Are You Burned Out? Here's How to Get Your Healthy Bounce Back

Are You Burned Out? Here’s How to Get Your Healthy Bounce Back

 

It’s Monday morning. As you roll over to punch the snooze button on the screeching alarm clock again you grab the pillow to hide your head. You find yourself burned out and what’s worse you could care less about even getting out of bed. If you are anything like I used to be you are more exhausted now than six hours ago when you fell into bed.

Finally, it’s time to choose whether or not you are going to get up or call in sick, again. You just can’t face another Monday at the office. It isn’t that you don’t like your job; it’s that you just don’t care anymore. After getting breakfast for the kids and getting them off to school, getting you to work and plastering on the fake smile…it is just overwhelming at times. I know, I’ve been there many times, too.

Have you ever wondered why you are burned out? I remember my mother-in-law telling me once that if I didn’t slow down I was going to crash and burn. Of course, being much younger than she I told her it wasn’t a problem, I could do it.

Looking back in retrospect boy did I wish I had listened to the wise words coming from the aging woman who had gone before me!

How did I burn out?

As far back as I can remember working has been in my blood, my very DNA. Lack of energy had never been an issue so it was never anything I gave much thought to. Growing up our family ate simple, well balanced meals unlike many today that prepare prepackaged meals for convenience and to save time.

As a working woman my life changed drastically after the kids came along. My responsibilities multiplied and taking care of my health came after the well-being of my husband and children. Do you find that to be true in your case, too?

I’m not sure where this “Wonder Woman” gene comes from but somehow we all seem to think we can do it all. We can take care of our husbands, give birth to children and care for them, work a stressful career and bring home the bacon all without burning out!

Even Wonder Woman slept

What we haven’t taken into consideration is this; we are only human, there are only so many hours in a day and we need down time. We need to unwind, take care of our health to be able to care for our families in the fashion we want to, not haphazardly.

I thought about this only after I had hit rock bottom. Deathly ill, doctors telling me it was all in my head, no support on the home front…I wanted to die. Why wasn’t anyone listening to me? I found my answer on a flight to Los Angeles…yes, on an airplane.

Pre-Flight Safety Check eliminates burn out

This story has always stuck with me. Stay with me here because at the end you’ll understand why and I promise it will stick with you, too.

Buckling into my seat the flight attendant asked us to grab the instruction sheet out of the seat pocket in front of us. Since I chose to sit in the emergency exit seat I was to pay particularly close attention to her instructions.

If you have flown before you know what came next, if you have not flown and heard these safety instructions pay attention now.

“Mothers with small children, if we should lose cabin pressure the oxygen masks above will fall in front of you. You must put your own mask on first before fitting your children or any other adult with their masks”.

Did you catch that very specific and important, life-saving instruction? In case you didn’t catch it let me repeat “you MUST put your own mask on first before helping anyone else”.

The lesson I learned changed my life, my health and my outlook on putting me first. We can not help anyone else if we “die” first. I know that sounds harsh, but I am a stubborn, hard-headed woman and sometimes I simply don’t get it unless you beat me over the head with a two by four.

Every time I start relapsing and doing too much for others without putting my health, my well-being first…that flight attendant’s voice rings in my ears and I stop.

So, if you find you are burned out, not wanting to do anything, your attitude is in the tank and you just want to hide your head under that pillow; stop, do something for you today.

Take time to have coffee with a girlfriend. Stroll down the aisles of your favorite store and just browse without being on a mission. Invite a friend to join you for a few lines of bowling, a quiet visit with no kids or simply take a bubble bath with the doors locked. (my favorite…bring a book and a glass of wine and enjoy).

Once we’ve recognized that as working women we tend to ignore our health and well-being; then we can make the necessary adjustments to increase energy levels and regain the lost life we thought was gone forever. It’s time for you to get your healthy bounce back.

If this helped you recognize why you are burned out, share this with a friend. Maybe they want to know why they are fatigued all the time and how they can get the bounce back in their step, too.

 

Carla J Gardiner, The Fiery Grandma

 

 

 

Carla Gardiner is known as “THE Fiery Grandma” because she found new energy, endurance and youth. Her passion and purpose lies with baby boomer trends, the people she works with daily; aging men, women, moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas who want to feel better, have more energy and have fun like they did when they were twenty-something. Join her for more energy, fun and profits.