Business Fit Magazine October 2019 Issue 1 | Page 10

Body of burnout and instead to start prioritising our wellbeing. After all, without our health we have nothing. Be truthful with yourself and ask - what kind of service am I giving to my customers / employers/ or employees, if I am in a constant state of exhaustion? They deserve better and so do you. So what can you do to stop the cycle of burnout? Wellbeing and Burnout Without our health we have nothing Nova Reid We live in a culture which celebrates being busy and are finding it increasingly difficult to switch off. We are overloaded with content, we have more access to information and opportunities thanks to the digital world, but it is also overwhelming us. We often celebrate being busy like it is a badge of honour, confusing being busy as a sign of success, so the cycle continues year-on-year and we frequently send ourselves into a state of burnout. Burnout is an extended period of time where you experience exhaustion and a lack of interest in things. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that the common belief that being busy is a sign of success and hard work is so prevalent that we actually fear inactivity, which is detrimental to our physical and mental wellbeing. Being in this constant state not only has a negative impact on our wellbeing, but it stifles creativity, productivity and prevents us from producing our best standard of work. 10 So if burnout does not serve us, why do we continue to get into this vicious cycle? Researchers at The University of Chicago also link an innate fear of inactivity, to a fear of failure. So perhaps this might go some way to explain why so many not only find it hard to say no, but hard to switch off and regularly find ourselves in a state of burnout. It’s worth noting, a study commissioned by Montreal University reveals that women are more likely to experience burnout than men, (of course some of this may be linked to the default parental and gender roles that are bestowed upon us, generally speaking, there is an expectation that women who are parents are also the main caregiver, so this must be taken into consideration too, but it is not the only factor and is not true for those who are not partnered or parents). Research also shows us that women and are more susceptible to anxiety than men. Perhaps it is time for all of us to take ownership and stop normalising and enabling the culture Be self-aware - If you are noticing low level anxiety, trouble sleeping, unexplained weight loss, short temper, trouble concentrating, cynicism about your job or industry, reduced motivation, an increase in stress and a decrease in self-care, take action to increase your self-care, or ask for help and seek advice from a medical practitioner. Stop Multitasking We think multitasking shows efficiency - it doesn’t. We can achieve so much more and are more productive when we focus on just one thing at a time. Use your to-do list to encourage you to focus and be more productive. Restrict it to 5 things. This will encourage you to actively complete a task before adding a new one. If emails or social media notifications are a distraction, take control and remove them from your mobile phone and only access them when you are on your desktop. Take control of your usage and people’s access to you. Pay attention to your natural coping strategies The first thing we do when become pressured at work, or start to feel stressed, is ditch our natural coping strategies. When in-fact it’s these strategies that keep us mentally well and healthy, so at times of pressure, we should be increasing them. Are there things you enjoy doing that you have stopped and don’t feel you don’t have time for? Not only should you re-introduce them, but increase the frequency of doing them! Your mental and physical health will thank you for it. Take time out without the guilt Don’t be a martyr to your health or happiness. Sometimes you need to hit the pause or reset button and that is ok. It is not a sign of weakness, or that you aren’t capable, but a sign of caring about your own wellness, valuing your worth and self-preservation. Investing in yourself is investing in your wealth, so take every opportunity to do things that nurture, inspire and energise you. When you are replenished instead of depleted your output increases, your creativity and productivity improves and you cultivate an environment for innovation. That’s where you want to be operating from, because that’s where the new opportunities and magic happen. Prioritise wellness Schedule regular self-care: You should ideally try to implement self-care on a daily basis. In the same way you schedule time to do administration, schedule regular self-care in your diary. Take that walk in nature, listen to that mindfulness podcast, take a new class, have that massage or long soak in the bath, learn something new, finish that book. Switch off your phone, block out that time for yourself and prioritise it. Disconnect from any electronic devices at least an hour before you go to bed, so you can prepare your body to shut down and sleep and not overload your brain with stimuli. Women are more likely to experience burnout than men Nova Reid is a diversity campaigner & wellbeing mentor passionate about helping people discover their best selves. Nova is a certified NLP Life Coach, an expert in her field and has appeared on Sky News and the BBC and frequently writes for national publications. She runs bi-annual retreats to help professional women who are tired of settling, to ditch burnout and prioritise their wellbeing. www.novareid.com, [email protected] 11