I once wore a badge of workaholic with pride. I had awesome job that pays my bill, lifestyle and enough for me to travel frequently. The more I am exposed to result of my work, the more I worked harder. However, It didn't cross my mind that the lifestyle I was having was not sustainable in the long term. It was as if I was reading a roller coaster run, it was fun while it lasted.
Eventually my roller coaster crashed and I ended up bruised.
It is not that I did not find joy in my work anymore but my motivation of working was lowering. I started to neglect my personal self-care, I stopped doing my work, even worse negative thoughts started eating me out alive. I was heading nowhere but disaster.
If you are heading towards this same path, you might want to find cure from this destructive situation. But if you have not been experiencing burning out,a condition that describes an experience of exhaustion, losing interest in things which result in declining performance at your regular activities, there are several ways to prevent it from happening.
So, how to cure or prevent burn out? Before I go into details, one of the keys is, disconnect yourself from your work, study, or things that causing you to feel that way. Also, slow down your pace and enjoy your surroundings. Additionally, these are several things that you can check in order to cure or avoid burning out :
- Fix your sleeping pattern
When did the last time since you have a solid 8 hours sleep ? - Disconnect and set boundaries
When did the last time you're going outside without your gadget? when did the last time you actually eat dinner without scrolling through slack, trello, instagram, or twitter? - Connect with friends, family and relax
When did the last time you have fun activities with your family? when did the last time you call them? when did the last time you visit museum arts, hill, beach or any place you like? - Clean your surroundings
When did the last time you're cleaning your place? When did the last time you're changing your room or house layout? have some fun with your surroundings.
If you have not been experience burning out, try to keep those things in check. It's all about balancing life and work with the time that we have.
If you worry about getting things organized, set reminders. Take a week off from everything because you deserve it. Eat something nice, pursue your hobbies, put aside anything work or study related. Enjoy the present; the moment and refresh your mind.
I know it's not easy as pressing F5 but it is worth to try. Save yourself from long term path to destruction. Do not indulge in harmful substances that only hinder your recovery process. If it gets too much, consider seeking professional help.* Find the voice in yourself again. Find the itch to be creative and to do the things you love.*