Coming back from burnout is vital. Ideally you don’t ever actually hit burnout, but if you should, it is crucial to do an about face, take stock of what caused it and remedy the situation.
I confess I near burnout from time to time. And I’ll be the first to diagnose the situation and tell you that in each and every situation I am tired. It’s been a long week, a lot of work, or a lot on my mind and I am completely fatigued.
Now I don’t say that as an excuse, but rather as an ah-ha moment! A simple step to avoiding burnout would definitely be getting a good amount of rest. (Now I understand that there are a great number of reasons as to why your situation might be unique and you simply can’t get the rest you need, but let me just say, if you want to figure it out you will be able to. I promise! Pray about it, analyze what you could change and make the effort.)
Recognizing Burnout
Recognizing your struggle is half the battle, right? Whether we are talking burnout, exhaustion, frustration, or whatever you want to call it, it is important to be able to recognize the root cause.
Another thing I have noticed on a personal level is that burnout occurs when I’m having a pity party. Not an inspiring thought, I know, but I am just as human as the next person. When I become too self-absorbed, I begin to feel as if I’m missing out or not doing what I want to do. And again, add being tired to this mentality and you are definitely not going to be thinking clearly!
But instead, if you feel yourself heading this way, emotions askew, do your best to disregard the discouraging thoughts and not give them a foothold. Things look far bleaker in the dark, late evening than in the refreshing light of morning.
Coming Back from Burnout
Ages ago I learned a trick and I want to share it with you – don’t complete negative thoughts. Now this is definitely easier said then done, but if you can master doing it, it is priceless!
So how does it work? You have to learn the art of interrupting your thoughts. Much like you might interrupt someone in a conversation, you can interrupt your thoughts. For instance, that negative thought mindlessly comes creeping in, “Ooh, so and so didn’t rinse their dishes….” (or some such), but instead of continuing the thought and building on the other misdemeanors this individual has committed, you could switch gears. Think about anything else.
I sort of use this technique when I get hurt. Perhaps something falls on my foot or I stand up and hit my head on the car door. Ouch! It most definitely hurts, but I quickly switch gears from thinking about the pain. I come up with the craziest things to distract my mind (purple mailboxes, green walls, chocolate chip cookies – anything!), but the fascinating thing is that it works to minimize the pain!
Have you ever heard the phrase, don’t think about a pink elephant? Where does your mind go? Contriving some form of a pink elephant (personally, mine looks like a coloring page elephant colored pink – limited by my imagination over here!).
That’s the exact philosophy we are talking about for coming back from burnout – even avoiding it altogether – the key is to not think about it. But to “not think about it” isn’t enough, you have to think about something else instead. Isn’t that fascinating?!
Change the Channel
In conclusion, when burnout or frustration try to come sneaking in, just change the channel. Don’t pay them any attention, don’t give them any weight. Philippians 4:8 encourages us to think of lovely, pure, reputable, good, etc things. When we fill our mind with these wonderful things (and get a good nights rest!), we can most effectively avoid burnout!
Let us equip ourselves well for what God has for us to do!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. There’s Always Room at the Top: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2016/12/05/theres-always-room-at-the-top/