A long run of deadlines at work and so much family demand could burn you out; How to prevent burnout, so you are happy at home and successful at work?

These are simple tips that I’ve been applying in my life for years to prevent burnout. They help me become a happier mother (and a wife), more creative and productive with work, and, more importantly, I feel more at peace and ease around my busy lifestyle.

7 tips to prevent burnout for busy mothers

1. Plan your day. 
2. Reduce to-to-do-list. 
3. Keep balance.
4. Reduce daily stress. 
5. Slow down.
6. Create time for self-care.
7. Let go of the feeling of control. 

1. Plan your day.

Planning and scheduling a daily-to-do list sounds very stressful and is only for serious people; I thought that in the past. If you are like me, who always likes to go with the flow of life, planning isn’t my thing! But in reality, a mother’s instinct is telling me to take care of my family, the household stuff I couldn’t bear to leave in a mess, a business that needs to run. Without a plan and schedule, I will be busy all day but get nothing done! Planning my day helps me be more organized and reduces stress from overthinking what to do next. It saves me time from running around all day doing unnecessary things. And I’ve found planning my day benefits me in many ways; I do what I planned, so it helps develop my discipline, self-respect, and self-worth. 

2. Reduce to-do-list.

I used to experiment by adding a long to-do list to my plan, and the result was that I was exhausted! Yes, planning is good but don’t over plan for your body and mind to overdo and think. Prioritize only things that uplift your life. For example, my priorities are health, relationship, business, and personal development; Other than these, I won’t add to my to-do list. Please make time to look at what is necessary for your life, and prioritize them. 

3. Keep balance.

What feeling burnout has taught me is to keep balance! When I started my yoga business many years ago, I spent so much energy and time setting it up. I worked day and night, my mind was only thinking about it, and my body kept running like a hamster in a wheel; Without realizing it, I was exhausted. I didn’t have the energy to spend time with my family. I reached the point when my body and mind said enough is enough, so they froze! My body and mind didn’t want to do or think anymore, and I lacked concentration and motivation. It took me a long time to bounce back and get back my energy. Keeping a work-life balance is a must to prevent burnout.  

4. Reduce daily stress.

We all will experience stress to different degrees; stress is the feeling that requires the body to pay attention and take action. Usually, the body has a system to cope and reset itself from stress. But prolonged stress that doesn’t seem to have an end, like an unhealthy relationship at home or pressure at work that goes on for months and years, will surely burn us out. Create time for self-care to reduce stress.

5. Slow down.

Slow down. Society teaches us to move fast, so we will get what we want faster and be happy. They tell us to get this so we will be satisfied, and once we have it, they will tell us to get other things so we will be happier. And this circle will never end. It will go on and on. I’ve found this a trap chasing us to run away from fear, fear of not fitting in, failing, and being unhappy. It keeps us stuck in a prolonged stressful situation and burnout. Slow down so the body and mind will have a chance to rest and get back energy. Learn to slow down and observe each moment mindfully and appreciate the present more. 

6. Create time for self-care throughout the day.

Without being mindful and understanding self-care, everyone can experience burnout, even a yoga teacher. At the beginning of my teaching career, I was energetic and enjoyed teaching every day, including weekends. One day I experienced anger and anxiety, and I couldn’t control my feelings. I knew that something wasn’t right. I had to take a break and create time for my self-care. I learned that self-care isn’t always luxurious; it’s about balancing ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. And sometimes, we have to experience the darkness to bring it into the light. Self-care isn’t a slogan; it requires action. If you don’t know where to start, please download a free ultimate holistic self-care toolkit.

7. Let go of the feeling of control.

How often do we want things and people to be the way we want? Sometimes we forget we don’t have the full ability to control everything. If you take a moment to think about it, can you control yourself to be and do everything you want at all times? I don’t know about you, but I can’t. Trying to control everything the way we want at all times will make us more anxious, stressed, and end in burnout. To prevent burnout, we must learn to be more mindful and let go of the feeling of control. Do what we can best, and let go of what is beyond our control. 

The common cause of burnout is overdoing and thinking for a long period, and we leave the body and mind running in survivor mode(a stress mode) for too long. The body and mind don’t have enough time to reset and re-balance themselves. If you are experiencing any burnout signs or prolonged stress, you can chat with me through my email or book a free body-mind discovery  to find out which part of your body-mind is out of balance.