5 Tips to Prevent Burnout
I recently read the book “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily & Amelia Nagoski. I loved Amelia’s previous book, “Come As You Are,” so I was excited to read this one!
Burnout is something I am very familiar with. It’s constantly discussed amongst the therapist community (and any helping profession really). I was drawn to learn more about it for not only myself, but my peers and clients.
These were my favorite takeaways from the read:
Physical activity is the most effective strategy for releasing stress. It feels so simple, but it’s easy to forget. It doesn’t have to be intensive exercise, but purposeful movement is incredibly beneficial.
Humans are built for connection. Authentic interactions reminds the brain that the world is a safe place.
It’s normal to feel ambivalent about your body image. Reconsider your expectations for your relationship with your body. We are conditioned by society to believe we are “supposed” to look like “X.” Validate the complicated relationship and practice self-compassion in this realm.
Sleep is important. Read that again. Sleep is important. The authors did an incredible job breaking down the science behind sleep and sharing the importance of rest. If sleep is something you struggle with (too much, too little, not restful), talk to a doctor. Addressing it with a professional allows you the space for it to improve.
Healing can be hard. Self-growth and personal improvement is often celebrated, but it’s important to pause and acknowledge that healing can be incredibly difficult. It often brings us to a place where we hold space for experiencing pain and that is vulnerable. Not easy or glamorous.
Burnout prevention takes intentional effort and starting again when we loose sight of it. There isn’t a “secret” being kept from us or a magic pill we can take (bummer, I wish it was that simple). Preventing burnout means we choose self-care and believe we are worthy of it. Will you practice this along with me?
