Friday, January 25, 2013

Sometimes you just need to be Rebooted!

Are you familiar with the proverb, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"? Without time off from work, people become both bored and boring. Work related stress can cause a whole myriad of health issues; fatigue, depression, anxiety, headaches, unnecessary sick days, etc. From CEO's, to self employed, to stay at home moms, we all get burned out and taking time for ourselves is necessary to reboot our systems.

Here are some tips to help keep your batteries charged and ready for action:

1. Do something you enjoy! - Spend a day at the spa, play a round of golf or catch that movie you've been wanting to see. Or, take a good book, grab an iced tea and find a good shade tree and read. Depriving yourself of doing something fun and recreational, can have negative affects on your business and personal life.

2. Exercise, eat well and get plenty of rest. - Do I sound like your mother? We all know the importance of exercise. Without it, we gain unnecessary weight, become tired and our bodies begin to crave more calories due to our inactivity. You don't have to join the gym or the Y to get the exercise you need. A brisk walk around the block will do wonders for your heart! A balanced diet along with exercise, will allow your body to get the rest it needs. After all, God worked 6 days and rested on the 7th!

3. Talk about it. - Confiding in someone your trust, who is not involved in your work environment, can help you gain a different perspective of what is going wrong in your workplace. Being able to discuss what is bothering you is good therapy in general.

So, how did you get burned out to begin with? How can you prevent it from happening again?

First, prioritize your life. Has your job become your life? Do you work 10-12 hours each day? It's true, over time is sometimes expected, but when it isn't, don't convince yourself that just a few more hours will help you get ahead.
Second, set goals. Allow yourself a schedule of just how many hours you are going to work in a week and break up projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Finally, plan some vacation time and stick with it! Remember the tip on giving yourself some recreation time? You don't have to leave home if you don't want to. Simply allow yourself some downtime to relax and unwind. Your work will be there when you get back, but you definitely need some YOU time!

When you mentally reboot, you not only cut down on the stresses of the job, but you allow yourself to do a job to the best of your ability. Your family benefits, too, because you don't come home too tired and wiped out to spend quality time with them.

How do you mentally reboot? Is there a tip that you'd like to add? I'd love to read your comments!

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