We as women seems to juggle many hats. The “things to do” list is never ending, so we spend all of our time chasing the unattainable. Between work, significant others, children, family, you name it; there’s never a dull moment. However, we seem to always get ‘er done at all costs. Everything from working our respective jobs, to rearing children, to washing dishes all falls on our plates. While it’s a challenge for us to complete all of these things (and at 150% if you’re a psycho perfectionist like me!), we always accept that challenge and KICK ITS ASS!
But after I’ve done my millionth task for the day it’s usually midnight, and even if it weren’t, I’m still way too tired to do something for myself. So, what do I do? I go to sleep for 4-6 hours and I wake up and do it all over again. This isn’t the best practice and if anything, doing this should be completely avoided. We often get so caught up in all of the tasks that we have to complete and we never take the time to say “WHAT ABOUT ME?”. How do you make time for yourself when you are always moving-moving-moving going-going-going? Before you know it, you’re irritable, snappy, and completing things half-ass because you don’t have the physical or mental capacity to give it your all. Doing things half-assed, you actually end up having MORE things to do because you have to re-do what should have already been done. Before you know it, you’re crashing and burning like a party girl on Saturday night… you need a break.
As someone that likes learning new things, challenges, and excelling at what I do, I often struggle with this issue. I take on so much, and if I’m not careful, I end up feeling more drained by my accomplishments than fulfilled. At times I have a bit of a Superwoman complex: I can do my job and anything else you throw at me, at 1000%, AND I DON’T NEED ANY HELP. I had to realize that that mentality is only semi-admirable. While it’s awesome to be able to juggle multiple things and come out with a top-notch result, that’s only a good thing if you enjoyed the process and you don’t have bald patches and a mood stabilizing prescription in the end. I had to understand that I’m not Superwoman, and more importantly, THAT’S OKAY.
Once I was okay with this conclusion (and it has hard), I realized that there are simple things that I needed to do to make sure that mental health stayed top notch:
1. Say NO- I’m a “yes man”, especially at work. When someone comes to me and says “hey Sea, I need you to do this, that, and the third. Can you make that happen?” or “We’re going out tonight, and I really want you to come. Can you make it?”, I have to be okay with saying no, I truly can’t. My family is understanding that I have a lot on my plate so I can’t always do something for them, and my friends will understand that I can’t go out tonight. But If I don’t say no, then they assume that I have time.
Sometimes saying no isn’t really an option at your place of work, so you have to be strategic. One thing I learned from a co-worker (thanks Selena!) is when your boss asks you to take on another project, you should be upfront with them about the amount of work you have right now, and then ask them to help you prioritize. They may tell you that the reports that they need ran and analyzed take priority over everything else you are working on. Then you don’t have to feel like you have to stretch yourself thin. You can actually postpone the work that you are doing, and focus all of your attention on what your leadership needs completed. You don’t get burned out, and your boss still gets what they need, it’s a win-win
2. Ask For Help- I have trouble asking for help because I sometimes feel like I took it on, so I should be the one to complete it. This is a self-defeating attitude. There is nothing wrong with asking for help whether its around the house, with your children, or at the workplace. It helps no one if you don’t get something done (or you get it done, but at the expense of your sanity) when all you needed was a little assistance. We often joke about needing more hands. Well, you can actually have more if you ask for them!
3. Put it Off- I’m not the one to put things off, in fact I hate procrastination. However, I had to really think about certain things a different way. Just because I didn’t get something done exactly when I wanted to didn’t mean I was procrastinating; somethings can simply be put off for a bit longer. While I said that I was going to wash that sink full of dishes before bed, I’m completely exhausted and would rather take a shower and read a book. If I wash the dishes in the morning, the world will not end… They can wait!
Being the hardworking, fearless, and all the while nurturing women that we are is what makes us amazing. But remember to put the mask on yourself before you put it on anyone else… or clean up that vomit.
What do you do to make sure that you don’t get burned out?
