Preventing Burnout and Reducing Stress

There are many things that cause burnout and stress. It could be a little problem or a large problem. Everyone handles stress differently too. A great way to reduce or prevent stress from turning in to burnout is using self care.

There are 5 different areas that you should do self care in routinely. They are physical, mental, emotional spiritual and social. It is important to incorporate practices from each area. This way you reap the full benefits of using self care.

I have created a list of things that can be useful:

Physical 

• Go to the gym

• Go for a walk run or hike

• Go swimming

• Yoga or pilates

• Dance to your favorite song

• Make a healthy meal

• Clean your home and declutter your space

• Take a warm bath or shower

Emotional

• Try a new hobby

• Journal your thoughts

• Watch your favorite movie or TV show

• Do something kind for someone

• Create a list of gratitude

• Create a list of personal strengths

• Say "I love you" to someone you love

Mental

• Read a book or listen to an audio book

• Create a vision board 

• Do art

• Play an instrument

• Play games like solitaire, word search or puzzles

• Write a story

• Social Media Detox

Spiritual

• ​Create a gratitude list

• Pray

• Meditate

• Relaxation techniques

• Do some gardening

• Volunteer

• Take some quiet time

Social

• Visit family or friends

• Call, FaceTime or text someone you care about

• Plan a dinner or get together

• Join a club or team 

• Reconnect with an old friend

These are just some of the many ideas that you could try. I would recommend doing a little in each area a week. Ideally 30 minutes to an hour is a great amount of time. If you are short on time or aren't used to doing self care start with 10 minutes a day.

I hope you get creative and start to really enjoy taking time for yourself.