How can we avoid getting burned out or recover quickly when it happens?
What’s the best way to stay motivated so we can be productive and not lose the momentum we’ve built up?
Watch the video on YouTube then subscribe for more great content.Understand your zone of control. We can control our own thoughts, our own words, and our own actions. Anything else is not in our control. If something’s going on that you don’t like, but you don’t control it, you have to accept it. That’s the way it is. That’s the way it’s going to be, and we don’t need to feel upset about it. Because you’re only harming yourself when you do that.
My good friend Jen flew off to Hawaii today. For the past couple of months, she’s been telling me how burned out she feels. She has really looked forward to this vacation to recover her mojo.
Some complaints I’ve heard from her include:
Do any of these resonate with you?
When Jen told me she really needed this vacation, I thought about why I couldn’t take a vacation this year.
Must I take a vacation every year to avoid burnout?
Taking a vacation is mostly about getting away from work responsibilities, so we can remember and appreciate that there is more to life than work.
I can do that without going on a trip.
I want to make sure we’re starting from the same understanding of what burnout is or is not.
These are some symptoms of being burned out.
Continuous feeling of stress
You don’t feel you can relax and enjoy your life because everything adds to your stress.
It simmers inside you like a pot of stew on the stove that you’re cooking as an obligation to someone you don’t even like very much and you’ve got to drive it across town in rush hour traffic.
Energy depletion or exhaustion
You’re always tired and you don’t feel rested even if you do sleep all night.
It’s like you’re carrying a backpack full of rocks that you can’t put down.
Feeling dissatisfied or out of alignment
No project feels complete or good enough.
The work you’re doing isn’t what you choose to do, it’s what you have to do.
There is no joy or fun in anything anymore.
Negative thought cycle
It’s difficult to think of anything to be happy about and you complain about everything.
Then you get more depressed because you feel you’re being a whiny, ungrateful brat.
Unable to reach goals or move forward
Staring into space takes the place of focus and productivity.
You’re easily frustrated by any small setback or unexpected outcome.
It is best to not get burned out in the first place, but if you find that you have one or all of the symptoms, it’s time to focus on fixing it.
I bet you just said to yourself, “I don’t have time to take a day off!”
When we don’t take care of ourselves but we keep saying, “I wish I had the time to take care of myself,” what happens? Our subconscious hears this and arranges for us to get sick or injured. Then we have to take a day off.
My husband was always counting down the days to retirement and wishing it would happen sooner. Then he got cancer and now he is retiring two years earlier than he planned.
Take the day off consciously and spend it thinking about what you want from your life.
If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know when you get there?
If you don’t have an end goal or deadline, how do you know when your work is done?
Define what success means to you in work, health, relationships, and personal development.
Check if your lifestyle and the projects you are working on are in alignment with what you say you want.
Never take your health for granted.
I talked with my mom on the phone most weekends and we often spoke about losing weight and getting more exercise by walking every day.
She would say, “I know I should do it, but I don’t.”
I would make suggestions for ways to get a little more exercise throughout the day.
She would say, “I’ve got too much going on this week. I’ll start next Monday.”
Then she had a stroke. She nearly died and the left side of her body stopped functioning. She is left-handed, so you can imagine the difficulties she faces.
Now she struggles to take a few steps with a cane.
Go for a walk now, while you still can.
Make a list of all the things you love that bring you joy.
Add to your list every day.
Make sure you write about the small things, like a cup of coffee with your favorite creamer or talking on the phone with a friend or family member.
Schedule these favorite things on your calendar and do something every day that makes you feel good.
If somebody watched you all day, would they easily see your values and priorities demonstrated by what you say and do?
List your values and priorities and post them where you can see them every day.
I have mine on a whiteboard in my home office. Sometimes I change them and that’s okay.
The important thing is to know what you value and that you spend time on it.
Once you have defined your values and priorities and aligned your work and home life with those, schedule the minimum tasks to achieve each day.
If I want to produce a livestream video, a podcast episode, and a blog post each week, there are certain tasks I must do. Those are my minimums for my work.
I also try to schedule minimums for my personal life. I have a morning routine that includes journaling, meditation, stretching, coffee, and doing dishes. I have a weekly call scheduled with my mom and my long-distance friend.
What are your minimums?
Often we feel frustrated and burned out because we spend our time taking care of the needs of others while we ignore our own.
This builds up resentment in us, whether or not we acknowledge it.
Then we get snarky and passive-aggressive.
