Preventing Burnout for Sustainable Change
Preventing burnout is at the core of WISe Wellness Guild’s mission. We believe that helping women to maintain “center” amongst the 8 pillars of whole-self wellness is crucial for peak performance in all aspects of life, and in order to provide support for others we must be first strong ourselves. In order to shatter systematic racism, we must be strong enough to punch.
2020 has been a DOOZY. It has been mentally and emotionally challenging but carries incredible promise of hope and change in the way we work and live. Loss of “normal” leaves us questioning everything- and that is ok- nothing is constant but change in this world. But change can create feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, anger and fear, ultimately leading to burnout.
Burnout is the experience of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion often caused by long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situations. By setting high standards for ourselves without respecting our body’s basic needs for nourishment, rest, safety and security, we will never be able to create sustainable change. Further, if you are an empathetic person, the weight of the world creates a sense of heightened accountability and guilt that might not be helpful for maintaining energy for ongoing support.
Here are 4 ways to cope with burnout:
1) Name your feelings so you can understand them better.
Anxiety, disappointment, guilt, numbness, isolation, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, anger, lack of motivation, sadness, physical pain/sickness, pessimism are all symptoms of burnout. Identifying them helps us to acknowledge their existence.
2) Talk it out in a safe space.
Find a friend, therapist or safe community that you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings. Saying them out loud is a part of processing your emotions. Maggie Wilhelm, Empowerment Coach and Mental Health Coach-In-Residence provides a safe space to discuss your feelings and can help you navigate your current state, providing direction you may have not yet considered.
3) Find safe and healthy outlets.
What fulfills you and provides you relief? What replenishes your soul? Having this as a coping strategy is crucial for recharging your batteries after feeling depleted. Whether it is reading a book, running, yoga, meditation, painting, playing games, baking, binging on Netflix or underwater basket weaving- whatever brings you purpose and fills you up- do it without guilt.
4) Trust your gut on when to step back.
You are valuable, and if you are noticing signs of burnout it is important to honor and respect your body’s signals. You cannot drink from an empty well- women are superhuman, but we are, in fact, human. Social pressures can sometimes make us feel like if we haven’t given it all, we haven’t done enough. Trust yourself first- this is an ultra marathon and the movement will need strong women all along the way.
Follow Maggie Wilhelm’s DBT Skill of the Week or check out our Wisdom Blog for more mental health tips