It was time to create a new blog post category where I get a little real, a little deep and a little vulnerable (I know, a scary word). In a society that pushes positivity and self-help, it's hard to break down barriers and be vulnerable. But it's important to show you that IG is predominantly a highlight reel! So let's get real here.
Last week was crazy. In one week I had 4 flights, my birthday, a night in the city for my birthday, a birthday lunch, a girls long lunch and 2 interstate work trips. Honestly, it got to Saturday morning and I was SPENT. I was exhausted, burnt-out and felt behind on everything. I was under-slept which meant even the little things felt overwhelming. I'm not trying to glamourise being busy and I am the first to admit that I absolutely over-committed. I want to chat about how I pull myself out of a place of burnout. Before I continue, please know my heart when I talk about burnout from a busy week of travelling. I know it’s such a privilege to be travelling. I grew up with barely any opportunities to travel and I am so grateful that we can give Luca these opportunities as he grows up.
Burnout is a state of complete exhaustion, and can be on a mental or physical level. Honestly, I felt it more emotionally than I did physically. I want to give you 5 tangible ways I come back from feeling burnt out.
HOW I COME BACK FROM BURNOUT
1. Rest
It's the last thing you want to do when you feel behind, which is why you need to do it. Let you mind and body rest. If you feel exhausted, the solution is rest and respite for your body and soul. I struggle with this big time. But if you don't take rest, you're not actually recovering. If burnout and exhaustion is the issue, then you need to do the opposite: rest. After church on Sunday, we had a full day on the lounge. I'm not kidding. We left to make food, but that was it. We watched TV shows, napped, cuddled, listened to worship and spent time together as a family resting. It was so, so needed and by the time Monday rolled around we were feeling so refreshed.
2. Get the house in order
My home is my sanctuary. My safe space, my oasis. It's important to me that our home is clean, tidy and full of warmth. After I take time to rest, I will put some music on (usually Hillsong Worship when I feel low) and make a coffee. From here, I will catch up on laundry, change the sheets, tidy anything out of place, put our bags away and do a stocktake of the fridge and cupboard and plan our dinners to see what produce we need to get for the week.
3. Nourish
If I am totally exhausted (aka: me last week), I will order the groceries online. I usually love going to the grocery shops to get our fresh produce. But this week, it was all too much so I did my order online and got it delivered. After a week of eating out, I was so ready for home-cooked meals. Don't get me wrong - I am all about balance. There is absolutely a time and a place for indulging and eating out. There's food for the body and food for the soul. Always foods and sometimes foods. A bunch of my fondest memories revolve around food with friends and family. But there comes a point where I start to feel sluggish, my digestion is off and my energy is low.
4. Movement
Stretching, walking, gym, pilates, whatever you need. I find sleeping in different beds and sitting on planes can make me feel stiff and sore, so getting some movement in is really important to me.
5. Set boundaries and be okay with saying no
Boundaries look different for everyone. I need alone time to recharge, so I had to learn to get comfortable saying no when opportunities arose. Last week, I didn't exactly nail it because I absolutely committed. Of course, being a new mum, alone time isn't available whenever I want it. But I find pockets of time like when Luca is sleeping to really take some time to spend with myself. Saying 'no' is something I really want to get more comfortable with. I can sometimes feel guilty but as long as you are honest, people totally understand. Being honest and vulnerable such as "I would have loved to come, but I feel really burnt out at the moment and need some time with my family" or "unfortunately I feel very overwhelmed at the moment, but I hope you have an amazing time and I would love to take you for coffee next week" helps the person on the receiving end understand why you are unable to spend time with them at that point in time.
Let me know if you enjoy the real talk segments and what you want me to chat about next. I love our little community and want to be able to have open and honest conversations with you all!
B x