, and a birthday party.
Too many late nights, not enough sleep, and stress had taken their toll and I could feel burnout approaching.
I was on day four of a very bad headache, and I just felt like collapsing in a heap on the bed and sleeping for a few days.
I needed some time to be refreshed and renew my spirit.
I spent Sunday afternoon at home alone. And as an introvert, that was just what I needed.
After church, my husband took the kids over to my mom’s house to help her with the garden and other outdoor tasks, and that left me with blissful peace and silence.
I didn’t listen to music or get on the computer.
Instead, I made myself a cup of chai tea sweetened with stevia, curled up on my bed with my Bible, my planner, and Sally Clarkson (in the form of her wonderful Lifegiving Home book).
Oh, and chocolate. I shouldn’t have, but in the course of the afternoon I ate this whole bar of Lily’s chocolate. It was so delicious! 🙂
The windows were open to the spring breeze that gently blew the lace curtains in my bedroom. The only sound was the birds chattering to each other outside the window.
Just those few hours alone, with time to think and plan, gave me the renewed perspective and encouragement I needed to keep going.
Even though this will be another unusually busy week (with two out-of-town trips scheduled), I feel rested and refreshed, thanks to the time I had to think, pray, read, and plan on Sunday.
7 Steps for Avoiding Burnout
Avoiding burnout can be a real struggle in our fast-paced modern lives. Here are the things I have found helpful when I feel the weight of stress and overwhelming busyness beginning to overtake me.
- Prayer, Bible reading, and meditation. This is my number one weapon against burnout and depression. Of course I still struggle against depression at times (especially since the death of my father in February, I’ve had to fight against getting lost in a sea of sadness and darkness of soul), but when I go to God in prayer and in His Word, I’m helped tremendously.
- Time away from the computer and phone. Sometimes you just have to get away from these things in order to feel completely rested. The online world never sleeps, and it can exhaust you if you never get away from all of the information overload and the never-ending conversation.
- Get more rest. During times of busyness and stress, I’m often getting less sleep than I need. (And that was definitely the case last week.) During stressful times our bodies actually need more, not less rest! So catching up on my sleep was definitely key to restoring a feeling of peace.
- Read encouraging books. Time spent reading often renews my vision and encourages my spirit.
- Schedule in some down time at home. For me, non-stop activity and busyness gets overwhelming and discouraging. If I have a few days where I don’t have anywhere to go, this helps me refocus and rest.
- Reevaluate routines and schedules. Sometimes lack of planning and organization can cause more stress.
- Spend time in nature. Taking a walk or just opening a window and letting nature in can be calming and comforting.
Thankfully, last night I enjoyed eight hours of restful sleep, and  I feel so much better today! Do you have any additional tips for avoiding burnout?
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I’m really learning that I have to literally schedule “meetings with myself” to just watch Hallmark or read or be quiet. Thanks for the encouragement!
I agree, Melissa—if it’s not scheduled it’s hard (or even impossible) to find time for self-care.
I love your list Joy… And thank you for linking this week at the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! I must say I LOVE your new blog header. Very fresh and clean and pretty! 🙂
Thank you, JES! For the kind comment and for the encouraging words about my new blog design. I’m still working on figuring everything out and getting it all running smoothly. And your comment reminded me that I didn’t include a link back to your site, which I totally intended to do, but then I forgot. Next time I will! 🙂
Your newly designed blog looks fabulous! I’m impressed at your tech savvy-ness. 🙂 (I lack those skills.)
I always love stopping by.
Carol
Thank you, Carol! I don’t have that many tech skills, honestly. I could have never done this by myself. I knew I would mess something up, so I got help! 🙂
Love the new design! I’ve so enjoyed your blog 🙂 and yes, times of burnout call for quiet meditation on God’s word, and distancing ourselves from the business of this world! Glad to hear you had an afternoon of rest (and chocolate!).
Thank you so much, Laura! 🙂
Dear Joy, I’m glad to read your post ! I like your new format , it’s clear with well-organized categories .
I would write more , but my English isn’t good enough to enable me to write long comments!
