Fried??

Helloooo! Are you all set for Happy, Healthy, Hump Day? I've been so busy with moving and getting things out of storage while taking on some new work opportunities ... I'm ready for some of my own advice, lol!

I titled this week's article "Fried??", not to question how you cook your chicken, eggs or tofu, but to ask you to reflect on how you are doing. Are you feeling well-rested or would you say you're fried?

Technically, the term "burnout" has been used since 1970 when psychologist Herbert Freudenberger coined it to describe extreme stress among healthcare workers. Over time it's become a general occupational and life phenomenon. I recently heard it defined as your wholeness of self screaming for change. In other words, when you're utterly exhausted.

Some common signs and symptoms include:

anger
disillusionment
fear & anxiety
overwhelm
hopelessness
loneliness
pessimism
fatigue
tension & muscle aches
insomnia
impaired immune system
isolation
illness

Fortunately, there's something you can do about it. First you have to recognize that you're in the burn zone. This means acknowledging mental, physical, and emotional depletion. Once you get real about that, the next step is to slow down. This might be hard at first and it's good to remember the old saying, "we are human beings, not human doings". - Put yourself in the center of your life. It's the only way you'll replenish and have something to offer others. - Nourish yourself with food that supports you. - Set limits. What do you need to say "no" to and what can you say "yes" to? - Develop a support system if you don't have one or reach out to the one you have (and have probably been neglecting). - Look into Mindfulness and increase your self-awareness, non-judgementally. - Start learning to "reframe". - Pay attention to what you need to sleep better/longer. - Focus on physical and creative outlets. Have some fun! - Playfully explore your Purpose or what you want in life Sometimes we think we have to walk away all together from whatever stressful situations that have been bogging us down and sucking the life out of us. Usually, all we have to do is start seeing where we've stopped paying attention to what we need. Listen to your internal gasp for help and be care-full. It's not always easy to realize or admit that we've reached "burnout". If you think you're there and you don't know what to do, contact me. Even though you'd usually pay for an appointment with me, I'll gift you 30 minutes for being one of my readers. Together, we can get you on the road to feeling good.