On the Edge of Burnout? Here are Four Things You Can do to Feel Better.

It's not better to burn out than fade away.

Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

Burnout can feel like a fifty-pound wet blanket weighing you down.

For me, it happens suddenly. I'm coasting along, juggling life, and suddenly, I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, chaotic, and heavy.

Everything feels like a burden. I can't figure out what I should tackle first, so I don't tackle anything and waste time doing something meaningless like the "burnout scroll."

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork. It is prevalent in people who don't know how to say "no" or take on more than they can handle.

My friend accurately defined my self-induced mania as a "sensory overload meltdown."

Are you someone who takes on too much? Do you start too many side hustles or hobby projects? Are you the person everyone calls because you never say no, even at your own expense?

Spreading oneself thin can only last so long before you suffer burnout or snap.

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Burnout can result in shutting down.

That's what happened to me. I completely shut down. I wasn't able to focus on anything I had started. I jumped from one thing to another, never progressing on anything.

I was confused and depressed.

My health was suffering.

I needed to slow down and take a break.

Be mindful of your abilities and agreements.

Many people take on too much. Some even proudly boast of their ability to "multitask."

Multitasking is a catalyst for burnout.

It's saying yes when you should say no.

Taking on more than you can handle doesn't make you a hero. It makes you susceptible to appearing undependable when you can't deliver what you agreed to do or deliver.

In the 90s, I started a seamstress business and advertised myself as a seamstress who could do alterations.