Modern life is characterized by significant proportions of people who feel exhausted and suffer from burnout. According to the survey conducted within the United States by The Harris Poll in 2020, among 1,136 employees, more than three-quarters (76%) of employed Americans report they were currently experiencing worker burnout. The Hustle’s survey of more than 300 entrepreneurs showed, that 63% of business owners reported that they’ve dealt with or are currently dealing with burnout. That’s why we suggest “Do Less And Achieve More”!
Both corporate employee and entrepreneur burnout are painfully familiar to me. Nothing I’ve ever achieved has been achieved with ease. I reflect back on the time that I worked as a financial auditor… completely shredded by a never-ending overload of work, barely able to go through my day without multiple coffee boosts. When quitting my corporate job, I promised to start taking care of myself and cultivating rest. Well, things did not move an inch!
Whether in the lush jungle of Bali or the center of Paris, I would wake up in the morning already overwhelmed by my never-ending to-do list. Neither yoga nor any meditation practices were not happening to me. My inner voice would persistently push me to get down to work immediately.
From being a slave to my employer, I become a slave to my own business!
In a way, I had the autonomy to design my job according to my passion; simultaneously, I had a higher level of responsibility. Running my own business turned out even more demanding.
I lived on the edge of overwhelm and burnout till one hot summer evening when I shockingly caught myself on the fact that I had said No to the invitation to go to the beach and enjoy the breathtaking Azorean sunset just a 3-minute drive from my house. I froze in front of my laptop with a spoon of salty caramel vegan ice cream in my mouth. Wow, is this the freedom I yearned for when I left the prison of my corporate job? The absurdity of the situation wildly struck me.
That was the moment my whole life changed. I hired my inner workaholic perfectionist for a part-time job: rest. There is no chance to skip this work now, and I must show up for it daily. Let everything burn down, but I need rest.
And you know what? Nothing burns down. My business grows exponentially because I am relaxed in the doing of things. I let myself enjoy the bounty of life. I no longer wish to compromise my rest, pleasure, and joy for business growth. I finally embodied my feminine energy which gets it done with so much efficiency and flow. I have the energy to carry through in an empowered way when creativity blossoms through me, and there is this spark in me that simply shows who I am without the need to convince. Cultivating rest creates space for something new to come through me.
Here is what happens when you don’t rest and what it needs to be transformed into to prevent burnout:
Your energy levels drop, leaving you to run on your reserves. Once the resource is depleted, a total collapse awaits you around the corner. You want to be vibrant and full of life force for creativity to blossom through you. You want to be vital to creating powerful results in whatever field you are working in.
You lack mental clarity, which results in the inability to make decisions quickly and be assertive. You want fresh eyes when you look at your work when all of your senses are adequately switched on and activated.
The way you judge things can change fundamentally. When you are low on energy, you tend to critique and diminish yourself. The next day when you are rested, you perceive your work more positively.
Vibrancy is fundamental to your success, whether climbing the corporate ladder or running your own business. Long ago, people would go for something without any discernment. Nowadays, they sense more and go for energy. I am sure you would rather buy croissants from a shining, smiling, and vibrant lady rather than from someone who looks exhausted and frustrated. The same applies to hiring professionals and further promotions.
Prioritizing your rest and making it your part-time job is indispensable to your success. It’s a vital part of your business.
However, make sure rest is not becoming another task on your to-do list; otherwise, you might get stressed out even more. Remember, whatever you do, self-compassion is the priority. Always choose the most loving thing for yourself.
Here is what you can start implementing in your daily routine, depending on the level of your busyness.
Implement conscious abdominal breathing in your daily life. Pause your work every hour and take 10 conscious deep breaths dropping into your body which will encourage your nervous system and the body to relax, bringing about a range of health benefits.
Implement eating with awareness without any disturbances. Eat slowly, focusing on sensual awareness of the food and your experience of the food. By doing so you will help your digestion system work at its best. Your health starts in your gut.
Spend time in nature or at least enjoy a walk in the park. If you have more time to spare do your morning or nighttime routine instead of waiting for two weeks for your spa day. Choose what works best for you: taking a relaxing bath with candlelight, reading your favorite book, or meditating and journaling.
Change your mindset around rest to prevent burnout. What made most of us work ourselves to the ground, depriving ourselves of rest and joy in life? We are running slavery subconsciously programs literally inherited from our ancestors and deeply engraved into us, such as ‘the more I work, the better result is, ‘I have to work hard and hustle’, and ‘if I slow down, I will die’.
Moreover, most high-achieving female leaders exercise their determination and persistence from a place of a need to prove they are good enough and worthy. This results from childhood conditioning with high expectations from their parents, where they had to constantly do more and be more to receive love and approval. However, no matter how much they did, they could never get there. So they continue their lives constantly trying even harder, but still don’t get there, just get more exhausted.
So I would like you to ask yourself, who are you still trying to make happy and receive approval from by working yourself to the ground?
When you realize you don’t have to kill yourself for work, your life will change forever. Cultivating rest not only has allowed me to prevent burnout but has fueled everything I’ve accomplished in life and business, and I very much believe it is the way of the future. If you feel that you need loving yet fierce support in shifting your approach to rest and are ready to act now, I would like to spend some time with you to help you discover where you are not allowing yourself to rest and what is holding you back. Do reach out; let’s have a talk and take it from there. Click HERE
Text by Marina Sigalova
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