LOW ON ENERGY, CAN’T SLEEP,
YOU’RE IRRITABLE WITH THE KIDS
AND YOU FEEL BUSY BUT CAN’T SEEM
TO GET EVERYTHING DONE? TAKE A
FEW BREATHS, JO HARTLEY HAS
SOME HELPFUL ADVICE
W
e’ve all been there. It’s been
a long week. The kids have
been especially testing. Your
‘to-do’ list is out of control and you’ve
been burning the candle at both ends.
The result? You’re completely burnt out.
Experts now agree this is a ‘thing’.
Just recently, the World Health
Organisation added burnout to its
International Classification of
Diseases list which guides
medical practitioners
in diagnosing
health issues.
While this
listing relates to
the workplace, the
burnout criteria
can be transferred to
all areas of our lives.
Energy depletion – tick,
mental fatigue – tick, and
reduced efficacy – tick.
Burnout has many other symptoms
too. Hello crankiness, negative attitude
and low confidence. And that longing
for a holiday, decent sleep or night
without a buzzing brain? It may just
be the spark to ignite the flame.
Rachel Evans, founder and director
of the RE.connection Project works with
women to help them overcome burnout.
She believes we feel the heat more than
men. “As women, we’re fed the idea that
we can have it all and juggle it all
without any help,” she says. “We’re
trying to prove ourselves in all areas
while simultaneously keeping upappearances on social media.
“We’re also working in a time where
we’re being told to do more with less
and pushing ourselves to achieve goals.
We’re not listening to our bodies when
we need to take a break or slow down.”
Unsurprisingly, the impacts from this
can be huge. Our relationships start to
suffer, we’re more susceptible to mental
and physical illness, and our healthy
habits go up in smoke.
So how can we avoid this? How can we
ensure we put out the fire before the
flames start to take hold?Exercise
We don’t prioritise exercise when we’re
headed for burnout. Putting one foot »‘As
women,
we’re fed the
idea that wecan have it all
and juggle it
all without
any help’
REMEMBER
»^ It’s okay to
show vulnerability.
»^ You don’t need to keep
pushing and volunteering
to take things on in order
to be successful.
»^ Don’t view saying no or
working on self-care as bad.
»^ Pushing yourself to the
point of burnout isn’t good
for your wellbeing.
»^ Be aware of your tipping
point and when you need
to start pulling back.be informed
be nourished
simply be
be energised
be inspired