Jess Cording* says there are a few key thing everyone can do to break out of the burnout cycle.
Have you been pushing hard in your career and starting to feel the effects of burnout? Koya Webb has been there.
Today, an internationally recognized yoga teacher, holistic health coach, author, and speaker, she’s passionate about helping others use daily self-care, oneness and eco-friendly living to promote mental health, combat social injustices and protect the health of the planet.
A former athlete, and self-described recovering workaholic, she now helps others rebalance and learn to take care of themselves so they can take care of others.
Stuck in the hustle culture mindset of always needing to be productive and doing something?
Here are her top tips for getting off the hamster wheel.
Spot the signs
When you’re overworked, aside from causing you to feel physically and mentally depleted, your relationships and even your work quality may suffer.
Being in that stressed out, fight-or-flight state all day has a negative impact on your personal and professional life.
“I love my work and what I do,” says Webb, “but it’s important to understand that we can do our work better when we are well.
“If we’re not well it negatively impacts our families too.
“Taking care of you is taking care of others and the world.”
Resist the urge to rush
Rather than pushing yourself to wake up an hour earlier for a “perfect” pre-dawn meditation practice or rushing to a hot yoga class before a long day of work, Webb recommends keeping it calm.
“To set yourself up, create a schedule that starts with self-care and reflecting.”
She recommends starting your day with a few deep breaths, a glass of water and a simple gratitude practice where you note a few things you’re grateful for.
She’s also a fan of doing a few yoga postures just to get the blood flowing.
“When you take time to take a few deep breaths in the morning and start the day with a higher vibration of peace rather than rush, you can go into your workday from a peaceful place rather than having your parasympathetic nervous system on high alert.”
Incorporate self-care into your schedule
Infusing small moments of self-care into your day can go a long way in helping you function better.
Webb recommends transforming routines into rituals with tiny tweaks.
“When we ritualize our wellness routine it feels more sacred and is easier to keep up for a long time.”
For example, when you make a cup of tea, she says, “light a candle, play music or open a window so it has a more calming effect.”
She also boosts her well-being with healthy food through the day.
She recommends keeping a snack bag in your car and at work, so you have healthy things to grab when you need so your body doesn’t shift into starvation mode and make it harder to function.
She also keeps water close by during her workday to stay hydrated.
She recently partnered with Sunsweet to talk about how she adds California prunes as part of her personal wellness rituals.
“I have a glass of prune juice by my water in the morning and will eat a couple prunes at some point in the day to give me energy so I’m less likely to overeat at my next meal.”
Or sometimes she’ll throw them into one of her signature smoothies along with some other nutrient-rich plant foods like berries, sea moss, and banana.
Deal with negative self-talk
Do you have a nagging inner voice that says you always have to be doing more or that you can’t take a break?
Webb shares, “I like to tell that little voice, ‘I can get back to what I was doing after I rest.’
“You have to turn limiting beliefs into liberating affirmations.
“When we slow down we can do our best work and be seen in a better light and make a bigger impact on our peers and our bosses.”
*Jess Cording is a registered dietitian, health coach, and author.
This article first appeared at forbes.com
