Recently, I experienced a period of extreme burnout.

Like, didn’t have the energy to even check my email or motivation to tackle even the most basic tasks. 

That’s usually my sign that it’s time to slow down and get refocused on self-care.

What is burnout

According to HelpGuide.org, burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is caused when you are unable to meet constant demands and feel drained. 

Burnout is normal to experience, but doesn’t mean we have to accept it as a normal part of life.  

By taking time to self-care, we can stay focused on our goals, maintain our mental and physical health and keep up with our relationships. 

I need you to write this down:

Busy is not a badge of honor.

Why self-care isn’t what we’re taught

I used to read articles on self-care and found my perspective was very warped. I was told over and over that self-care is Lush bomb bubble baths, painting your nails, reading a book and indulging in a nice glass of wine. 

Self-care in the traditional sense is escaping stress. I’m starting to take a different approach and view self-care as managing my mind. 

Can you relate to this?

But here’s the thing— I did all of the “self-care” related things and still experienced burnout. I turned to podcasts, books, and good old Google to figure out where I went wrong and what I could do differently in the future. 

What self-care is to me

I believe self-care in it’s truest form is connectivity and community. When we are connected to others and feel like we have a strong community, we reduce our stress levels and 

My research led me to a great TED talk titled, “How to make stress your friend.”

This talk changed everything. 

It breaks down the importance of awareness around how we view our stress and recognized that feeling less stressed comes down to how connected we feel with others. 

Stress is not something we can escape from— as a living being, we all experience varying levels of stress, but at its core, stress is just energy in our body. Stress is the cue for our body to prepare for action. It’s just a physical reaction.

The researcher in the TED talk made a compelling case the stress only causes negative health benefits if you view it as a negative thing. 

From this talk it ended with a premise of helping manage stress through connection and community. 

Then I started to dive into a masterclass on screen time. 

No surprise, we are spending a lot of time on our phones. In fact, the average person spends 4 hours a day on their phone. 

4 hours a day!

When we spend more time with screens we spend less time with others and caring for ourselves. 

Remember- the definition of self-care that I prescribe to is connectivity, community, and managing your mind.

Simple Ways to Incorporate Self-Care into your Routine

• Volunteer at your favorite organization. Giving back by paying it forward is one of the greatest things you can do to put your life into perspective, recognize that we are actually doing okay, and build community.
• Take care of your health. I am a big fan of working out, drinking water and creating a meal plan. I also have been getting into yoga recently which helps me manage my mind while getting a workout in.
  • TIP: I am a big fan of Bulldog Yoga Online. It’s an online yoga membership that makes working out fun and easy (and you can do it from home). Try it out for free here.
• Get out of your head. When we focus on how big our problems are and how stressed we feel, we are immediately going into a low vibe state that doesn’t support creative thoughts or a solution oriented mind. So take a walk, watch a documentary or do something that shifts your perspective from a self-absorbed mindset to an empowered mindset.
• Attend networking events with the goal of connecting with 2 people. This is tricky, but the next networking event you attend, go in with the goal of making 1-2 connections and having a great, quality conversation. This brings us together and helps us feel closer and more connected– one of the great forms of self-care.

These are just a few of my favorite ways a practicing self-care. Next time you feel like you need to pull out the bath bomb and relax, remember, there are other forms of self-care and being able to have connection and community is truly the key to avoiding burnout and feeling better about your life.

What are your favorite tips for self-care? Comment below and let me know. ????????