Burnout happens to us all.
In this day and age, we are especially surrounded by stimulation and instant gratification.
While there are many benefits to our modern-day advancements, we are exposed to levels of stimulation that truly aren’t natural to our bodies. It’s much easier to burn out if we’re not careful.
It can happen in the sneakiest ways, as well. The way we rest also contributes to the fire.
Energy management is especially vital in today’s age.
Our energy is key to how we show up. How we show up determines our actions, behaviors, and ultimately the moments that make up our lives.
With a rested body and high energy, we open up capacity in ourselves to create the most value, be more selfless, and raise the quality of our overall lives.
The following tried and tested tips will help you preserve your energy, alleviate burnout, and renew your glow.
Re-Sensitize Your Body
Your State Determines Your Behaviors
When our nervous system is calm, we make better choices.
Healthier activities become naturally desirable to us.
Think of how you feel after a restorative night of sleep: with a fresh clean slate, it’s more likely that you crave that healthy breakfast, an energizing workout, to go get things done. A rested state brings our most productive, attractive, and highest version out. Effortlessly.
Sensitivity to Pleasure
Rest increases our sensitivity to pleasure and stimulation.
That means it takes much less to help us feel satisfied and fulfilled. We have more energy and clarity; we are more present, think sharper, feel deeper, and have an overall higher quality of life.
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On the other hand, exposure to too much stimulation makes us pleasure-resistant.
Stress (or burnout) hijacks our nervous system. Despite being tired on the inside, our bodies crave more stimulation. It causes us to crave things that self-sabotage us–the dopamine-draining behaviors, such as eating for comfort, scrolling on social media, etc.
These feelings can be very difficult to control; it would take a ton of willpower to do so, and willpower is a very finite resource.
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Stress is a signal from the body, telling us that we need to slow down.
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Not—to consume more.
That can be the tricky part–if you’re not aware of this.
The Magic of Less
When I feel stress creeping up, I say to myself, “less”. Or, “calm down”. Leave it for another time…a better version of me. And let it go.
Something as simple as subtle cues are great ways to calm your nervous system and change your state.
Less is more.
It is better to be fully present and genuinely engaged. Be your best version for the people you care about, give your best to the most important matters in your life.
I encourage you to give less a try, even sometimes just to experience the difference it makes.
Less stimulation, less content, less activity. Allow your subconscious the space to work for you.
Replace Dopamine with Rest
The earlier you can catch burnout creeping up, the easier and sooner you can tame the beast.
Avoid it from growing in the first place.
Make rest a part of your regular routine, never something that you must resort to, once it’s too late. Your energy is priceless.
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If you feel signs of irritability, tiredness, or any other symptom of energy fading, take a quick moment to pause, stop, and be present in your body.
Sitting down for even a few seconds will automatically calm your nervous system and restore your energy.
The more you rest, the more you sensitize your nervous system.
Making sure to rest will pay dividends of energy back to you. You may notice your energy becoming more stable, making it easier to be present in your life.
Be Intentional.
Be intentional about rest and work. The two are opposite forces— it’s best to keep them separate.
We have limited energy and willpower daily, so how it’s spent matters!
Focus with Undivided Attention
When it’s time to work, give your undivided attention to whatever it is that you’re doing. This will make the experience worthwhile and increase the pleasure obtained from it—accuracy improves, there is increased clarity, and of course, the results are the best.
The richer and better quality we can make from our experiences, the less time and energy we need to exert because we’re gaining so much value from these moments.
Quality trumps Quantity.
Remember: Don’t Go Beyond Your Capacity
It serves no purpose to force what you do not have.
If you’re tired, and feel the quality lacking, stop.
Don’t work on a tired and unproductive state.
Doing so creates negative associations with the task on hand, decreasing your willingness to continue it. This is especially important for the things that matter most to you.
Save your most valuable and high energy for the things you care about most.
When the energy is back, your fruit will double–because you are working from passion, not force.
In addition, when you are working from passion, the energy can drive you to get multiple more done in less time.
Give your endeavors your best self. It’s much more beneficial in the end.
Build Positive Momentum
Another way to preserve and increase your energy is to create an environment that does the work for you. This environment includes your inner and external environment–which are both refined and improved through the use of positive momentum.
An internal environment influenced by momentum is one of confidence, energy, and passion. While an external one is comprised of progress and achievements. Both work hand and hand and create ease and positive emotions that ultimately drive and attract more success in your life.
How we set ourselves up for success is much more effective than actively trying to pursue it. Positive momentum picks up loads for you, sparing a ton of energy that can be invested in the things that matter most to you.
