My top 5 ways to reduce the risk of burnout

I had a scary moment last week… the burnout beast reared its head. After I thought I’d vanquished it for good (haha, as if).

But I’ve had a million and one things to juggle, including my beloved first car conking out on me once and for all. Fortunately, with this self-compassion and an ability to take a rest day, I managed to fend it off and feel somewhat recovered.

But what would I say to myself if I was experiencing it for the first time? Here are my 5 top tips for reducing the risk of burnout.

1.        Decide what success looks like for you

A lot of burnout stems from disconnection with ourselves, or from chasing something that isn’t meant for us. For example, when neurodivergent women try to fit in with ‘hustle and grind’ culture, they’re not going to experience success in the traditional sense.

My diagnosis helped me understand why, when I set rigid parameters, unrealistic goals and a plan to conquer all using consistency, it made my productivity and success worse, not better.

So, I had to think about what was more motivating and achievable for me: now, it’s success = joy. If I follow the fun, I will have much greater traction than following discipline, structure or routine.

2.        Evaluate your usual way of working… then make it more you

Again… when I sit up at a desk ready to write, I’m more likely to clean the bathroom or eat an entire pack of biscuits than I am to do work.

So where do I work best? In the library. From my bed, with books open all around me. In a noisy, busy, communal workspace. With someone who’ll ignore me.

And that’s okay – it’s different from what I grew up with, but it works for me. So I’m sticking to it.

3.        Audit your seven types of rest

“SEVEN? With what time?” I hear you cry.

Yes: physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social, spiritual and creative.

Only, please don’t use it like a checklist. Use them like a paint palette. What colour or shade shall I try today to recharge?

Some days, I might do some yoga, lock my phone away, then doodle… others, I might read an easy, familiar book, after having a good cry to my closest friends, while taking a mindful walk.

The benefit of this? If one way doesn’t work, try another. These are tools to be played with.

4.        Reflect: what fills your cup?

If time or money wasn’t a consideration, what would you do every day?

Likelihood is, something popped into your head straight away. And what a lovely problem to have; you know exactly what you want from life.

But how much are you doing it?

Dreaming longingly about having daily dips in the sea isn’t going to do anything if you don’t actually do it. And while you’re busy telling yourself you don’t have time, you’re missing doing the most healing and important thing to you, pushing your wants and needs to the bottom of the to do list.

A wise woman – Kiki Kirby - once said to me, “Don’t prioritise your schedule: schedule your priorities.”

And it was a gamechanger.

5.        Stop caring about doing things the ‘right’ way

One of the biggest barriers to overcoming burnout is worrying about what others think, or rather, what you’ve been conditioned to think.

The word ‘SHOULD’ for example, is incredibly telling. It illuminates patterns of thinking, and also where you feel you’re falling short.

In answer to ‘should’, I always probe: according to who?

And my advice here? If you don’t admire, respect or want the life of the person who thinks you ‘should’ x, y and z… disregard it. Their opinion won’t help you grow.

These are the five steps I use with clients in my workshop ‘Burnout Management 101’ – something I am also taking to schools, sixth forms and universities. These pillars are also entrenched within my 1:1 coaching. If this has been helpful to you, be sure to reach out via my website, LinkedIn or Instagram – I’d love to hear from you!