Handling Burnout

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is a common problem among workers, who are often exposed to high-stress levels daily. Burnout can significantly impact a workers physical and mental health.

stressed professional woman
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How Burnout Affects the Body

Burnout can lead to several physical health problems, including:

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Muscle tension
  • Digestive problems
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Increased risk of heart disease and stroke

How Burnout Affects the Mind

Burnout can also have a significant impact on folks mental health, leading to the following:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Anger
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Memory problems
  • Loss of motivation
  • Suicidal thoughts

How Burnout Affects the Soul

Burnout can also have a spiritual impact on a doctor, leading to the following:

  • Loss of meaning and purpose
  • Feeling disconnected from others
  • Feeling isolated and alone
  • Feeling hopeless and helpless

What to Do to Help Relieve Stress from Burnout

There are several things that workers can do to help relieve stress from burnout, including:

  • Take care of their physical health by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
  • Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.
  • Set boundaries between their work life and their personal life.
  • Seek professional help if they are struggling to cope with burnout.

Conclusion

Burnout is a serious problem that can significantly impact a workers physical, mental, and spiritual health. It is essential for people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of burnout and to take steps to prevent it. If burnout does occur, it is necessary to seek help from a qualified professional.

Here are some additional tips for preventing burnout:

  • Find a job that you are passionate about and allows you to use your skills and talents.
  • Set realistic expectations for yourself and your work.
  • Take breaks throughout the day to relax and recharge.
  • Ask for help when you need it.
  • Don’t be afraid to say no to extra work.
  • Take time for yourself to do things that you enjoy.
  • Connect with friends and family for support.
  • Seek professional help if you are struggling to cope with burnout.

Mental Health Wellness

You can do several things daily to promote good mental health and wellness. Here are some of the best practices:

  • Practice mindfulness: This involves being present at the moment and paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. It can be done through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking a few minutes to focus on your senses.
  • Exercise: Regular exercise has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase self-esteem. Even a short walk or stretching session can positively impact mental health.
  • Get enough sleep: Sleep is essential for good mental health. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night and establish a regular sleep routine.
  • Connect with others: Social connections and supportive relationships are essential for mental health. Make time to connect with friends and family, join a club or group that interests you, or volunteer in your community.
  • Practice gratitude: Focusing on the positive things in your life and expressing gratitude can improve mood and overall well-being. Consider keeping a gratitude journal or taking time each day to reflect on what you are thankful for.
  • Take breaks: It’s important to rest and recharge throughout the day. This can include taking a short walk, listening to music, or engaging in a hobby you enjoy.
  • Seek professional help if needed: If you are experiencing persistent sadness, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, consider contacting a mental health professional for support and guidance.
woman with white sunvisor running
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Getting started with a positive mental health wellness routine can be challenging, but prioritizing your mental health is worth the effort. Here are some steps to help you make it a part of your daily routine:

  • Identify your goals: What aspects of your mental health do you want to improve? Is it reducing stress, improving mood, or practicing self-care? Identify your goals and write them down.
  • Create a plan: Once you have identified your goals, create a plan that includes specific actions you can take to achieve them. For example, if your goal is to reduce stress, you may plan to practice meditation or deep breathing exercises for 10 minutes each day.
  • Start small: Trying to change too much too quickly can be overwhelming and challenging to sustain. Instead, start with one or two small changes you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. For example, you may start by taking a 5-minute break to stretch or take a short walk during the workday.
  • Set reminders: It can be easy to forget to prioritize mental health when busy. Set reminders on your phone or calendar to help you remember to practice your daily routine.
  • Find accountability: Having someone to hold you accountable can help you stick to your routine. Consider finding a friend or family member interested in prioritizing their mental health or joining a support group.
  • Celebrate progress: Celebrate small wins and progress towards your goals. This will help you stay motivated and reinforce positive habits.

Remember that everyone’s journey toward good mental health is unique; finding a routine that works best for you may take time. Be patient and kind to yourself as you explore different strategies and see what works for you.

Tying it All Together

My latest book on Amazon. Tying it All Together

Don’t you sometimes wish that you could tie everything in your life together? Career, relationships, marriage, and parenting. That all these aspects of your life to harmoniously work. Instead, our lives get fragmented, one minute our job is on top of the world, the next we’re in divorce court. Nothing ever seems to run hitting on all eight cylinders running smoothly. The trouble is one part of our life can crater with a trickle-down in all other areas of our life.

