Burnout is a beast and you can’t outwork it. You can’t outsmart it, out grit it, or outrun it. If you’re feeling burnt out—or want to take an active role in avoiding it—it may be time to give yourself an intervention.

Before the Meltdown

If you suspect that you’re running headfirst into burnout, take five minutes (yes, just five minutes) to be perfectly still and listen to what your anxiety is telling you. If you hear yourself saying intrusive thoughts out loud or in your inner monologue, it’s time for a reset. 

“If I slow down, it will all fall apart.”

“I don’t have time for that.”

“I have to.”

When you find yourself skipping out on fun and family. When you’re low-vibe, lost your shine, kind of a bummer. When you’re doing more of what you hate and less of what you love. When you’ll find every excuse under the sun to procrastinate about taking the aforementioned five minutes of quiet reflection. When your body seems uncooperative and cranky. When it’s all about bedtime, but the inbox is brimming. When someday never seems to come. 

When you’re not taking care of yourself. When nothing is fun anymore. When stress is overwhelming and unending. When everything feels hopeless and like, for real, what’s the point? When you’re stuffing down an existential crisis with retail therapy and binge watching/eating/drinking…

How, oh how, did it get this far?

Let the ‘isms rob us of boundless joy?
Not on my watch. 

Stop and cement the goalpost. 

My sweet, sweet, lady, it got this far because it’s been awhile (if ever) since you’ve taken the time to truly investigate what success looks like for you. 

What do you want out of life? Is the script that you’ve been handed really the way you want to play it? Are you sure all of those benchmarks and milestones are part of the story you’re writing for yourself…or is it really for someone else?

I encourage everyone within the sound of my brand voice to stop marching stalwart towards other people’s version of success; decide what you want, based on your values, and cement some damn goalposts. That way, no one on earth can ever move them or abuse them, because they are wholly yours—which is all the more reason to savor this moment. 

This is the day you stop trying to prove everything all the time.

TL;DR | What’s the most effective salve for burnout?
Reclaim your time—and your life.

I know my messages of renewal aren’t new. If you’re blind to what self-care actually looks like beyond the manicures and the bottomless-mimosa brunches, never fear. While this is what people ‘think’ self care looks like, it’s but a bandaid (and often not a healthy one); they’re more of an escape than a help.

While I’m all for spa days and Eggs Benedict, self-care isn’t a product, it’s a radical act of defiance. 

It’s the decision to stop swimming upstream and joylessly participating in Hustle Culture. It’s the complete commitment to the small steps that lead to big change. It’s the choice to stop thinking about doing all of the things to look successful and start doing all the things that embody what success means to you.

After all, your life is l-i-t-e-r-a-l-l-y on the line. Here’s how to reframe your perspective: 

🌍Find Yourself

Let’s face it; being a woman in America means sacrificing much of your soul. We’re socialized for service and self-deprecation. If you’ve lost touch with who you are, stop what you’re doing and rediscover your authentic self. Not sure

where to start? I got you. 

Voice Your Values | What matters most? It’s hard to find fulfillment when you haven’t defined and articulated what you hold dear. Identify the top 5-7 things that you are unwilling to compromise on. 

Define Success | If you didn’t even know that you can say “no” to anything and opt out of all kinds of things—like jobs, relationships, marriage, children, volunteering, keeping up with The Joneses, birthday parties, holiday dinners, and the ‘American Dream’—it’s time to decide what #winning means to you. 

Discover Your Zones of Genius | When you clear all of the clutter, something wonderful happens—up through the ashes emerges clarity and confidence. You’ll know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what makes you magical.

💨 Exit, Stage Left

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you have the power to walk away. I know it’s hard; we carry such heavy loads. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When it’s time to “stop the world; I wanna get off,” do just that. 

Deconstruct the Business Growth Myth | Since the very first lemonade stand, people have pushed the idea that there is only one way to do it: Grow. Profit. Rinse. Repeat. 

Is it? Is it tho? I contend that life is too precious to relentlessly monetize e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. 

Honor the Lifecycle of Your Entrepreneurial Energy | Everything, everywhere is living in their own unique cycle and you are no different. Seize the idea that just like your business goes through stages, so does your bandwidth for it.  

🔥 Embody Self-Worth

Put an end to having to prove yourself all. of. the. time. Living in alignment with radical self-worth sets you free from the need for external validation, insulated from inner and outer critics, and protecting your peace. The purest preventative for overwhelm—living on your own terms. 

Get Radical | The most powerful act of resistance you can ever do is to live your life for you—with great joy. If you’re ready to banish burnout, you’re going to have to make some unpopular choices. And isn’t that the best news ever? 

To Thine Own Boundaries Be True | Boundaries don’t mean the freedom to chew someone out when you feel violated; it’s the self-delivered permission to excuse yourself from toxic situations without anything more than a “I’m not gonna tell you twice.” 

💧Under the Radar, Rich & Successful 

Would you rather be miserable at a million dollars a year in income or happy at $50K? I contend that authenticity is better than Instagram, audacity is better than bragging rights, and living your best life is the best revenge.

How to: Break the Spell of Codependency on Your Business and Life

If you’re thinking that this looks easier said than done, you are not alone. The ‘just do it’ mantra leaves a lot to be desired. If you need to “shake it off” before you can even begin your journey to radical self worth, take it three steps at a time.  

1. Minimize | Embrace Bare Bones
   The ultimate discernment, get real about the minimum viable to-do list. Delegate, outsource, barter, call in favors; do whatever you can to take as much as you can off of your plate…and not feel guilty the least bit about it or needlessly worry that you’re bothering/burdening anyone.
   
2. Prioritize | Stay Close to the CashWe’re not going to ‘should’ on ourselves about the things we’re doing and not doing in business. No social media strategy or ‘consistency is king mantra’ isgoing to save us from self-destruction. Keep your eye on the revenue and let the rest be at rest.
   
3. Realize | Fill the Rest-to-Insight Pipeline
   Burnout is the direct result of a lack of oxygen to our business brains. In order for us to truly realize our own definition of success, we have to listen to our gut. It’s hard to hear when you’re surrounded by relentless noise and have no space to visualize. Capture the empowerment in the pot of gold at the end of the rest rainbow. 

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. 

Like anything, it’s the small changes over time that fuels true transformation. It doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with accepting the universal truth that you do not HAVE to burn out. It’s not impossible to avoid it in this mad, mad world. In fact, it’s not even improbable. 

Once you deconstruct yourself from all of the roles and responsibilities, shoulds and have tos, the capitalism and the hustle culture, it gets easier. Soon, you’ll see signs of healing—nary a cloud of anxiety in the blue, blue sky and sweet, sweet peace on the horizon. 

Emancipation | Break the Bonds that Bind

Need help with that? We help founders and high-performing women who dare not stay overwhelmed, anxious, and isolated find fulfillment and balance. Element Eight is the Business-Life Alignment Coach, Chief Sounding Board and Holder of Safe Space that delivers immersive support via intimate conversations and self-reflection to fortify a woman’s belief in herself, the power of her values, and the strength to manage the unexpected—because you deserve it.

Finding fulfillment that feels just right isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone.
🔥💧💨 🌍 – 8