I used to burnout almost every week, as someone who has a lot of targets, I forced myself to do several things at once. I asked for help from a psychologist and my doctor advised me to take it easy, reduce the to-do list, and focus on one or two things. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? But for me, it means leaving one of my dreams; it takes months to accept that I must postpone X and give my all to Z, not to mention that life is still happening; I need to go back to reality and earn money for living.
It took me years to figure out what was causing my burnout episodes and how to deal with them. In this opportunity, I’d like to share my discovery, so let’s get started!
1. Stop Multitasking
I want to do everything at once. Reading, writing, listening to music, doing office work, and editing photos at the same time. I frequently jump from one task to another and never finish anything. It’s frustrating because why isn’t anything on my to-do list crossed out?
In the last few days, I’ve been trying to slow down by focusing ONLY on one task, removing all distractions, including music, and working on one task until it is completed before moving on to another. And it helps! I’m more productive and happier than ever!
2. We All Need to Stop Procrastinating
Do the task right away and finish your job as soon as possible. Procrastination increases stress and anxiety because you still must complete the task and feel incapable of accomplishing it. when in reality you are simply procrastinating and refusing to move your body.
3. Keep Creating, Stay Productive
I don’t know about you, but when I stop creating, I feel as if I’ve lost half of myself, as if I’m dead and empty on the inside. As I mentioned in this post. Working on my craft made me feel more alive, it’s frustrating sometimes but giving up feels like hell. So, I can’t and won’t stop creating.
4. Weekly Plan for The Rescue
Every Sunday, I sketch out a weekly plan for the next week. It contains one main to-do list of things I need to do every day, most of which are related to my daily raw project. The rest of the plan usually includes what meal I need to cook, when I need to do laundry or clean my room, and how I will build a portfolio. Break down the weekly planning into a daily to-do list, but don’t put too many tasks on it; keep it simple.
5. Do the Most Important Thing in The Morning
Yes, I checked my phone as soon as I awoke. But we all need to stop. You can check your phone for 5 minutes and get out of bed and do the most important task on your to-do list. My morning routine used to include working out, but because I have a full schedule right now, I switched workout to noon, replacing with reading and writing. I’m writing this article at 8:35 a.m. when I still have a lot of energy and focus; if I wait until 11 a.m., I won’t be able to finish it.
6. Don’t Forget to Rest
No one in this world can work and focus for eight hours straight; we all need to take a break and rest. It is normal to take a 10-minute break every 40 minutes or two hours of work. The number is up to you as long as you return to work and complete your task.
7. Daily Exercise for a Happy Life
Exercise stimulates your body to produce a variety of hormones, including happy hormone. It is also beneficial to your health and boosts your self-esteem. I do a home workout 5–6 times a week at 5 or 6 p.m., and I use Chloe Ting’s video (20–45 mins high intensity workout). Almost the same with daily project, skip workout feels like I’ve lost something. It’s kind of funny because I used to hate sport when I was in school, now every time I stress or anxious, I do sport to make me feel better.
8. Eating Right
I’m sometimes too lazy to cook and buy junk food or processed food, which is a terrible choice. When it comes to food, both quality and quantity are important. Consider how much food or calories you consume on a daily basis. Overeating causes sleepiness and makes you too lazy to move. Remember that the unfinished and delayed task caused stress and burden. This is what leads to burnout.
9. Relax and Have a Goodnight
Do something simple before going to bed, such as reading a book, meditating, or doing nothing. Some people like to create a fake scenario in their minds before going to sleep; you can do the same; imagination is unlimited.
In day four of seven-day writing challenge I’d like to share tips to prevent burnout. All the tips above are based on my personal experience, please share your thoughts on the comment. Thanks for reading, cheers!
