I took a break. The pressure to be always-on on social media really took its toll on me both physically and mentally. I was completely drained. Lacked any motivation and my mind was off running amok. Extreme burnout and exhaustion had officially entered the chat.

There’s a running joke on social media that if you were a super high achieving student in high school/college, likely in a gifted and talented program, you’re probably a burnt-out 20-30 something doing the bare minimum to get by. This is definitely true for me, and it may be true for you too so what can we do to deal with the negative impact of burnout?

Make a to-do list

Let’s face it some days the burnout and exhaustion are going to feel so daunting you don’t even know where to start. Everything feels too overwhelming or too much. On those days, I like to create a to-do list and identify the non-negotiable tasks I have to do, and then I just tackle those tasks. Even if I don’t complete everything on my list, I still feel accomplished because the highest priority things have been completed. Also, there’s a beautiful sense of satisfaction marking something off a to-do list. It’s a reward in itself.

Celebrate your accomplishments no matter the size!

Did you get out of bed and brush your teeth today? Congrats that’s a win. Did you feed yourself? Also a win! Did you protect your peace by cutting off someone toxic? Huge win! We often think that we only deserve celebration and praise when we achieve something of great magnitude but that’s just untrue. You can be proud of yourself for any small change you make or habit you create to making yourself a happier more whole person.

Remind yourself that REST IS OKAY

Make. Rest. A. Priority. Hell even add it to a to-do list if you have to. Start by aiming to carve at least 30 min out of your day to do something that benefits you alone. Of course, you can certainly spend more time on self-care than 30 minutes but if you find yourself feeling guilty for lack of productivity be kind to yourself and meet yourself where you are by starting with a small obligation to yourself. Go for a walk outside! Read a book. Meditate. Cuddle your animals. Tune into what you need and allow yourself to have that guilt-free.

Burnout is a very real occupational hazard so take care of yourself and put yourself first. Understand when you’re at your breaking point and take a step back. What do you do to combat burnout?