One of the key ways I protect myself from burning out

As a recovering workaholic I'm prone to burnout (which is why I wrote a book on it!) and this is one key way I make sure it doesn't happen again

This week has been half term for me, so I used it as an opportunity to take time off from work and s l o o o o w down.

I realise, these days, the deep importance of taking regular breaks in my life to slow down, unplug, let go of as many responsibilities as possible and take the pressure OFF.

Freedom is one of my core values and breaks like these give me that delicious feeling of freedom that is a necessity and not just a nice-to-have.

And before you go thinking I was off on a week long spa, holiday in the sun or propping up an après ski bar somewhere fabulous. I wasn’t. 

I was at home, with a kid to take care of and still some work to do, but I chose to do the bare minimum, prioritised rest and play and gave myself AMPLE TIME to do every thing. Nothing felt rushed, nothing felt pressured. A lot of play, rest and cuddles.

I treat my weekends the same way and it has been KEY to me protecting myself over the years from burnout which, as a recovering workaholic, I’ve always been prone to. I just find that I can get way too caught up in to-do lists, responsibilities and adulting. And I for one, can’t live like that 24/7. 

Knowing that every weekend and every couple of months I get to unplug, kick back, slow down and press pause on the pressures of daily life as a working parent helps my nervous system stay grounded and calm during the full-on weeks and seasons, because it KNOWS a break is just around the corner.

So if you don’t already ring fence regular time in your life to switch off, unplug and relax, get your calendar out now and BOOK THAT TIME IN. 

Your nervous system and your soul will thank you for it.

x Selina

P.S. I wrote a book on burnout which has been translated into a number of different languages - it’s conveniently called ‘Burnt Out’ - you can check it out here