Sarah Mourtos Since business has been back to ‘COVID normal’, there is no doubt you have been firing on all four cylinders. Here are some tips to help avoid the workload getting the better of you.
Are you starting to feel tired? Or are you hanging for the Christmas break to catch your breath from the onslaught of appointments, and clear your head. This time off will help, but what happens if you return to work still feeling restless?
This indicates that you’re experiencing burnout, and a few sleep-ins aren’t going to fix it, not entirely. Fleur Marks is the founder of the newly opened The Wellbeing Store in Byron Bay, and she knows a thing or two about the perils of burnout. Described as a workaholic and overachiever, Fleur had a reality check when she became chronically ill with a rare non-curable autoimmune disease called Sarcoidosis.
On top of this, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. After countless treatments for her Sarcoidosis were exhausted to no avail, she decided to quit the corporate life and inspire others to find balance as a wellbeing and leadership coach.
“My personal experience with burnout is to often double down and work harder. I have had to learn how to recognise my burnout signs, as I love to please and had to master my disease of perfectionism,” Fleur said.
Managing burnout is essential for those working in the wellness industry, as you need to be self-full to be self-less Fleur says.
“Be gentle to yourself. To give to others, you need to be ‘self-full’ to be self-less, as my wise daughter has taught me. To ‘do it all’, you need to do it one day at a time, making sure you focus on what truly matters and enjoy the ride along the way,” Fleur said.
Some of the signs of burnout include being unable to think clearly, indecisiveness, an overbearing inner critic and constant state of anxiety. On the physical side of things, you wake up tired and can’t shake that feeling all day, your sleep patterns are disrupted, and you let healthy habits of exercising and eating nutritious foods slip. The triggers will be different for everyone, but Fleur says she has learnt to notice hers and focuses on activities that will get her back on track.
“I typically tend to abandon my self-care and find my sleep patterns are disrupted. When these two signs are active, I slow it all down, focus on single-tasking, take 15-minute mini rests during the day. I make sure I go to bed early and try and fuel my body with healthy energising clean food,” she adds.
Fleur says the best proactive measure to avoid burnout in the first place is to have a sustainable daily routine of self-care. She finds a steady morning routine will set her up for the day ahead. If you do feel yourself tipping over the edge, it might be obvious, but hitting pause can be the best thing to do.
“Determining a sustainable way of working that allows for rest and recognises that life is a marathon, not a sprint! Pausing and allowing your body to rest allows you to gain perspective and replenish,” she said.
“Finally, being able to tame your inner critic. Recognise when your critic is pushing you to burn out and be able to turn the volume down when it does not serve you. My inner critic that tips me into burnout is ‘Penny the Pusher’. When she pipes up in my head, I have to ask her to quieten down,” she finishes.
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