Burnout is not fun 🙃

If you’re going through burnout or went through it, you might find the hardest part is actually slowing down.

Your body wants to, in fact your body demands to…yet your mind is still somehow spiralling?

And then you start feeling anxious. Naturally you think it’s because you need to keep working to lessen reduce all the work you have and then less anxiety right? But here’s the thing, it actually never lessens 😱

It perpetuates a cycle where you’re too exhausted to work yet too anxious to rest!

So no, it’s not your fault for burning out or for missing the signs.

It’s been deeply instilled in us that work = success. The more work, then the more successful no? And it’s the push till you drop kind of energy that’s been subtly infused in countless messaging around us and every single thing we do that it becomes part of our subconscious belief…that our inherent worth comes from how much we accomplish. From our ability to do it all.

Essentially, we’re programmed to want to be always busy 🤯

Now, repeat after me: it’s not my fault.

Phew! Now that that’s out of the way, how does one recalibrate after burnout and slowly start the journey of deconditioning oneself?

By tuning inwards. Understanding yourself and your needs is the very first step.

Here are a few ways that’s helped me recalibrate from my burnouts and allowed me to rewire my energy

1. Take a step back

We jump into problem solving mode right away but right now what you and your body need is less doing, let yourself simply be (easier said than done!) Give your body space do its thing. Take a breather. Rest, read, take a bath, watch a movie, talk to a friend, get lost in something you enjoy.

Questions to ponder on:

• Where do my thoughts go when I try to rest?
• What feelings and emotions are coming up?
• How can I make space to relax everyday?

2. Connect to your whole body

Start with noticing physical sensations in your body. Make it a habit. The more you practice, the more you’ll sensitize to what your body is feeling and what it needs at any given time

Questions to ponder on:

• How is my body feeling right now?
• Am I craving for something energizing,
• grounding, calming or nourishing?

3. Make space to feel your feelings

A lot of times we push through our “uncomfortable” emotions or try to numb them. There is no good or bad emotion. Emotions show us how we’re doing. It’s like your body’s internal system; showing you if a boundary has been crossed or if there’s an area you need some extra TLC

Questions to ponder on:

• What am I feeling right now?
• How can I hold this feeling with compassion and grace?
• What is the emotion trying to tell me?

4. Grounding tools & practices

It’s easy to get lost in the day to day where we start living from one task to the next. Before we know it, we’re on autopilot. Grounding tools help you come back to yourself and recalibrate. To connect your mind, body and spirit.

Questions to ponder on:

• What activities help me feel grounded?
• What places help me connect to myself?
• How can I incorporate these grounding practices in my routines?

5. Diving deeper

If you want to go even deeper, here are some journalling prompts you can explore with.

Some additional prompts to journal on:

• What energizes me in my day? What drains me?
• How can I add more nourishing activities in my days?
• How can I make space for more being?
• What can I release that’s not serving me?
• What do I need support in?

Have you ever experienced burnout before?