Chapter 1

I can’t | I don’t have

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”—Thomas A. Edison

First, we get out of our language anything to do with lack. The “I can’t” or “I don’t have” is not part of the English language of your new life.

Second, nay Sayers are just that. People who can’t do a thing themselves and naturally you can’t either if you listen to that bilge. What you’re now looking for are Mentors, people who uplift you.

Throughout history, people have done things that others said could not be done. Or invented products that folks needed. All the while, naysayers are “It can’t be done.” Horse hockey!

Limiting beliefs placed in our sub-conscious over years of saying I can’t. Also not limited to just that phrase. Years and years of self-defeating language has us convinced we cannot.

Dogpile on top of that, family, friends, managers, whomever, telling you that you don’t have what it takes, you don’t have the education, people who do that are gifted. What? You can teach yourself anything.

Okay, I give. You can’t teach yourself to be a brain surgeon. My point with this statement is I doubt you’re looking to become a brain surgeon, don’t overthink what your ability can or cannot achieve. Start, try, give it a shot, jump, swim, begin is the point!

So, in this chapter, we’re going to start replacing limiting language and thoughts. How you say, well I have an answer to that. Without this step in the process, later in the book, you will have more difficulty if you don’t make the changes now.

What do we have to change:

  1. Replace limiting thoughts with thoughts of okay how do I achieve this (the what is irrelevant at this point).
  2. Be aware of the language, the words that we use. I can’t, is NO longer a word in your mind’s dictionary. Don’t worry; I am going to share how to get rid of this stuff.
  3. Self-defeating actions. Self-sabotage, and worst of all, procrastination.

There is a lot more to the life changes than just the three I listed. You get a general idea.  As we move through chapters, we will cover a great deal more ground.

For many years we teach ourselves unknowingly that we can’t achieve certain things. Limiting beliefs are ingrained in our subconscious mind over the years. Taking the time now to change this old habit and create new ones will take work and time.

What I have found that helps me declutter my mind so that I can see myself in a better state-of-mind, meditation. Learning to meditate can get you back in touch with your inner self.

Getting rid of limiting beliefs takes retraining our mind not once to say, “I can’t do that.”
“I don’t have what it takes to achieve this.” In your meditation practice, you begin to see yourself through your mind’s eye in the place you want to be — not just a physical place, but where you see yourself emotionally.

Our brain will tell us to run from something that raises our stress level. It’s like what Marathon runners experience when they hit what is called the wall. That point late in the race where the brain is saying you can’t make another step, stop, your mind is telling you that your legs are injured. Push past this without risk of injury to your body.

Studies that prove it’s the brain talking to you, not physical injury. Pushing through this emotional wall is possible.

This bond your brain has with flight will be hard to break. Meditation is a daily practice. It’s the best way I have found to quiet my mind so I can reprogram my thoughts for growth, not defeat.

Let’s cover a few points on how easy it is to begin to meditate before you start if you have a spouse or partner have them give you a brief shoulder neck massage before beginning your practice — the tension out of your body as much as possible.

“Everything that’s created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Your words come out of this void. Your very essence emerged from emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.”—Wayne Dyer

Let’s begin:

  1. Pick a time when you can have thirty minutes to an hour to yourself. With no interruption. My favorite place is my bedroom. I can either sit on the floor with my back to the bed or lay down (don’t fall asleep).
  2. Music playing, outdoor sounds, ocean, rain, can be calming and help you relax. It’s best if you can use headphones. You can find lots of cool stuff on YouTube® that’s commercial-free. I find that with headphones, I can concentrate my mind more sharply.
  3. Take several deep cleansing breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. It helps clear your body and ease tension.
  4. Then with the eye’s closed in a relaxed posture. Breathe. Follow your breathing with your mind, nice slow breaths filling your body with oxygen. It’s good to feel your belly as it moves up and down. Get a rhythm.
  5. Begin to relax your feet, move up your legs into your hips, and let your body go. Breathe and relax all the tension out of your body. Just focus for a time on relaxing your body.
  6. As you relax feel yourself floating, imagine your light enough to float on clouds.
  7. When relaxed and breathing rhythmically. Begin to focus your minds-eye towards happiness. See yourself happy. That can take any form you like. Use your imagination to see yourself happy. What is something YOU love to do? What makes you the most comfortable. It could be from childhood or adulthood: no right or wrong way, just a happy place.
  8. Placing your mind there now begins to allow that emotion to fill your body. Feel it from the balls of your feet to the crown of your head. Feel happiness; fill your body. Allow yourself to be in this bliss. Stay as-long-as you like.
  9. As you begin to come out of your meditation, slowly allow your body to unwind, let go of any thought and be in the moment. Open your eyes and smile.
  10. Begin this process tonight! What you will learn in this book is we act now, not tomorrow! Procrastination is not in our vocabulary anymore. Begin today, please, and thank you.

