As a sole trader or business leader, how do you thrive and not just survive burnout? I know what it’s like to be so stressed and tired, that you can barely think straight. My work-a-holic ways had seen my passion for leadership start to wain in the overload of administrivia and pressure to perform.

I had already made the decision to take some time off and be a stay-at-home mum to my toddler, while my husband pursued his professional dreams, when I hit rock bottom at the end of 2016. Trying to tidy up everything for the person appointed to replace me, while dealing with the usual end of school year stress and commitments (report cards, concerts, enrolment evenings etc) on top of packing up a house and moving a week after school broke up was more than my body and brain could bear and I got sick on top of it all. It was not a fun time, but somehow I managed to push through without completely falling apart (though my husband might beg to differ).

What helped me survive this month long period of hell, and come out the other the other side thriving, included:

Being prepared

We all have busy periods in our work and when I was a school principal, the end of the school year was always a problematic one for me. Knowing that Term 4 is my most stressful, I would make sure that I get serious about my exercise, sleep and diet. Just like preparing for a marathon or big event, I would start my ‘training’ from the beginning of Term 4 or even earlier. When you are exhausted it is all too easy to forgo exercise, so I made sure that this got done first thing in the morning. I like to get up early, before my family are up and moving, to go for a run or complete a workout routine. This sets me up for a great start to the day. Dropping this from my routine when I got sick, was one of the reasons I fell into a heap.

As tempting as it is to eat and drink my way into the holidays season, I find it is a slippery slope and so I set up some parameters for myself in terms of what I am consuming. With so many functions both professional and social at the end of year, I try to prepare a freezer full of healthy meals ahead of time, so that I can make sure that at least one meal a day is under my control.

I struggle with my sleep at the best of times, often waking through the night, with a million things going through my mind. I have taken to setting reminders in my phone and listening to meditation podcasts or television documentaries. Set at a low volume through my earbuds, I find these engage my brain enough to distract it from thinking about work, but not quite enough to engage in a whole program.

Recognising the signs of stress and burnout

Be aware of you physical, emotional and mental state (or check in with those that know you well).  Do you find yourself snapping at those around you at work and at home? Have you lost your mojo and sense of purpose? Are you lethargic and lacking energy? These are just some of the signs that things are imbalanced in your life. Recognising that there is a problem is an important step before a plan of attack can be created and strategies put in place to help you move forward.

Asking for help to survive

When it became obvious that I was not coping, we asked my in-laws to come stay with us for the last week of term as we don’t have any family that live nearby. Far from being a burden, my husband’s parents are amazing. My mother-in-law took on all of the meal planning and preparation during her visit and some light cleaning. What a huge lift this was, being one less thing to worry about in the lead up to the move. We took our daughter out of daycare a week earlier than planned, giving them some quality grandparent time and saving us money. They were also able to babysit for us in the evenings while my husband and I attended our staff Christmas functions and other commitments, which helped keep our daughter in a routine rather than being dragged around all over the place. Happy and rested child = happy parents!

Taking some time out

This could be anything from exercise to going to the movies to having coffee with a friend. When the pressure is building taking some short breaks can assist with recharging physically and mentally. Planning some time out at the end of a busy work period, like a holiday or weekend away, is also motivating.

Being future focused

Whenever I found myself hitting rock bottom or feeling beyond exhausted, I tried visualising life in the future, beyond the finishing line, when . What was I looking forward to on the holidays? What would our new house in our new location be like? What would being a stay-at-home mum be like? What adventures could my daughter and I undertake now that we had so much more time together?

To a point I even found documenting my work handover notes therapeutic, by thinking about how I will use these notes when I return to work.

At the end of the day, the key to not just surviving burnout, but thriving is knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel and being able to reach it in a somewhat controlled manner. If you can’t see the light or an end is not in sight, then I suggest you seek some professional help from a counsellor or work mentor.

I hope this post helped you to move from surviving to thriving. To reduce future burnout, you might also like to try our one-day bootcamps.

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