I am so excited to be here with you today talking about this very important topic of preventing and avoiding burnout. There comes a point in your life where you start to feel completely overwhelmed. You start to get burnt out, things are not coming as naturally as they used to, and you’re not as joyful. I want to unpackage what it looks like to prevent and avoid burnout. This is a struggle for a lot of people, especially moms. We prioritize everyone else’s needs above our own and we very rarely take time for ourselves.

Before I jump right in, I want to give you a resource that you can grab today to follow along with this episode. It is a workbook that goes right along with today’s episode, and you can grab that over at thepurposegathering.com/burnout.  So let’s jump right into the four strategies to help you prevent and avoid burnout.

Step # 1: Prioritize Yourself

If you’ve heard this before and you have discounted it, or you have decided that you are not worthy of this, then listen up! I have been exactly where you are, and I can tell you how extremely lonely and devastating it can feel when you forget to take care of yourself. Don’t want you to make that same mistakes I did.

Imagine what it would look like if you took time for yourself. Think about the positive impact that you’ll have on your family. You set the tone for the family and a joy filled mama creates a joy filled, peaceful home. If you don’t prioritize your self-care, no one else will.

If you have the workbook ready, I want you to go through and do this little assessment, that asks you these simple questions:

• What are some of my needs that I often neglect?
• Do I regularly drop what I’m doing to respond to others and prioritize their needs over my own? If so, why do I do that?
• What thoughts come to mind when I think of prioritizing myself ?
• Why do I struggle with prioritizing myself?

Step # 2: Rediscovering your Passions

Think about what you like to do for yourself.  In the workbook I have  some questions to ask yourself, to  get the ball rolling.

• What were some of my previous hobbies in life?
• What have I always wanted to learn how to do?
• When no one is home I love to _____________ ?   
• What do I wish I had more time for now?

We are so busy pouring into our families and our work that we haven’t taken the time to think through these things. Discover what you are into outside of your business and outside of your family. If you have absolutely no idea, inside the workbook I have over 30 different hobby ideas, that you could try. Circle a few that really catch your attention and decide when are you going to carve out time to do these hobbies.

Step # 3: Simplify

Simplify in every way possible. Simplifying your home, your calendar, your business obligations. Less is more! I want you to think through all of the facets of your life that are overwhelming and just write down a brain dump of what is coming to your head. Once we get things out of our head, they become easier to manage and they don’t feel so overwhelming. Think through your life and through your home, and like Marie Kondo, ask the question, “Does it spark joy?”

 Simplifying your Calendar

Think about everything that you are saying yes to, and then consider the cost. Everything that you say yes to, you’re saying no to something else. Typically, this means you’re saying no to yourself and to your family.

I talk a lot on the podcast about having margin. This margin is white space where nothing is scheduled. It is leaving a buffer in your schedule for things to be unpredictable. You need to recognize your capacity and then carve out time for margin in your schedule. I also want you to be content where you are. I heard this phrase once that hit me like a ton of bricks. “If you’re not content where you are, you won’t be content where you’re going.”

We need to stop chasing the next best thing and just enjoy the present moment. Burnout is always on the other side of hustle. It’s so crucially important that we stop, pause, reflect and take in those sunset moments. Those moments that we’re never going to get back with our kids or with our spouse. Stop and enjoy those sunset mundane moments. On page 8 in the workbook, there’s a home assessment and I want you to ask yourself these questions:

• What are the biggest problem areas in my home?
• What are the areas of my home that are working well and why?
• When do I plan to implement a cleaning and decluttering system into my schedule?
• What can each member of my family be in charge of?

This will help you figure out what you need to focus on first and what you need to simplify in order to enjoy your family and feel in alignment.

Step # 4: Implement Sustainable Systems in your Business

This last step you can also apply to your personal life. But first, I want you to think and act like a CEO. Have a mindset that’s focused on results, profitability, and efficiency. This concept is the key foundation principle that I teach in my Side Hustler to CEO program, as this important principle steers the entire trajectory of your business.

Focus on income producing tasks: Remember 80% of your sales come from 20% of your marketing! Zoom in on that 20% and focus on those marketing efforts that are driving the needle forward in your business.

Processes, Automations and Templates: Always think about streamlining your workflow by using templates and other strategies that can help you cut down the time you spend on tasks.

Charge what you are Worth:  Evaluate your rates and raise them regularly. You need to take the time to consider your knowledge and expertise, the turnaround time it takes for things to be done, the business expenses you have and then decide on a rate based on actual data.

I hope that you have found value in today’s episode and that this has given you the steps you need to take in order to prevent burnout. If you enjoyed today’s post, I would love for you to share it with other mamas and tag me on Instagram @thepurposegathering.

Being a business owner is hard work and being a mama is hard too, it is not for the faint of heart. I see you mama,  I’ve been in your shoes and wondered is it even possible to do both motherhood and business at the same time. I’m here to tell you it is. I’m here to support you. I am always here rooting for you, and you are not alone on this journey.

Resources

• The Purpose Gathering Group Coaching Program
• Join our Facebook Community
• Find me on Instagram: @thepurposegathering
• Website: thepurposegathering.com
• Free Prevent the Burnout Workbook

Complementary Episodes

• Episode 38: 5 Steps to Make Self-Care a Priority
• Episode 66: Why Margin in your Calendar is Crucial to Self-Care
• Episode 74: Simple Ways to Streamline Client Communication