Wishing you a more quiet period of your life ,
Franca
Thank you, Franca! And I think your English is very good! I very much appreciate your comments. 🙂
I didn’t get this blog post but did receive the news letter that contained a link about your latest post….I hope switching things around didn’t disturb my subscription (I don’t see how it could but I don’t know why I wouldn’t receive the latest blog post). Unplugging is certainly crucial in these days…even from the news on tv or radio. Have you noticed how much yelling is going on with campaigns and the news, etc? I only check email and I get on Instagram maybe once every other day and I definitely feel so much more freedom and at peace, not constantly in a state of being worked up. Prayer and the Bible time, cannot do without it and when I do try to go without it, I am in a worse mess.
When I switched my blog around, I also switched email providers. But your subscription is fine if you received my newsletter. I still haven’t totally figured out how to send the full blog post as I used to, but once I figure it out (soon, I hope!) it should go back to the way it was before, with each new post being emailed after it’s published.
I agree with you about the necessity of unplugging. I need to do it regularly. As a family, we try to stay off all computers on Sunday. It’s nice to have a whole day of no screen time! 🙂
Sleep is definitely the big one for me, and I agree with needing *more* sleep in times of stress- that is something I am not good at putting into practice! Your new blog design is nice and ‘clean’, and I like that you kept your lovely bird’s nest artwork 🙂
Thanks, Gwen! I just had to keep my bird’s nest! 🙂
And sleep is my biggest difficulty, too, especially during times of stress. I’m trying to get better at that!
Love your new look! Although, I don’t do well with change big or small… I like familiarity 🙂 Glad you’re getting some rest, we all need it!
Thank you, Sara! I know what you mean about change. I’m pretty much the same! I’ve been contemplating this redesign for several years, and I think my dislike of change is what kept me from doing it sooner. 🙂
Thanks for sharing these steps – they’ve definitely worked for me when I’ve needed times of rest. Also looking forward to reading Sally’s book. I like the blog design!
Thank you, Tracey! You’ll love Sally’s book! I wish I could just spend all day reading it. 🙂 I’m about 1/4 of the way through it, and so far I’m really loving it.
Glad you had a day of rest! Sorry for all the restless nights. I just found out about tart cherry juice having natural melotonin. You drink 1 oz – I get the concentrate & have to add water – too tart for me – but I’ve been sleeping wonderful. Wanted to share as I was thankful to find out about it. It helps with inflammatory issues as well.
Thanks for mentioning that, Nancy! We’ve tried the tart cherry juice, and it does make such a big impact on health. Right now I’m taking it in pill form every day. Probably not as effective, but that way I actually remember to take it! 🙂
Spending time unplugged from my phone or the laptop is a huge stress reducer for me as I’m able to focus on what needs to be done and the needs of my family. Just having the ‘electronic’ distractions at a minimum is wonderful.
Like you, I’m an introvert and when I sense my plate becoming to full I back out of some things. I hate doing it, but my family needs me much more than I need to be doing things. I keep reminding myself that this is a season of life (4 kids under 4) and I’ll be able to do more things as they get older.
Ashley
Yes, 4 kids under 4 would be super busy! I remember those days when everyone was still little, and I was often exhausted. But, oh, so many precious memories from those days, too! I miss those days. And I also love the season I’m in right now, which enables me to be a lot freer. 🙂 Blessings to you and your family, Ashley!
Oh I wish I knew this so much time ago.. I have to admit that I’ve gone to far… Thanks for sharing these tips. Maybe they can be some help by trying to get out of my burn out position I am in right now..
Love from Holland
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through burnout right now. I think our modern lifestyles make it difficult for us to slow down and not be in a constant state of busyness and overwhelm. I know it’s something I have to fight against, too. Praying you get some time to be refreshed soon!
Thank you só much Joy. I appreciate it.
I absolutely LOVE your new blog design! Did you purchase a pre-made design? I adore the clean, bright, tidy style of it 🙂
By the way, The Lifegiving Home is such a wonderful book! I love seeing all the different ways people are sharing about it in different blog posts….a true treasure ♥
Wishing you a beautifully blessed week ahead!
~Elizabeth
Thank you, Elizabeth! Yes, I did buy a design that was already made. I was hoping for a neater, cleaner look. 🙂
And yes, I agree with you about Sally’s book! I’ve had it for awhile, but I’m just now getting a chance to read it.
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!