Knowing When to Ask for Help and Tips for Avoiding Burn-out

Burn-out is a state where you feel mentally stressed, physically exhausted, and emotionally drained. It is caused by unnecessary and prolonged stress while working monotonously to accomplish a career goal or, in the case of stay-at-home parents who work remotely or even housewives tasked with managing the needs of the family, household chores and ad hoc errands, it is common to get exhausted with continuous pressure of routine tasks which throws our lives out of balance.  

Our strenuous routines lead us away from leisure time, as we become preoccupied with deadlines and chasing goals. Consequently, we seek to compromise, forgoing time with what we love, like our family, social circle, hobbies, etc. It makes us emotionally drained after a while, and we become hopeless and demotivated. We feel like nothing will work out and ultimately, we start falling out for our interest in everything. 

Symptoms of Burn-out 

Burn-out has severe effects that harm every area of life, this includes, work, social life, and family. It causes us to become vulnerable to mental and physical illness. It is important to recognize burnout and to know how to avoid or address it. Some of its symptoms are: 

• Anxiety 
• Emotionally drained 
• Demotivated 
• Helpless 
• Negative thoughts 

• Suicidal thoughts 
• Loss of appetite 
• Chronic fatigue  
• Triggered anger issues 
• Increased illness 

• Dementia or forgetfulness 
• Insomnia 
• Introvert behaviors 
• Increased burdened or pressure over yourself 

Tips for avoiding Burn-out 

When your life is thrown out of balance, or better yet even before that happens, it's good to identify individuals, service providers and resources available to support you, TO and FRO Errands and Professional Services is one such organization. The goal of TO and FRO Errands and Professional Services is to enhance the quality of life of clients, by taking on to-do-lists and ad hoc tasks, to allow customers to prioritize what's important and achieve focus, peace-of-mind and balance.  Based on the severity of your symptoms consider speaking with your family doctor. In addition, here are some tips to help you to avoid and fight burnout. 

Be a little selfish 

Make time for yourself. You need the love and care that you give to others. How can you pour love to someone if you are empty inside? To take good care of others, you have to place yourself on the top of that list of who needs your attention most. 

Add Love to your calendar (Take time out for your Loved ones) 

Within your busy schedule ensure that you block off time within your calendar to spend some quality time with the people you love or the ones who make you stress-free. Take an interest in extracurricular activities or pursue your hobby to lighten up yourself.  

Exhale the stress of a rigid routine 

To avoid burnout, you should give yourself some relief from the errands and other daily tasks that make you exhausted. Plan for and take frequent breaks, these can be 10 minutes of mental breaks every few hours to do something fun or just unrelated to the task at hand. You should shed off the stress to complete your work efficiently that you carry all day long. 

Manage your routine task 

It would help if you created a timetable routine and strictly follow it. Consider outsourcing and automating some errands, both routine and ad hoc activities. By outsourcing some activities, you are better able to achieve focus and to prioritize on the things you consider to be most important. Here you will begin regaining control of your schedule and finding leisure time for yourself. Create a list of the organizations and resources that are available to support you and add these contacts to your address book or in an accessible location.   

Be in the moment (Worry less so you can live more) 

There is no badge of honor for who can burn-out the fastest. Worrying about home when you are at work or the reverse work deadlines while at home, benefits no one.  Strive to be in the moment. While you are at work, give it all you have while you are there. If there are time sensitive things to bed one in the office or at home call in reinforcement, TO and FRO Errands and Professional Services will take on your to do lists. When at home be there not just in body but in mind as well. You can be present in the moment while at home by disconnecting from work, both literally and figuratively. 

Set Boundaries (Plan daily working hours) 

By planning working hours for yourself, you are defining limits of your working schedule and have created the required boundaries. In creating these working hours, you should allow for flexibility in order to avoid a monotonous work routine, and the ability to respond to unexpected events, if required. 

Exercise and Laugh 

These two things can work wonders for you. Exercise helps to supply blood adequately to your brain and other body parts, and laughter triggers the pressure points of the brain that are meant to give us relief. 

If you would like to learn more about how TO and FRO Errands and Professional Services can help, visit ToAndFroErrands.com or contact us today. Sign up for updates and new articles. As a thank you we are offering you 15% off your purchase, enter the discount code: Welcome2TF-Blog.