4 Things YOU Can Do When You’re Burned Out and Fed Up
Stress as a way of life. Are we really human, if we’re not burned out and totally overwhelmed? Does society no longer accept anyone who works to live (and not the other way around)? Do we really have to justify our happiness simply in answering the question “How are you?” with “Great, thanks,” or “Couldn’t be better”? The way things are going is not as auspicious as our achievement- and profit-oriented society would have us believe in recent years. It almost seems like there’s an invisible competition to see who can withstand the most stress and come to terms with the lowest quality of life. Symptomologies such as burnout syndrome and also “bore-out syndrome” are the order of the day. Yet what to do when too much is finally too much and we just can’t anymore? In this article we have four tips for when you’ve reached the bottom and need a way out.
1. Radical digital detox
Number one: a radical digital detox. It might be hard to believe, but we typically have a crucial key to better well-being literally in our hands. Anyone who manages to bear the pain of separating from their smartphone will be amazed at the improvement in their quality of life. We live in a time of complete and total stimulus overload. It’s really enough already in our modern age without the constant pull of being online, on social media platforms and various websites. The numbed scrolling through the lives of others not only makes our brain shrink, in the long term, because they are no longer able to bear such nonsense, but endlessly comparing ourselves to others makes us unhappy, leaving us with feelings of inferiority and rejection. Yet that’s not all, for we have the constant fear of missing something if we go offline for a brief period. This feeling is another stressor, one that indeed drives our pulses up. On top of this, smartphones are sadly one of the main culprits in our being de facto at work all the time. Being always accessible makes it impossible to differentiate between work and free time. Unfortunately, some people have no compunctions about making use of this open line and our personal lives suffer for it. Friends, family, hobbies and volunteering – suddenly there’s no leisure time anymore. While it used to be rude or an absolute no-no to call someone after 9 pm, it now seems like the workplace has access to our entire lives. If you can’t truly find some peace and quiet and enjoy free time, you will increasingly get pulled into obligations and responsibilities, whether in work or in your personal life. There’s simply no window for fun and idle pleasure anymore. Constantly using a smartphone is the fastest way to a particularly insidious dependency.
2. Make time for self-care
Number two: Make time for self-care. In light of our lives on the hamster wheel of appointments and duties, it’s no wonder that our spiritual and physical well-being sometimes fall by the wayside. We find time for everything and everyone, but not for ourselves. This calls for a radical rethinking: We have to reserve time for ourselves just as we manage any other appointment. That means daily fixed periods that are for ourselves, for self-love. It could be something athletic or something physical, or an hour of meditation or yoga, or reading a good book. Such rituals must be maintained. They should even be the most important appointments on our agendas in the future. Also worthwhile: Plan time for a proper lunch every day, one that earns that name. Neither the infamous “working lunch” at your desk nor any version of a “to-go” meal is permissible here. In the long run, we can’t function optimally when we take in bad fuel, or too little, or none at all. Meals should be a space for enjoyment and not purely a matter of taking in nutrients. Taking time for yourself daily is an important aspect that supports our mental capabilities. We must follow the way to resilience every day. A few days vacation here and there or a seminar on the topic of work-life balance are just drops in the bucket that never add up to the ocean of well being.
Learn to say “No”
Number three: Learn to say “No.” This is a difficult lesson for many people. We like to be liked, after all, and the way to the hearts of our fellow man involves, in our opinion, reciprocity and the readiness to help. Sadly, this can too often become a bottomless pit. The opposite, egotism, is nothing any of us want a part of, although this way of life would be healthier. Particularly in our personal lives, it’s extremely difficult to deny the requests of family members and good friends or even neighbors. Yet it is precisely these types of micro-responsibilities that add up over time to a whole heap. Selflessness is great for our reputations, and we must appreciate that, because rarely does anything come back from truly self-sacrificing charity. By all means, integrate the word “No” into your vocabulary. It is a complete sentence and a sufficient answer in itself. There is no need for a detailed explanation or reasoning.
Stop comparing yourself
Number four: Stop comparing yourself. The fastest way to unhappiness is comparing yourself to others. We see their lives and desire what they have, then regard our own lives and are suddenly discontent. To us, all others appear more successful, attractive, well-off, and self-confident – how is this the case? What other people let us see of their lives is the tip of the iceberg: A maximum of a third of the whole package comes into view, if that. Many people maintain a certain public image of themselves, even if they aren’t celebrities. They control with precision what information reaches the outside and what dirt is best swept under the carpet. If we could see behind closed doors, our eyes would be opened to what these all too precious lives actually look like on a daily basis. Demonstratively happy marriages might actually be sheer hell, the house and the cars actually belong to the bank, and no amount of money can buy the unfulfilled desires that every human carries within. Indeed, every comparison trips up from the start, for we never have all the facts. What’s more, happiness and success are two concepts that mean something different for every person. Consider for a moment what makes you happy and content and strive for that, not the hot-air that creative self-promoters would sell you as their perfect lives.
Our conclusion
Our conclusion: Carpe diem. Although not a nice thought, it’s an unavoidable truth of life: Each day could be our last. Live today as though you no longer had all the time in the world. Dedicate yourselves to people you love and who are closest to you. Celebrate your hobbies and passions as though there were no tomorrow. Do you really want to spoil your days on this Earth thinking only of career, for work you do that is so replaceable, seamlessly and in short order, upon your death? Is money really anything more than a means of living? Don’t let a painful loss or a serious illness be the first time you recognize life’s worth.