How to Design Your Day to Prevent Burnout

As we look to a new year ahead, are there changes we can make to do things differently. Better. Smarter.

I structured my day a little differently today: I designed my best day and acted accordingly.

A little bit of background….

Preventing burnout is an ongoing exercise. You do not really “land” in no burnout zone. The ingredients for burnout is one part a personality that cares. Cares too much at times. This is matched by a drive that does not switch off.

As you grow as a person, as you encounter more things in your life your view of what you “need” to do changes.

My journalling today started with the words: ” I care, which quickly translates to responsibility”

I care about a lot of things. Mainly things that impact people. Thing is so many things impact people. Soon without realising it I have absorbed a range of issues and ideas that I assume are my responsibility to work on.

In my journalling today, I shifted to ask myself, how could I anchor my day today to be the best day of not being responsible, just being present and purposeful. So it went like this, some areas for the day with some key anchors:

Reflect: My daily devotions
Learn: Do a little bit of a small course I have signed up on the Entrepreneurial process
Create: Catching up some new music I have been listening to. It is creative because they are instruments I don’t usually listen to
Connect: Spending time with some friends (actually outside, we read and journaled and chatted)
Productive: Working on my Masters

This did not include everything else that happens in my day, but it was a great way to just dream about the best day to have, and then have these small anchors and move through them. You know what? It was a great day.

Perhaps you could try planning your day in similar way, and see what a difference it might make.

Article supplied with thanks to Valerie Ling.

About the Author: Valerie Ling is a clinical psychologist and consultant with The Centre for Effective Living (a psychology and mental health practice) and The Centre for Effective Serving (a workplace wellbeing consultancy).

Feature image: Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash