Managing Burnout & Downtime
Today I'm a little under the weather. I've loaded up on vitamins and ready to have some chicken soup (for the soul :)). It really is for the soul I think. I've learned something about myself over the years. We can only push hard for so long until we just can't do it that way anymore. Derek is off again testing at COTA. By the time this publishes, it will have been announced that he is going to be with TRG Aston Martin yet another year in the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint X series! Yahoo! This would be a good time for me to power up and get ready for the season. I have exactly twenty days to do just that. Not only am I editing and writing Season 2 of Fastlife currently, I am also continuing to film our family life and preparing for the upcoming racing season.
I have been feeling really tired and questioning how long I can work at this pace and there are times where I wonder if I even want to. Here are some things that help me avoid burnout and recover if I just push a little too far! I think I write these blogs as my own pep talk sometimes!
1. Take a Day Off-
Other than writing this blog this morning (aka peptalk) I am going to take the rest of the day off. I really don't feel good. I had a fever yesterday and seem to be fighting something off. Even if you don't feel good it's important to take a day off and only do things that sound extremely fun to you once in a wh. If that means staying in bed all day sleeping and watching movies...great do that! If it means going out with friends to lunch, coffee, or taking a hike...do those things. It's important to recharge your batteries and what that looks like is different for everyone.
2. Meditate-
I have found that if I'm experiencing burnout there is usually a lot of clutter in my mind. Meditation is a great way to release all that and reset. It doesn't take long. I use the app Headspace and it guides me so I don't have to come up with structure for yet another thing! I usually do it for 5-15 minutes and afterwards I feel like a million bucks. Typically I feel inspired to go back to work too because I have fresh ideas once I clear the clutter.
3. Get Outside-
It's especially hard in the winter to want to go out when the days are grey or the weather is cold and crappy. But, I've found that once I get up and get outside, even if it is rainy or cold, as long as I'm dressed properly, after just 15 minutes of being outside and getting off of my phone, I feel pretty great. The fresh air, nature, and getting my heart rate going helps a lot to rejuvenate the soul and body.
4. Hugs-
I would like to get back to my hug program with the kids and Derek. I tend to be so focused on what I am doing that I forget how helpful human contact and hugs are. A couple of weeks ago I told the kids we were going on a new 5 Hug a Day hug program. They laughed...but I did it for a while and it is an amazing thing how a hug really relaxes you and can turn even the grumpiest day around. Just like we drink eight glasses of water a day, we should try to match that with hugs and we'd feel way better! Try it!
Those are just a couple of my recommendations for managing burnout. New goals can also help but that's a topic for another day! Derek and I now have a racing season to look forward to. I have a goal of finishing Season 2 in the next three months and filming the transition back into racing. Keep an eye on our blog and social media as things are going to get pretty exciting around here. We love your comments, reviews, shares, and high fives. This has been a lot of hard work but we want to continue to inspire you to live your dreams and work hard for them. Even though we do go through down times or burnout, it's all worth it in the end!
Try the 5 Hug A Day program and see how even just one hug can change your life! -TWEET THIS