If you want to make it through times when you will hit the Marathon wall, and it’s like you just got hit by a Mack truck, you must train to overcome what we will have to face as you begin this process.

You will have challenges to be sure. Don’t worry; our emotional training starts here. You will find the strength. So exciting.

Years and years of Garbage is overflowing your mind. This book is a garbage truck.

The “I can’t” do this or that. Who says? 99% of the time you. How do you know if you’re not even willing to try? Saying this to yourself, I can’t is conditioned into your mind so profoundly that you believe whatever your head is telling you. Hard to imagine that we can lie to ourselves unknowingly. It’s packaged to a negative response you accept.

We’ve all heard the story of breaking the four-minute mile. Once achieved, then many athletes now can claim they can run four-minute miles.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”—Nelson Mandela 

Twenty years ago, if you would have asked anyone in my family, do you think Robert will write books years from now. They would have laughed until they peed their pants. Not even my friends would have believed this to be true.

Fear is also going to hold you back. We all fear failure. The difference between success and failure is people stop because they get scared. “I have a family I can’t risk failure!” Ask yourself if you have enough money to stand a year-long layoff (heaven forbid) if tomorrow your company said we’re cutting back?

We’re all a paycheck away from disaster most of our lives. So, don’t use this as an excuse.

What if I could show you a way to conquer fear enough to allow you to formulate a plan to save your life, strengthen your family, and will enable you to walk with peace-of-mind. Be great, wouldn’t it?

Okay, follow along.

Everything you’ve learned in life plays it safe; I am going to teach you how to play it smart.

Stop buying the sack of manure you sell yourself every day that you can’t. Get the I’m shy; I’m weak, I’m feeble, get that the hell out of your vocabulary.

How?

Every time you say I can’t, take a rubber band and pop the crap out of your arm.  However, take a moment to say that it was the old me, the NEW ME CAN! I can be happy; I can be in shape, I can learn more, I can have a happy marriage, I can have great kids, I can, I can, I can!

If you screw up guess what you’re not alone. Acknowledge, you had a time of weakness but your back. Guess what you can make a mistake and get right back on track. Right now, I want you to stop and run a mile as fast as you can no walking. Could you do it! Probably not is my guess. Could you if you trained for a month or so? Sure.

You’re not going to overcome this the first time. You’re not going to change without practice. Set in your phone reminders that buzz, ding, ring, whatever. Tell yourself to smile, or be strong, put an affirmation as a reminder.

Put all the good in your noodle today that you can plunge into your brain. Guess what we do this over and over. Day after day!

Shy people hello. Man are we going to need to get outside our comfort zone. Fear not time to train. How can we overcome fear?

“People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you’ve figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness, and confidence. Don’t be shy or feel intimidated by the experience. You may face some unexpected criticism but be prepared for it with confidence.”—Jack Canfield

Here are some fun ideas:

  1. Find social meetups. Places that you can go to a book club, movie review club anywhere that you must socially interact with friendly people. Nice folks won’t eat you I promise.
  2. The best way to get outside yourself is to help someone in need. It can even be an animal shelter. Put yourself in situations where you can gain strength. Social interaction helping someone is a blessing beyond words. Single parents take your kids.
  3. Go to Yoga, meditation classes; take a cooking class.

Finding ways to strengthen our life resolve is just a matter of getting off our butt and doing it. I wish I could say something or give you a pill. My friends, we must work to achieve. Good news, it’s not hard, most of these costs no money.

Through your meditation practice, when you visualize yourself, see yourself healthy, assertive, and happy. Show your subconscious what you want it will manifest for you. Take this to prayer, let God know you no longer say I can’t, or I don’t have.

God will supply abundance in all areas of your life. Keep in mind this is not about starting a business, jobs, or material things. Yes, it’s a part of if you want it to be. This book is teaching you how to have an all-encompassing life. Mind, Body, Soul.

When you find yourself in a difficult situation, go to God in prayer, let him know that you need help, what I do when times in my head get dark. I say, “God has me” over and over. Eventually, I get calm.

