As I check in with people, I ask them “How are you doing? I mean really?”, I increasingly hear people say they are tired, sometimes exhausted or having trouble staying motivated. It isn’t everyone, but it is more so than before. So if you are feeling something akin to this yourself, you are not alone.
This has been a hard year and one that continues to be hard for people. While we have adapted well in many ways, I think the background stress is catching up with people and it is hard to keep running a race where we have no idea where the finish line is. And while there is promising news of vaccines for 2021, even the experts recognize we will be working through this for some time.
The Risk of Burnout is Real
For some reason, many people find that work is busier than ever. And this busyness is now combined with Zoom fatigue and the challenges of staying productive for those working from home. My worry for people is that, as they search for ways to keep on going despite the fatigue, they open themselves up to burnout.
Burnout is when your mind and body say “Enough! If you won’t give me the rest I need, I will make it impossible to ignore this further.” Symptoms of burnout look like feeling resentful about your work, lack of motivation or energy for taking on anything new, more negative or pessimistic than usual, physical symptoms related to stress such as headaches, stomach issues or body pain, trouble sleeping, and loss of interest or energy even for some of the activities you typically enjoy.
Some of you may be feeling some of these already. All of us are at risk. So what can we do?
Resilience Isn’t Something You Have, It Is Something You Do
Whether we are a little tired or feeling exhausted, we all need to pay attention to our renewal. Many of the blog articles I’ve been posting have been aimed at ways to help you focus on renewal and build resilience and grit.
The challenge is they take a little effort. Ideally, we need to invest the time and energy into these renewing activities every day. It is so easy to default to the fatigue and just zone out from it all - but zoning out often doesn’t provide the genuine renewal we need.
Here are a few tips to keep you resilient and gritty for the days ahead:
Keep Your Brain in the ‘Green Zone’. Our biology is well designed to react to its world. Fear, fight, flight, frustration are all part of the our brain in the ‘Red Zone’; reacting. But this is where we add to the stress. The trick is to have practices that regularly shift your brain to the ‘Green Zone’. Practices like conscious breathing, meditation and gratitude are some of the best to do this.
Believe! Keeping a perspective that sees beyond the next task, beyond the next day, week or month is key. When we pause and consider that we will be beyond our current COVID challenges some day, and keep our perspective on this bigger timeline, it helps put our daily challenges into perspective. Hard at times? Sure. But less so when we focus on the bigger picture and knowing that we will get through this.
Stronger Together. Now is a time when everyone appreciates the kindness of someone checking in on them, making sure they are doing OK. Knowing others care and knowing that we can make a difference in someone’s life is how humans have faced hardship throughout time. What can you do to make a difference in someone’s life today? Take that action, then enjoy how your kindness and care to others make you feel more positive about your day and the days ahead.
A Sense of Progress. Humans are progress junkies. If things aren’t getting better, if there isn’t some movement towards a goal, even something mundane like booking your next vacation, we begin to lose our Mojo. In a land of no-clear-end-in-sight, it is important to create mini-goals and new routines that give us a sense of control and progress. How can you measure your accomplishments, keep score and celebrate progress? This is why fit-bits are so successful - they give you feedback on how you are doing each day and celebrate your achievements. Find novel ways to create a sense of progress at work and at home to keep you in the game.
Finding Inspiration. Who or what has brought you inspiration in the past week? If you are having trouble answering this, then this is a great source of renewal that you aren’t currently accessing. Sources of inspiration are all around you (iconic people who overcame challenges, nature, books, movies, art, local heroes, faith practice, etc.). Take time every week to key into stories of inspiration or whatever gives you hope, faith and inspiration.
Together, these practices will keep you going through the darkest of days. You will be stronger and feel better about the world around you. And know that your positivity, hopefulness, inspiration, humour, groundedness, and holding a broader perspective aren’t trivial. Not only do you feel better, they have an influence on everyone around you. Often helping people in ways you never fully realize. Possibly helping others to stay hopeful, positive and avoiding the pitfalls of burnout. Now that is gift for the Holidays!
These tools are from a recent webinar on Resilience & Grit. If you would like to learn more about webinars aimed at bringing resilience and grit to your team or organization, please connect with me at scott@mindfulwisdom.ca or book a time to chat here. This is how we are all stronger together.