Getting Back on Track After Burnout

Often times in our busy lives, we get accustomed to the stress of day-out activities. We tend to glorify being busy and move on auto pilot. There are times when we struggle to remember what we did for the day.  I’ve worked in communications for over eight years and I love it. I love being involved in the community, writing, working on committees, planning events, and networking. As much as I love what I do, I started to feel extremely overwhelmed and uninterested. I was taking on too much and trying to meet deadlines and sacrificing taking time for myself.  

The day to day hustle and bustle left me feeling drained and uninspired. I was saying yes to so many projects and I began to feel the pressure. I didn’t feel like myself, I began to lose interest in my career. I felt the guilt because I loved my career, but I wasn’t feeling creative or charged. There are so many people that are feeling these same emotions and trying to move pass the feeling of being burned out. I’m providing some tips on my journey into regaining my peace and my love for my career after experiencing burnout. I hope that you explore these tips and navigate through your burnout.

Refocus

Everything can’t be a priority. I was trying to do so many things and make everything important. I became stressed and frustrated. I refocused and wrote out three priorities in my life. These were things that I enjoyed and wanted to contribute to in some type of way daily. I also gave myself grace goals, which are tiny steps that I created to help me accomplish my projects. It doesn’t matter how small the step is it adds up to the bigger picture. It’s ok to take time and refocus and shift priorities in your life. Priorities do change and it’s fine to give yourself grace. Doing life checks are necessary to make sure you are on track.

Take a Mental Health Day

It’s so crazy that we feel guilty for taking a day to do nothing. When you are not in a good space, it’s easy to start making permanent decisions in situations that may actually be temporary. You are able to think clearly if you are in a good head space. I started to incorporate a day to just relax and do what I wanted. Yes, that means taking a day off work and doing something for you. Don’t fill your day with obligations or things to do for someone else, just time to recharge and have some mindless entertainment. Your mental health is very important. You only have one you.  Your mental health is an investment, you can’t afford not to put in time for yourself. You can’t give your best if you are not taking care of your mental space.

Say No

This is a word that we must practice more saying. It’s not a bad thing to say no, if something simply doesn’t interest you or there is no time in your schedule don’t do it. Give yourself space to say no and not feel guilty. You are the main priority in your life and your time is valuable. Don’t make yourself do things that you don’t have a connection to. I keep a planner to make sure I’m not over extending myself. This helps me know what the priorities are for the week and organize my tasks. Also, don’t allow people to guilt you for saying no to something that you don’t want to commit to. No is a complete sentence.

Have Some Fun

Do something that takes your mind off all the daily work or life things. Hang with friends, attend a concert, explore your hobbies, or be creative. Whatever you do it must be fun! Having fun is an important aspect of life! It gives us freedom to be ourselves and be in the moment.  You must make space for things that bring you joy. This truly helped me get back on track from being burned out.

About the Author

Shana Lewis is the Community Outreach Specialist at True Sky Credit Union. She is responsible for community and business development, helping shape the credit union as the best financial institution in the state. In her role, she conducts financial seminars on understanding one’s credit score, what to do regarding identity theft and how to save. You can hear Shana on KVSP FM radio station in Oklahoma City 103.5 sharing financials tips, and savings advice during the evening drive time every other Thursday.

Shana loves the Oklahoma City community. She is involved with various chambers, ranging from Norman and Edmond to Yukon and Mustang. She is a member of the Oklahoma City Young Professionals, Association for Women in Communications, and Oklahoma City Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Additionally, Shana serves on the INTEGRIS Women of Color Health Forum Planning Committee.

She has been active with and currently serves as co-chair of the oNE OKC event that promotes the revitalization of Northeast Oklahoma City. Shana is a proud graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and a Minor in Communications. She earned a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership from Oklahoma City University. Shana enjoys and continues to work to provide beneficial resources and education that add value to the community.