METHODS THAT WORK FOR YOU
Recovering from burnout can be a process that involves several methods and takes lots of effort and patience. Every one of us is unique, so it is up to you to find the methods that help you the most on your way towards recovery. However, as I have been through it myself, I can tell about it what helped me a lot, and you might find methods among those things that work for you, as well. So you can create a frame strategy for yourself that brings you out of the impasse and helps you build a more balanced life. This requires some measure of self-discipline, and it is absolutely natural that sometimes we need help on our way towards recovery. A guiding hand, a listening ear, and an understanding heart. Those are the golden three to treat yourself to, as a start. It might be coming from a helper you choose, from a friend, and you cannot let yourself as your own support out of the equation – after all, we all learn to be a better, more loving and caring “parent” for ourselves on the way. But we definitely need help at a certain point, at least until we are able to cherish and understand ourselves enough to be able to cope with our challenges on our own. Remember, we are not alone, and we don’t have to be, so do not hesitate to ask for help. It speaks volumes about our integrity and self-awareness, if we are able to do so. On the other hand, it is important to take responsibility for our own well-being, so it is always good to look around and give new methods a try, to see what is actually going to help us heal. Once you feel some method is close to your heart, it is worth to trust the process, regardless of our fears, and see where it takes us. Here are some options to consider. They sound very simple, but I can tell from personal experience, some of those were the most challenging things to learn in my life until now. In my experience, seemingly simple things are always the best, and as it turns out, they might sound simple, but they tend to be the most challenging things to achieve, in the end. Don’t worry, it all gets better with practice, so please focus on that, and on yourself, most of all.
A helpful strategy includes:
- Prioritizing self-care: This can involve engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as exercise, meditation, and some long longed for hobbies. Think about things that inspire you, and follow your heart as much as you possibly can in trusting the process of engaging in those activities. Keeping free time for those activities, means, we will have less time for others, at least for a while. Considering that we probably already crossed our own boundaries way too many times in the past (hence we are in a burnout or close to it), for many of us, this process also includes learning to say NO. This can be a real challenging process, especially if we are used to always take care of others first, and of ourselves as last. How beautifully altruistic and selfless it all sounds, if you have never really learned to put yourself first, NOW IS THE TIME to do so! Especially if you want to prevent ending up in a burn-out or get out of one. You are the key of your recovery, you cannot expect anyone to put you first, if you are not able to do it yourself. Remember, you can only make the world a better place, if you are okay. After all, we are only able to love ourselves as much in this physical reality, as we are able to love ourselves. Rule of the Universe. Energy flows through us first, and the higher vibrations we are able to reach within ourselves (= meaning how much we love ourselves for real), once we reach feeling healthy, happy and whole, we can radiate the same vibration to others, and let the love within us overflow to them, and enrich their lives by simply being ourselves. Effortlessly, naturally, on its own. Simple as that. So time to learn some self-love, folks – if we never had the chance to learn that till now (which is not our fault, by the way. It is no one’s really, but that doesn’t make it less painful and easier for us to go through the process). So, if you agree, let’s focus on our own recovery first. Believe it or not, the world will heal through our process, as well. We are tiny energy points on Earth, yet all of us are connected, one way or another. So if we heal, we help the collective raise its vibration and heal, as well. It is not selfish to focus on yourself. In fact, healing is the most selfless thing you can do for this world. This is the first golden rule.
- Maintaining a healthy work-life balance: Finding ways to separate work from personal time and prioritize leisure activities can help reduce stress and prevent burnout. If you have a difficulty with saying “no”, chances are that you have already crossed your inner boundaries without even noticing, and that may be going on for years, maybe even since you were a child. Give yourself time on a regular basis to check in with yourself and your needs before you commit to any new activity, task or responsibility. If you feel, that your batteries start to deplete again, stop right there and do not be afraid to cancel anything else. Exhausting yourself may take much longer time to recover afterwards and pull you in more serious depths, both physically, as emotionally, than necessary.