Nobody wants that.
Look at your patterns and see if you are feeling resentful about anything. It usually means you have unfulfilled needs.
Don’t expect or wait for anybody else to fulfill your needs. Do it yourself and do it now.
Did somebody forget your birthday or anniversary?
Don’t get mad because they forgot. You don’t have control over that, so it is an exercise in frustration and resentment.
You can only control how you treat yourself and others.
Buy the cupcakes or roses you want for yourself and share them with the people around you.
Bring the joy!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Start these habits now and don’t get burned out.
What is your morning routine? How much time do you spend on yourself?
When you start the day filling your own cup, you have enough to share with others.
Ask yourself, “What do I want out of life?”
If your answer is something like “I want this for my family.”
Try again.
If you were completely alone and had nobody else to worry about, what would you want just for you?
Many times, what we want isn’t a thing. It’s a feeling.
We want to feel happy, proud, satisfied, successful or some other wonderful emotion.
Things don’t make us feel those feelings. Our thoughts make us feel those emotions.
Write out the feelings you desire and the thoughts that make you feel that way.
There are many things I have no control over, such as the health and wellness of my family members.
I can’t even control my health, thus the hysterectomy. But I can have a positive effect on it through healthy habits.
We control only our own thoughts, words, and actions.
Everything else is out of our zone of control and we must accept it as it is and if we can be happy about it, all the better.
Happiness is a choice that is in your control.
You are a powerful being.
You get to choose whether to think positive or negative thoughts.
You can replace negativity with positivity.
We can look at any event in our lives and think whatever we choose about it.
Try thinking opposite, more positive thoughts, and being curious about things you take for granted and it can surprise you.
Instead of saying, “I always pick the wrong line to stand in.” Try saying, “I wonder what I can learn about by standing in this line.”
The “line” is your life.
There are things we all must do that we do not like.
I don’t like cleaning the bathrooms or vacuuming.
There are things we get to do that we enjoy.
I enjoy watching a good movie and eating popcorn.
What determines our feelings about the tasks that we do?
How we think about them.
When we think “I have to do this and I don’t like it,” it leads to frustration and resentment.
But instead of thinking, “I have to clean and vacuum,” I consider my mom has to have strangers come into her house to do those things for her because she can’t do it anymore.
I get to clean and vacuum because I am healthy and not stuck in a wheelchair and I have a nice house in which to live.
I get to pay taxes because I made a good income this year.
What do you get to do?
I get to take care of my husband and my mom because they are alive and we love each other.
There were some very difficult days with my mom when she was in the rehab center. She hated being there and desperately wanted to go home.
It was not an enjoyable time in our relationship.
But it did bring my brother, my dad, and me together and we developed stronger relationships because we supported each other during that time.
Now that my mom is home again, our relationship is much better than it was. She appreciates the time we stood by her when she was recovering.
When we look for the things we appreciate in the relationships that we have, we can enjoy them much more.
We don’t respond well when we are tired, hungry, or unwell.
That’s why it is important to build up a reserve of energy every day, so it is there when we need it. Stay fueled and ready for whatever comes your way.
Prepare your mind, body and emotions
What can we do to add to our energy reserves?
Meditation and reading personal development articles and books or watching motivational videos can train our minds to be calm and positive.
Getting daily exercise, good sleep, and eating healthy food keeps our bodies strong and energized.
Feeling our feelings and examining our reactions helps us keep our emotions in check so we don’t experience lingering negativity or stress.
Once we’ve got habits in place to keep from getting burned out, how can we start to feel motivated and excited about our work again?
I suggest the livestream video first approach with my Content Consistency Framework.
But the important thing is that you have a framework that keeps you on track, establishes your minimums and that you’ve designed to stay in alignment with your values and priorities.
I follow the content consistency schedule, but that only covers content marketing.
We also need to schedule time for self-care, relationships, outreach, and other business tasks.
Only you know what you need and when you need it.
Don’t wait for others to reach out to you when you need a friend. Be honest about what you want from yourself and others and openly ask for it without being subtle or passive-aggressive.
Once your needs are fulfilled, then you can be at your best when you help others.
What is your passion in life?
How do you express it?
If the world doesn’t know about your passion, then you need to align your work to make it known.
Serving others and connecting with your audience leads to having a positive impact on their lives.
That is the best reward for the work we do.
Remember the Zig Ziglar quote, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”
There are certain tedious tasks that I do, like editing a blog post or video, that I enjoy because of the creativity and learning that come from them.
