How to manage stress and prevent burnout when coming out of lockdown?
If you're reading this from Australia, most of us have experienced lockdown(s) of sorts over the past few years. We've spent weeks to months living, sleeping & working from our homes and we've had an absolute breeze managing our timetables and what to do. We've probably even been wondering what to do with all of our free time? (Learn about the benefits of silk scrunchies and proper hair care perhaps...?)
Now that the pandemic is (hopefully) reaching a point where lockdowns are a thing of the past, most of us are inundated with social events and work events and appointments of sorts and find us struggling to take the time for ourselves in our busy calendars. Talk about going from zero to 100 real quick.
Sooner or later most of us will experience burnout, so we're here to tell you the tips and trips of coping with stress and over-scheduling!
1. Meditate - seriously...
If you're not already on the meditation train, you're probably reading this going 'god no I'm not going to do that, it's not MY thing'. But bear with us, it's not as bad as you think it is!
It's just breathing. That's right - breathe in and breathe out and repeat. It's taking the time out of your day to focus solely on breathing and get yourself focusing on the here and the now. If your mind is somewhere else (stressing about something in the future or in the past or something about work, friends, a partner) then meditation (or breathing) can help to bring you into the present moment and calm your head noise.
If any of you have seen the popular Netflix series Manifest, you may remember a scene where Zeke advises the anxious Beverly to "smell the flowers and blow out the candles" - this too is meditation and we're all for this analogy. Try it out now! Stop, smell in the flowers, and then slowly blow out the candles - this is a great method and we love it.
2. Exercise
Okay you're busy and stressed and have 100 things on your mind, but exercise needs to be a priority. The impacts of exercise on the brain and mental stamina are insane, all you need to do is a 30minute walk at minimum each day - or even better some high-intensity stuff that gets your heart rate up - and you will eventually notice the difference. If you're in a mental rut or feeling super anxious or down in the dumps lately this is one thing that you can do to seriously help out.
3. Sleep
Another important factor is sleep, you need to ensure you get your prescribed dose each night. Everyone requires different amounts of sleep - some may require 9 hours, some may require 4 hours - but once you work out your magic number of operation, you should aim to get that every single night, not more and definitely not less.
4. Stop
Finally once all the above has been implemented, remember that it's okay to stop and take a break for yourself. Take a weekend off and do nothing. Your body & mind will thank you for it later.
We hope you enjoyed our tips to cope from stress and overkill and if you have any comments please reach out to us via email.
Chloe xx