- Improving sleep habits: Getting adequate sleep can help improve mental and physical health and reduce the effects of stress. However, underlying trauma can be the cause of long term insomnia or sleep irregularities that can only be improved by deep trauma work. Don’t be afraid to try new methods, even if it includes psychotherapy, transpersonal therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, EMDR, or any of the traditional therapy types. It is so normal to have a therapist these days, if anything, I consider it a sign of maturity in a person. Frankly, we all need it in this world we live in. It calls for inner strength and taking responsibility for our own well-being to do so. Whether you do it with traditional or alternative methods, inner work seems to be a prerequisite these days, when aiming for a balanced and healthy life.
- Seeking support: Talking to friends, family, or a mental health professional can help provide a safe and supportive environment for managing stress and recovering from burnout. It is important to know that we don’t have to do it all alone, and there are not only people to help us, but there are certain steps of our emotional development, that we are only able to learn from other people, who already learned that kind of emotional intelligence from others. Our brains work this way (more precisely, the mirroring neurons do that are responsible for picking up emotional intelligence from our surroundings), easy as that. If you couldn’t learn some things from your parents that would protect you, care for you and love you in a way you need it, chances are that they also didn’t have anyone to learn from in their surroundings, those things often go on and on for many generations. Seeing a psychotherapist for some time can change your life to its core. I’m not saying it’s the easy way, but it might be necessary to become a healthier and happier human being.
- Reducing workload and finding new ways to manage stress: Making changes to your work environment and finding new stress-management techniques can help prevent burnout from recurring. Simple mindfulness or meditation techniques, like making a body scan or observing your breath on a regular basis, can do wonders. It all takes its time, as our minds need practice to adjust to the new reality, and they sure try to go back to the old known ways very often, even if that is not good for us. Minds do have this nature, they are afraid of the unknown. It takes some “convincing”(meaning: practising techniques of your choosing) to teach them new ways, and allow them to get used to it, until they consider it as “normal”. Also, simple things, like drinking enough water, can do wonders for our homeostasis. Our bodies also need time for recovery, sometimes more than we envision or hope to achieve a new balance, so cut yourself some slack here. Just take your time and be patient with yourself.
- Taking time off: Taking a break from work and other stressful activities can help you recharge and come back stronger. Try new ways, that you haven’t done before. Go for walks in nature, or just go and sit at the seaside for a day and watch the waves, try painting, dancing, anything – you name it! What we need to feel whole again, might be so different for each of us, so ultimately you’ll have to figure out yourself what works for you. Being flexible and trying new things we haven’t tried before can help broaden our horizons. I’ll gladly write about methods that helped me personally, where I have experience with, I sincerely hope it helps you on your way. As I’ve been naturally interested in some of those methods myself without having any idea that I would need them myself one day, I’ll also write about some things, where I might be able to help you. Those methods are mostly connected to art therapy, yoga or certain archetypes, sometimes something new that I’ve brewed up from all those previous ones during my own journey, and ended up becoming my own methods, as such. But honestly, it all doesn’t matter, as long as it helps you heal. In order to decide, though, it is important to know where the building blocks of a method originate from, to see whether this is something for you or not. As a start, we can always ask a trusted friend what he or she thinks could work for us, but the important thing here is learning to trust our own hunches, and learn to rely on our own feelings in order to start exploring and enjoying our lives at our own terms!
It’s important to remember that everyone’s experience with burnout is unique, and the process of recovery can take time. Finding the right combination of methods that work best for you can help you recover and prevent a burnout in the future.
Do you feel you would cherish some support among your journey’s challenges? Do you feel attracted to art and are curious what might come free of your hands when you allow yourself to simply play for once? To be unbound in creation? Then art therapy might be something for you. Or do you prefer to get to know yourself better on a subconscious level and discover your feminine soul parts that can help you become more self-aware? – Then feel free to join me on the “Peace of Mind”, a 7 session course about archetypes, and learn to embrace the Divine Feminine within you! (for more info, you can click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page, or simply mail me to info@henrientti.com)
Next up are the tools that helped me the most, with some gems that I made for you from the bottom of my heart. Hope you enjoy it, and they help you on your way towards healing.