Burnout Prevention Tip #1

Written By: Jason Rose, CD-SV, RIT

I use an assortment of strategies to prevent burnout. These strategies help keep my “can do” pace with my “doing”. A few focus on keeping the body healthy. Some are mental strategies to maintain balance. And one or more help keep the spirit nourished. These are necessary for a consistent “can do” attitude. Below is this month's tip for helping to prevent burnout.

Accept Limitations:

For me, stopping to eat a meal or go to sleep is beyond annoying sometimes! It is so inconvenient. I prefer to keep working or keep doing what I am doing. But the fact is the human body, mind, and soul cycle through periods of activity and periods of rest. However, we can exceed the limited capacity of what the body, mind, and spirit can do and should do. So, we must have a cycle of rest and self-nurturing. I prefer to keep going. I would if I could, but I can’t. So, what I do, not very well sometimes, is accept my human condition and embrace my limitations. Remember to stop and eat meals. Try to make them healthy. Get at least 6 hours of sleep per night. Stretch your muscles for at least 20 minutes per day. Work out with weights several times a week to keep your muscles moving. Go for a drive in the mountains to feed the soul and meditate. Pray when you need a connection with an essence larger than yourself or the universe. All the basic stuff we all know we should do. It helps to embrace it. Accept it. Know that we are best exerting ourselves when we have the energy and capacity to do so. This is possible by accepting our limitations and doing the rest and rejuvenation part well. Stress and then de-stress. Repeat. It is the way.

Don't miss out on the entire Burnout Series! Find the first article here!