It often happens that people, myself included, lose motivation and give up on their aims in life.
There is something you want to achieve and you are putting in all your efforts into each task towards that goal. You continue doing, doing, doing and just like that, stop one day. There’s so much more to do but you feel you can’t do it anymore.
This is what burnout feels like.
Several elements are at play here. The first is that there are certain ‘ideal goals’ you aim at. Second, there are several things to do and you feel you are not doing enough to complete them. Third, you stop all activities at once.
It happens to the best of us, don’t worry.
Here are 3 tips you can follow to avoid burnout:
- No Ideal Goal
Let’s not have an ‘ideal goal.’ Don’t focus on an ideal situation or aim. Focus instead on each single step you are taking forward.
Don’t focus on short-term goals, think long-term.
I recommend this because it helps in detaching from the goal. When we attach ourselves too much to a goal we want to achieve, it becomes a pressure on our mental resilience. - Shift Your Focus
We feel we have many things to do but we are not doing enough. We constantly try to strive for perfection. Avoid that.
Take your time to reflect on all you have done so far and appreciate the efforts you put in to achieve that.
Don’t look at what has not been done. Focus on what has already been achieved. Appreciate the people who helped you get so far.
Remember the half-full, half-empty glass. During burnout, we tend to focus on the empty part. Instead, focus on how full the cup is! - Unplug Mindfully
A burnout brings a complete and sudden stop to our tasks. To avoid that, consciously create small burnouts to prevent a big burnout.
It might sound ironic but I highly recommend it.
Take your time to do nothing or something that you believe is lazy or unproductive. Relax, your body, your mind and your emotions.
Create a provision for your physical and emotional energy. You will then be resilient, flexible and ready for all that is unexpected.
Generate small burnouts. It could involve taking a massage, getting some coffee at a local cafe or watching a film online. Define your burnout activity to gain your energy back.
This will avoid the real, critical burnout that prevents you from proceeding further and kills your motivation.
Little by little, you will surely see yourself moving towards your goal.