#lifelessons101 – Easy Steps You Can Take to Simplify Your Life & Recover from Burnout

Hands up if you were close to burn out at the end of 2019? 

Well I know my hand is firmly in the air. Yep even though my work focuses on mind, body spirit work I too get overloaded and bogged down with. But I am by no means alone. 

The largest UK stress survey ever done in the 2018 reported that 74% of people had felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope. And it’s still on the rise. 2019 reports show there were 12.8 million people had sick days due to stress.

There is no doubt about it burnout is on the rise

And by the end of 2019 my burnout signs were super clear.  I spent most of the holidays sleeping. Which for me is a sign that something is majorly wrong. Despite the fact that life was well organised and work was going well, under the surface I was:

• Irritable 
• Weepy
• Demotivated
• Exhausted
• Not eating or sleeping properly
• Depressed
• Not able to cope with things I could cope with before
• I couldn’t switch off

(If you want to check in and see if you at burnout point have a look at this article describing the signs of burnout. )

As a life coach I know when my body is showing me symptoms of burnout I have to listen straight away.

So I checked in with myself and discovered that I simply had too much going on. I guess many of you can relate. I am the main breadwinner in our home and as I have a partner with Autism I am responsible for more in our lives than in other relationships. I organise the finances, the food shopping, cleaning, washing, gardening and new projects. I am everyone’s memory, the finder of things and keeper of the family calendar and social engagements. On top of that I am self employed so basically anything to do with work pretty much has to be done by me unless I can afford to outsource it.  I rely on me, my family relies on me and my clients too. I listed all of my responsibilities and it was plain to see why I was exhausted.

Something had to change if I didn’t want to break down in 2020. Everything was just too complicated. And amidst all of this complication I wasn’t getting the recharge time I needed to boost my energy. 

Here and Now in 2020 I want to simplify my life and focus on recharging my batteries.

 Sounds great huh! But in reality, reorganising and simplifying your life takes work. You can’t just drop everything and become all zen. That washing pile is going to turn into Everest if I don’t tackle it on a regular basis. And at the same time I have a business I want to develop and clients I love to work with. Which meant

It might sound unrealistic. But actually it is possible. It has taken me some google-fu (for inspiration), some large reality checks and putting in effort when I really just wanted to return to the duvet. Slowly and surely life is becoming simpler. I feel a little happier. And I have more energy. Not a lot more. Recovery takes time. But I have more. 

Here is my step by step guide to how I am simplifying my busy life and still getting everything done…

Get aware

Fixing anything starts with knowing what the issue is. So like me write out a list of your responsibilities.  Figure out where you are taking on too much

Let go of what you can let go of

There will be something you can let go of or delegate that is not serving you. Do it. (Tip: Don’t drop the things that give you energy over the things you have to do. Energy boosters are really important when facing burn out).

Work out your ideal day

Grab a piece of paper and write out how you would like your ideal everyday day to be. I had the most energy in my life when I was doing Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning. Today my life style doesn’t support that daily practice but I can do it 5 days out of 7 so I put that on my ideal day. This gives you an idea of what you want to create. Which is a great place to start.

Schedule your chores

Emma Leowe says “saving up your cleaning for sunday is so 2019”. She recommends identifying 5 little things that need to get done every day and splitting the bigger tasks over the week. You can read more about it here. I have a weekly habit schedule for these tasks. I have my chores, my me time and my exercise all planned out on the same days each week. Once a habit is formed it is much easier to keep on going.

Declutter your life

Our environment reflect our mental state. If that is true of our whole house then I am screwed! Luckily I used Feng Shui principles in my office so here I feel calmer. Decluttering sounds complicated. And yes it does take time. But once you have done it you feel tons better believe me. Start small. Or follow Kyle Quilici’s “Declutter your home in an afternoon” process. Personally I am taking tiny step by tiny step. First stop after my office (which I do every January) is my wardrobe. (Emma-Jane tip if you really can’t get rid of your clothes keep a capsule wardrobe and then store the rest and refresh 4 times a year).

Start Slow End Slow

Start your day slowly and end your day slowly. Give your brain the time it needs to wind on and off. 

Systemise regular activities

Getting out the door with the kids of a morning can be stressful so systamise it. Have your work bag, lunch and clothes ready the night before. Keep your gym back on a peg ready to go. Small things like this make a huge difference.

Move, Eat and Sleep

Give your body and soul the fuel it needs. Make meals, lunch and moving important. It will make you feel better than skipping lunch and replacing it with coffee to get task done. The bonus is you will perform better too.

Energy Boosters

Know what boosts your energy and make time for a daily boost every day. I keep a list in my (very scrappy) Bullet journal of all activities that give me an energy boost. Then each day I schedule a boost. Small or large. If I can’t think what to do I go and have a look at my list and choose one.

Take breaks

Don’t wait until you are tired to take a break. Give yourself a break during the day. A lie in at the weekend. We need our down time to be able to be up. Make it as much of a priority as bedtime.

What do you need to change in order to simplify your life? 

Let me know down below. 

From my heart to yours 

I wish you a refreshing weekend 

<3  Emma-Jane xxx

If you would like support on your personal development journey, to transform your life and to create the life you love then you are welcome to connect with Emma-Jane for life coaching or business coaching- Check out Re:Root’s coaching services here and sign up for your free consultation