If you look hard enough at any task, you can find some joy and fun there. It just takes a little creativity and perseverance.
When you get paid, give yourself a treat.
When you accomplish a goal, share the news with family and friends.
When you finish a project, have a little dance party.
It is natural that we bemoan every loss.
It is important to celebrate every win to balance things out and acknowledge that our efforts have been worth it.
Into each life, some rain must fall.
Man Plans, and God Laughs.
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.
These are well-known sayings because it happens to everybody.
So what can we do about it?
Focus and finish
One option is to ignore everything else and just get one thing done. Then get the next thing done after that.
We can defeat overwhelm through singular focus.
Find the joy
Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows.
If we’re not having fun, then what is the point of it all?
Celebrate
There is a reason we celebrate birthdays, holidays, weddings, and graduations. These celebrations remind us we are alive and surrounded by so many good things.
We are also evolving and gaining greater accomplishments and deeper relationships as we move forward in life.
Take time to notice and enjoy it all.
Get back on schedule
When something knocks us off schedule, an emergency, illness, or something else we didn’t plan, we need to deal with it and then get back on schedule.
Many times, we use the excuse to postpone our work and wallow in the anxiety of what just occurred.
Feel the feelings, but then get back to work.
You’re always in the momentum of something. It’s better to be building up rather than falling apart.
Acceptance
Everything that happens, happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so.
—Marcus Aurelius
Perspective and Determination
We must dare to think ‘unthinkable’ thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world.
—J. William Fulbright
Perseverance
Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success.
—Ross Perot
Courage
Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear.
—George Addair
Look inside yourself right now and ask, “How am I feeling?”
If the answer is I’m burned out, overwhelmed, or stuck, then try some of these tactics.
The words “I am” are the most powerful words you can say. They inform your subconscious of your identity and put it to work to fulfill what you claim.
Rather than saying, “I am burned out,” tell yourself, “I am ready to relax and have fun.”
Here are a few examples of things to let go of:
We limit ourselves so much by what we believe we can or cannot do based on the past.
If a friend I admire told me about their goal, I wouldn’t say, “You can’t do that, and here is why…”
I would encourage them.
Be a friend to yourself and give yourself that same encouragement.
The only time it is good to compare yourself to others is when you say, “They did it, so I can, too!”
Procrastination is a mask of fear. Get to the root of your fear and remove the obstacle that is holding you back.
If you are feeling reluctant to move forward, make sure you are in alignment with the goal.
When the result is not what you desire, or the steps to get there go against your values, it may be time to change that goal.
We are not made to be solitary creatures, yet many of us try to go it alone even when a little help would make all the difference and keep us from feeling unappreciated or burned out.
People want to help. Your job is to ask for what you need.
Avoid or correct burnout so you can stay consistent with your content and don’t lose momentum.
Stay motivated by finding joy in your journey to achieving your mission.
Remember these simple steps:
Another great way to stay motivated is to belong to a community of creators.
Did you know that 65% of people are likely to meet a goal or complete a project after finding an accountability partner? After sharing your commitment with another person, your chances of success increase by 95%!
I’m thinking about starting up a Coaching Community for Content Creators. This would be a private place to gather to talk about the challenges and rewards of creating content with friends who understand.
If you feel this would be a helpful way to support your content creator journey, please fill out an application to join the Livecast Lifestyle Membership Community at membership.agkmedia.studio. If there is enough interest, we’ll get it started this month.
Or schedule a video chat to see if personal coaching is right for you at consulting.agkmedia.studio
Please subscribe, share, and comment. Send us your questions so we can answer them today or in future shows. support@agkmedia.studio.
Get the presentation slides at http://burnout.livecast.life
Learn more about Shelley Carney and connect with her here: http://shelleycarney.com
Schedule a free consultation with AGK Media Studio and clarify the steps to launching your own livestream channel, podcast, and blog so you can expand your brand and business and create a like-minded community: http://consulting.agkmedia.studio
Get the best-ever, fast and easy shortcut to growing your online presence and audience! The How to Create, Publish, and Distribute Content Consistently course gives you step-by-step instructions in using The Content Consistency Framework and Schedule to grow your audience and business. Find it at: course.agkmedia.studio and use the coupon code AGKSAVER before November 18, 2022, to get it as my gift to you.
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Livecast Life: The Content Creator Lifestyle is a new book written by Shelley Carney and is now available on Amazon at http://book.livecast.life
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