In times of stress, let God know you’re not losing anymore. Power your way through. Even if you see no hope at all, hold onto hope with blind faith. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Talking later in the book, we will do an entire chapter on Resources vs. Resourcefulness. When you can master how to be resourceful the I can’t, and I don’t will go straight out the window. Also, strengthen your ability to fend off fear.

Fear manifests when you don’t have a solution. Then your mind starts to say “oh boy we’re going to crash” and away your head goes, and down you go. Think about being able to on command say “I have an app for that” metaphorically speaking.

You can know in your heart that today; an answer does not exist. Give me some time to sort this out and away you go. Having that knowledge to, in a sense, trick your mind into saying “we got this” will give you the inner strength to overcome any obstacle.

Click on the book cover to view on Amazon:

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Snooze Button or Life

Is your ass out of that bad at 4:00 AM every day. Ready to meet the day, be there when the break of a lifetime dumps right in your lap. Oh, wait you’re still in bed.

If you can’t get your ass out of bed. Why would I hire you? You need to tell people you get more done before 7:00 AM than most get done in a day!

“A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.”–Benjamin Franklin

Questions you seriously need to ask yourself:

  • Is sleeping in more important than my family?
  • Is sleeping in more important than my Success?
  • Is sleeping in more important than my Body temple?
  • Is sleeping in more important than my Workout?

We could list hundreds more. Go ahead, reach over, and hit the snooze button. Hell NO!

24-hour day – 6 hours sleep – 8-hour work day = 10-hours left to have a life! What are you prepared to do?

Stop convincing yourself morning-after-morning that you’re not a morning person. BS! The most exceptional salesperson in the world is you. You sell yourself everyday mediocrity, and you keep buying. Stop NOW selling yourself short in your life.

By the time you see this sunrise, you will have achieved more in your day than most will in an 8 hour day! 

society, self improvement, sunrise

Mind over HELL YES IT MATTERS! How bad do you want to succeed? This is NOT a sacrifice but an investment in your success. We’ve talked about this before, if you feel anything you’re doing involves sacrifice. Rethink your position. Every step you take is one step closer to success in every aspect of your life, that is NO sacrifice!

Begin your day at 4:00 AM. 

Or hit the snooze button and watch life pass you by. Who knows the person you can become if you get out of bed and blaze a trail for others to follow. For some of you by the time you get up the world has zipped by with opportunity, oh you were sleeping, huge break, oh you were sleeping, the love of your life was going to cross your path at the gym today, oh you were sleeping.

If your life right now does not wake you up. This is your wake up call it’s 4:00 AM and this day filled with your success! Or hit the snooze button, it’s a choice.

So just getting up is not enough. Here are some great investments you can make towards a great life:

  1. Roll out of bed onto your knees and pray! 
  2. Set time aside to meditate.
  3. Walk, take a brisk walk.
  4. Study something that fills your mind with more knowledge. 
  5. Finish a project you’ve put off. 
  6. Read.
  7. Feed your body healthy food, protein shakes, fresh juice. Take care of the body temple. 
  8. Yoga.

Eight simple things you can do all before 6:00 AM.

Here is food-for-thought:

1 hour of study per day = 365 Hours of research in one year! If knowledge is power, imagine 365 hours of it packed into your brain. Or you can hit the snooze button.

Change is not easy, but damn what are you waiting for. This is something I fight with myself every day. The voice in your head will convince you just five more minutes. Don’t get sold a sack of dog poo.

You will be in good company tomorrow morning if you wake up with me. At 4:00 AM I will look to the sky and say good morning, Dewayne “The Rock” Johnson will be hard at cardio, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet will be up. Not to mention the other winners just like YOU that say, “Enough is Enough its MY Time!”

Questions or comments:

Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Joy

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”

This quote has been attributed to Sigmund Freud, William Gibson, and a host of others. I found it both straight to the point and funny. Whoever can take credit for it!

We all learn to keep certain people at arm’s length, or we allow them into our experience. Taking care to protect our emotions.

Learn to not allow toxic people to steal your joy. If needed, these folks may need to exit your life if you deal with issues concerning them. You don’t have to allow that, ever!

self help, confidence, friends

Sometimes we have to move on from relationships to make room for the new. Changing seasons in our life will bring new friends, mentors, and essential people that God sees fit to move into our life experience. Be open!

Embrace those that lift you up, challenge your status quo. Lots of people are searching for the same quality of life you are. I find great people at Church that follow a path of happiness.

meditation, yoga, peace

Find people that bring joy to your life. Don’t let anyone steal your happiness!

Questions or Comments: