I write about branding… about marketing…. about clarity. But every now and then I feel like my writing is just giving you a sneak peek into the slightly mental reality of being an entrepreneur. And this week’s ramblings most definitely fit into that category.
If you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, you’d know that I’m juggling two businesses. My branding consultancy & SUPKids. Super different but both equally awesome (and time-consuming). And I’ve just come back from a 6 week trip to the US. And whilst that trip was all kinds of epic, it generated a massive workload for me.
The last 3 weeks, since I got home, have been a little crazy, to say the least. So much so, that about 10 days ago I had that sinking feeling that I was about to get super sick. I felt like I was dangerously close to burning out. My brain was telling me to push on through but my body was done & dusted. I spent 2 days working from bed (with multiple nap breaks haha) and realised I needed to make some serious changes.
Disclaimer: The very fact that I’m writing to you about burnout clearly shows that I don’t have this all figured out haha. But hey, I’m sharing my lessons as I go, so I figure it might be useful for you!
Here’s the big realisation: When hustle is healthy, it should be adding energy to your life, not taking it away.
Gulp. My hustle was totally doing that when I was on the road, but since I got back, I kinda shifted gears into next-level-super-unhealthy-hustle, and my 2-day work from bed marathon was pretty much the reality check I needed.
So, I’ve spent the last week or so making some much needed tweaks to my daily routine. Here’s what’s making sense for me right now:
Sleep — Yep, I know. It’s obvious. But holy smokes… I kinda scared myself with this one. I’ve always been an early bird, and simultaneously an absolute grandma (I’m serious….8 hours please…. being in bed at 9.30pm kicks ass). But over the last couple of months, I just kept working later and later. To the point where I was waking up at 5 am every morning (and immediately reaching for my laptop) and pretty much finishing work at 11.30pm most nights. So my first step was to make a hard limit of 10 pm for switching off work… and doing my best to use that 5.30am wake up for fun stuff like early surfs & paddles.
Breakfast — Funnily enough I had a good routine on the road (thanks, WholeFoods)… but I fell out of it when I got home and found myself pushing through the day on minimal food (and subsequently making shitty choices when I was starving later). So I’m back on the breakfast mission…. Either quinoa porridge with almond milk, cacao nibs, seeds, banana & a spoonful of nut butter, or some kinda paleo-inspired extravaganza (normally eggs, spinach, avo, sweet potato … all the good stuff).
Ocean time — This is the thing that sucks the most. Because this is the element that makes all the difference but somehow got left behind. It’s ridiculous what our brains try and tell us we don’t have time for. For me, missing out on time in the ocean makes me start to feel like a goldfish that has been taken out of its’ bowl.
Mastermind — You know what ? This is one thing that I never stopped doing thank goodness. A weekly mastermind call with Lucy that has created a seriously epic impact on my business (and my happiness). But right now, I’m recognising it’s importance and leaning in even more than normal. Burn out is a place that can feel super isolated… so connecting with your people is vital… non-negotiable.
Saying no — Yikes. This one is hard. Saying no for me means two things…. Having completely ridiculous feelings of FOMO with work stuff, and massive amounts of guilt with family/friends stuff. BUT… The alternative is not pretty. Saying yes to everyone and everything means not really giving anyone anything of value. And so, this last couple of weeks, I’ve said no to invites, I’ve snuck out early from nights out (haha I’m pretty well known for that) and I’ve had to re-prioritise my to-do list.
Wind down time — I know, I know… it sucks to go from staring at a screen to trying to sleep. But seriously? When you’re overloaded with work, sometimes it feels like it’s the only option. I was listening to a podcast with Arianna Huffington this week, and she made it super clear that this process (of winding down before you go to bed) was the single most important thing you can do to improve the quality of sleep. So for me, right now, it means closing my laptop, putting my phone somewhere out of reach (and on silent — always), and escaping into a book. Even if it’s for 10 minutes…. a transition from one state of mind to another.
Calling in the experts — Everyone has different opinions & preferences when it comes to health. But for me, when I need to get my shit together, I call on two pros: my acupuncturist & my nutritionist. I’m super lucky that both are friends, so are subsequently on speed dial…. but even if they weren’t, these are two investments that are worth every freaking penny. Acupuncture feels like the ultimate reset and being intentional about what I put into my body makes so much sense, especially when I’m feeling burnt out. My way of thinking is that I’d rather pay for an acupuncturist & nutritionist than a doctors bill. Plus, spending money on this stuff feels like the ultimate in self-care.
Ok.. so I’m ready to hear your take on this. I’m feeling pretty damn grateful for these seven… haha it was a close call! What are your go-to’s when burnout is on the horizon ??