Yowza. Are you close to burning out? Your email is overflowing, your clients are just running you ragged? The to-do list of stuff is never-ending. It just never stops and you fell like you’re just a hamster spinning in its wheel.

Yes, yes. I hear you. This place is so scary overwhelming. It’s the place that makes you want to throw it all away. It’s draining and makes you grumpy. Your family is starting to notice it… I know, I’ve been there too.

I share my top tips for helping you to get out of burnout mode and into “I feel so light and happy.” I’m not making any guarantees that this is going to be easy. It takes intention and time to make this really work but isn’t it worth it to feel like you’re in charge rather than feeling like your life runs you? It might feel like that fulfilled and happy place is so far off where you are, but it’s possible to switch gears through thoughtful reflection.

Top 7 Tips for Ditching Burnout:

1. Ask yourself: what do you want to do every day? If you were to have money coming in that you need to live your current life (or a little better), what would you want to be doing? What activities, people or things fill that life? What parts of the life that you have now would you keep? Which ones would go away? How would you feel differently than you do now and how would you want to feel?
2. Why are you doing the things that keep you busy? We all have things that make us busy. But if those things aren’t tied to something we value, then it’s actually not very productive. The busy-makers in our lives do one job – to sink us, to keep us from finding that fulfillment. To find the freedom in out lives to do the thing we truly want to do.
3. Find gratitude each day. I talk about this all the time. Gratitude grounds us. It helps us to understand what of our lives is truly important. It’s cleansing and refreshing to know how our hearts feel full. Even in the darker times, there are things we can be grateful for, people for whom we have whole-hearted gratitude. Cultivate that daily. I have a Grateful Heart Practice that I do each day. On a big piece of paper, I fold it down the middle and on the left column I write worries. On the right column, I write grateful heart. I just brain dump all my worries on the left. Then I’ll fold over the paper so I only see the right side and pour into the things that I feel grateful for that day. Write down the things for which you’re truly grateful, not the things that you feel like you should be grateful for. Got it?
4. What are the SHOULDS that are stopping you from having a fulfilled life? All of us have these self-imposed “should” rules in our lives. These are the things that dictate what and how we’re allowed to do things. It’s what makes us feel guilty for what it is that we want to do or have. What’s stopping you right now from you having what you want? Is it about taking some time to take care of yourself and go and read a book? What’s stopping you? Is it the belief that you “should” be doing some homework? Yep, I thought so. Burnout is REAL folks, if you don’t take time to recharge you can take care of NOBODY. Housework can wait. (You’ll thank me later, so will your hubby.)
5. Sit and breathe. I know you’re breathing right now, but when’s the last time you actually noticed your body breathing? This might seem like a lame tip to you, but it’s really effective in helping you to ground yourself to the RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. Get still, set a timer for 3 minutes and sit still to listen to yourself breathe. If you say that you’re too busy for that, I really want to challenge you to go back to #4. What SHOULD is stopping you from taking 3 minutes to slow down?
6. Name the thing that is frustrating or overwhelming you right now. We’re good at being overwhelmed. It’s not fun, but it’s an easy state to always be part of. Whenever you’re overwhelmed or anxious, I recommend verbalizing what’s really riling you up. Say it. In the shower, in the car, at your desk, ask yourself the question, “what’s frustrating/overwhelming/concerning/freaking me out?” and answer yourself out loud.
7.  Create space. I know you’re craving something. It’s freedom right? Freedom to do fun things, things that fill up your cup, freedom to connect with your dear friends you’ve been neglecting, freedom to practice your craft or to have more creative fuel, freedom to sit down and read a book, the freedom to go to Target by yourself. So make TIME for the. If you have kiddos, this is especially important. You have to talk to your child(ren)’s other caregiver to make time for yourself. Make room on your calendar and literally schedule it out. Not in pencil, but in pen and maybe with a little washi tape too.

If you taking nothing away from the list above, I want you to take this away. You NEED to take care of you first. It’s like they say on the airplane safety speech, ” put your mask on first before helping those around you.” Put your mask on first. Make you a priority.

Would you like a free copy of of my Grateful Heart Practice activity worksheet? Then simply sign up for the weekly Sunshine Mail and get your free download here!

Homework: What will you do today to make time for you?