Building Momentum Through Goals
Momentum is built when we have a clear vision of what it is that we want, and are going to do.
Write your visions and intentions for the day–in the morning, as they come up, and/or before you go bed at night.
Writing them out is key: when you make your goals physical and visible, they’re at the forefront of your mind—you greatly increase your chances of successfully sticking to them.
When you are intentional about where your energy is being spent, your mind screens out unnecessary tasks. Whatever you focus on, grows! Empower the things in life that are most aligned, and matter the most to you. Don’t allow life to sway you in whatever direction.
Have your goals fit the capacity of your current energy level– forcing yourself to do things when your body is resistant to it–is the quickest way to drain your energy.
Remember that better results come from a better state.
More positive momentum can be generated when things are done in high-quality ways.
If you’re not feeling it, wait. It can feel a bit scary to let go and trust this, but I highly encourage you to try it out from time to time, and notice the difference it can truly make.
Ideas–Not a To-do List
Have this list nearby as simply a list of ideas–unlike a to-do list, they don’t have to get done. Choose the ideas that align most –the ones that feel best to do and make you feel most passionate.
As you choose ideas, with no strings attached, you start living a more purposeful life.
There is no obligation to get things done, and you can free yourself from the chains of “shoulds”.
Slow Down-Quality Over Quantity
Slow down—your thoughts, movements, the way you talk…the nervous system naturally responds.
These physical changes communicate to the body that it is safe.
Internal safety is a fertile ground to produce clarity, peace, and energy.
In addition to physically slowing down, slowing down also encompasses doing things the neat, clean, and the right way. Avoid sloppiness.
Focusing on your work’s accuracy, for example, involves a slower and more thorough review. Doing fewer exercises in the gym in exchange for focused quality reps will reap greater rewards. Placing things neatly in your house, or cleaning up as you go gives you more peace of mind.
These small choices alter your subconscious environment.
These positive emotions have a highly restorative effect. You are creating more and more peace and ease within your body, alleviating yourself from burnout.
Stillness
Stillness is powerful — it is the biggest secret to restoring your energy.
When you get out of your head and into your body, you can truly feel and understand what your body needs from you.
Close your eyes.
How are you feeling? What happens when you quiet all of the stimulation around you, even if it’s just for a moment?
You may feel your body’s systems racing and running around–feelings you’re usually distracted by from being so focused on external environments.
When you close your eyes and get in tune with it, it will most-likely feel uncomfortable; restless.
This discomfort is a good sign. To alleviate it, simply confront it, let it process and pass. That’s all it needs.
Set Aside an Intentional Moment for Stillness
It’s harder to focus on stillness knowing that there are much more fun and interesting to focus on; capture your moment of peace.
The best way to do this is to set a timer; it can be as short as a minute or as long as an hour.
The timer is highly effective because this time period is known and set.
It serves as a structure and source of security; knowing that the rest is only temporary, it’s much easier to allow yourself to be truly present in your relaxation.
You can simply get back to all the activities you want to do, once it’s over.
Allow
When the body is given space to “breathe”, true restoration can begin.
Immediately you may begin to feel your nervous system and different areas of your body untangling; tension releasing naturally.
The more you do this throughout your day, the more you regulate your nervous system and maintain calmness from within.
Calm Nervous System Inspires Healthy Behavior
In addition, focused intentional pauses stop self-sabotage in its tracks.
Most of the time, we can partake in harmful behaviors to relieve stress. Once we calm down, we become clearer, more in control, and stop craving dopamine release.
Greater relaxation within the body leads to more control over your emotions, feelings, and in addition, makes healthier behaviors appear more attractive.
Who doesn’t want more of that?
Trust in Rest
Although it may seem inconvenient to pause throughout the day, the opposite is true.
Rest is powerful. It is your greatest source of strength and clarity.
When in doubt, rest.
Rest can completely change what you crave and desire; your feelings then determine your actions. Rest can make the ultimate difference between craving an unhealthy fast food meal, versus wanting to nourish your body with high-quality food instead. It can make the ultimate difference in feeling unmotivated and lethargic, or energized and inspired to create a beautiful life.
Don’t allow stress to hijack your system! Honor your body’s needs and it will pay you back fruitfully.
Rest restores the most vibrant, productive, and fruitful version of you.
Remember that life is easy when we are rested.
High energy multiplies our productivity in fractions of the time.
Next time you’re burnt out, remember that your energy and time are your most valuable assets.