6 Steps for preventing burnout - Terresa Todd

6 Steps for preventing burnout: 

• Be aware of how you are feeling. 
  Check-in with yourself. If you saw your best friend struggling, would you ask them, 'Hey, how are you coping? How are you going with your day?' Now ask yourself the questions. 
  
  Awareness is the first step and the key to making changes to support your energy and health. 
  
  

• Make time for active rest and recharge time in your day. 
  Resting and recharging doesn't mean sitting still and thinking about the myriad of tasks needing to be completed. Instead, it is about doing something that helps you feel good and helps turn off the stress hormones of adrenaline and cortisol. Maybe your activity is going for a walk, meditation, reading a book, gardening, or creating craftwork. 
  
  Whatever it is that you desire and will recharge you Because, let's face it, you recharge your phone, right? Why wouldn't you recharge your body by giving it recharge and rest time? Make sure to schedule the time rather than leaving it to chance when you have time. Take whatever time you can for recharging – 5 minutes to 1 hour. Whatever you can. 
  
  

• Nourish your body with quality meals. 
  Nourishing your body with nutrients from a variety of salads, fruits and vegetables. Then adding to the plate with meat, chicken, fish, beans, lentils, grains and pseudo-grains, depending on your eating preferences, will support your nutrition, adrenals and energy levels. 
  
  Avoid eating on the run. Many busy women tend to eat whilst completing tasks, rushing the kids to school, or eating at their desk. This does not help your digestion absorb the much-needed nutrients from your meal. 

• Plan the rest of the year. 
  Create a list of the tasks needed to be done and then plan when it will fit into your day or weeks. Be realistic with time. 
  
  Generally, many overestimate what we can do and underestimate the time it takes. Be realistic with tasks and how long they will take, and even allow extra fudge factor time because, let's face it, challenges or emergencies can arise that need attention. 
  
  Set boundaries for yourself, your family and for work and learn to say 'no' if the request will create more stress for you. It is OK to say 'No, I can't do that at this time.' 

• Assess Nutrition. 
  Optimum nutritional status is essential. Any deficiencies can burden organs such as the adrenals and thyroid and contribute to burnout. Disease conditions can also occur in nutritionally deficient states. 
  
  Testing from pathology labs does not always indicate optimal levels as they are looking for disease. Instead, assessments and testing that can indicate optimum functioning are essential. During stress, demands on nutrients such as Vitamin B’s, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin C increase. 

• Make sleep a priority. 
  Do you give yourself time to wind down? Or are you racing around the house doing a million tasks and then falling into bed exhausted and yet wired and wondering why it can't switch off? 
  
  Sleep is an active process of repair. Therefore, good evening routines supporting sleep are vital to creating the sleep hormone of melatonin. Have that bedtime routine so your body can wind down to sleep the same way as kids. The sleep routine is vital to get quality sleep so you can wake refreshed and ready to start the next day rather than having a tiresome Groundhog day.