After Burnout : Life can be stressful. That’s a fact. Life has been particularly challenging lately for everyone. If you have been through a situation that has caused some burnout you are not alone. Burnout is when you find yourself in a state of emotional and physical exhaustion. Burnout can be a product of work-related stress or caused by stress in other parts of your life.
When you are able to focus on recovering and recharging there are two aspects to consider. There are the physical aspects of self-care like pampering yourself with a hydrating face cream or a nap. The other aspects are the emotional or mental ways we function, such as how we talk to ourselves and handle stress.
This article will cover some easy ways to recharge your body and mind after dealing with burnout.
Take Care of Your Body
Your body is what carries you through life and needs some TLC and appreciation to help it stay strong or to heal itself after a stressful period. Let’s go over some things you can do to help recharge your body.
1. Take a Warm Bath
Your grandma was right. A warm bath can really do you a lot of good. Submerging your body in warm water can calm your nervous system, boost circulation and relieve aches and pains. Taking some time for yourself and just relaxing is important when you’ve been through a stressful time. Adding some lavender essential oil or lighting some candles adds to the pampering feelings.
2. Give Yourself a Good Brushing
Dry brushing is the technique of using a natural bristle brush on your skin without water. There are many claims made by people who are fans of dry brushing. They say it can stimulate your lymphatic system and remove toxins. Whether or not any of that is true, it can certainly be enjoyable.
You may want to try dry brushing and see how it makes you feel. Using a long-handled, natural bristle brush like you would have for the shower or bath, gently massage your back and limbs. If you have short enough hair, you may even want to give your head a good brushing.
People who enjoy dry brushing report that it can feel both invigorating and relaxing. Give it a try and see!
3. Go for a Gentle Walk
The rhythmic nature of walking can make it very restorative for the nervous system. Walk someplace pleasant like the woods or near a lake. Don’t set a goal — this isn’t about getting your steps in — just enjoy a good wander and try to really look around and enjoy the nature.
There is a vast body of research that shows walking in nature has a whole host of benefits for your mind as well as your body. It has been shown to lower stress, improve mood and concentration and even improve your capacity for empathy. Even looking out the window at nature can help your psychological well-being!
4. Make Sure to Get Your Sleep
We all try to do more and more and, in our culture today, it can be a badge of honor to boast about how little sleep you get. But it’s really very harmful to not get the rest that your body needs to heal and recharge itself. Researchers have found that getting under six hours of sleep a night can be a major factor in burnout.
Set a timer on your phone for 30 minutes before the time that you want to be in bed. Use that time to tidy up and brush your teeth and then head to bed. Creating a routine will help your body get accustomed to winding down for bed. Try to avoid watching TV or scrolling on your phone in bed, as it can keep you up much later than you had planned.
5. Engage in Some Inexpensive Pampering
Taking time to give yourself a little love can go a long way. You don’t have to break the bank to feel like a million bucks. Buy yourself some flowers when you are at the grocery store to brighten up the kitchen.
Finding some luxurious lotions to use after your shower can make you feel like you took a three-minute trip to the spa. If you have 15 minutes, you can give yourself a little home manicure with a nail buffer and a nourishing cuticle treatment.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
It’s not unusual to find that we can’t quiet down that part of our mind that wants to fret and worry, so finding ways to help calm those inner thoughts can be an important part of recharging after a particularly stressful time. In this section, we will go over some things you can do to help recharge and rebuild your mental health.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Take Some Space
We’ve all got certain people in our lives who can feel like a drain sometimes. If you are in a particularly stressful patch, you may not have the “bandwidth” to deal with those particular folks. Give yourself a break when you have the option. Turning down some invitations is totally okay, even when all you really want to do is have some time to yourself.
7. Spend Time with People Who Can Be Supportive
The flip-side of avoiding the draining people is making a point to spend time with the folks that lift you up. Make a date with that friend who always makes you laugh, or the one who is such a good listener. Too often we let life get in the way of nurturing those healthy connections.
8. Do One Thing at a Time
This sounds super obvious, but it’s not! Many of us (especially women) are multitasking around the clock. Try doing only one thing and see what happens. Pay attention to the self-talk that happens when you try to focus on only one task. You may notice that you feel anxious. You may realize that there is a voice in your head telling you that you are wasting time.
Consciously doing only one thing can be a form of meditation. Being fully mindful of what you are doing while you do it can help ground you in the moment and allow your mind to quiet down. If you are washing the dishes, then just wash the dishes! Feel the warm water on your hands, smell the dish soap, hear the clinking of the silverware. It can give your mind a welcome rest.
Taking care of your body and mind after a stressful time of life is important. It’s too easy to keep pushing yourself and only think of others, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be any good to anyone at all.
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