When I was the softball coach at Miss Porter’s School I had the pleasure of working with several young ladies. In the next few weeks I will be bringing you a series on burnout that has been written by one of my players, Shakira Crespo. Shakira and I have stayed in touch through Facebook and it is with great pleasure that I bring to you her helpful words. when I asked her about wanting to use her work, she was thrilled to be able to help me avoid burnout. Enjoy!
Burnout is Real
by Shakira Crespo
Have you ever felt STUCK, not able to get anything accomplished? There is a good chance it was because you were feeling burnt out. This is a pretty common feeling and it occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Burnout reduces productivity and zaps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly hopeless, cynical, and resentful.
Exhausted and No Energy?
I was exhausted and had no energy to do anything, especially after work. I just wanted to sit there and numb myself by watching TV or social media. But all of that was not letting me fulfill my life purpose. I wanted to help others, I wanted to empower other women and I wanted to be present for my family. How could I do this when I was burnt out?
Over the next several weeks I will walk you through some tips on how to deal with burnout.
Tip #1- Turn to other people
Social contact is nature’s antidote to stress. Talking to someone who is a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress.
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Reach out to those closest to you – Remember, opening up to them won’t make you a burden to others. Instead, it can strengthen the relationship.
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Be more social with your coworkers – Developing friendships with people you work with can help buffer you from job burnout.
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Limit your contact with negative people – Hanging out with negative-minded people who do nothing but complain will only drag down your mood and outlook.
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Connect with a cause or community that is personally meaningful to you – This will give you a place to talk to like-minded people or make new friends.
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Find new friends – If you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, its never too late to build new friendships and expand your social network.
Which of these will you try? Remember your mental health is an important part of being healthy BEFORE you NEED to be healthy!