If you are a workaholic, experiencing signs of burnout and have no idea what to do, I’d like to share a few tips from my experience as a therapist and as a startup founder of a 3.5 year old business.
I have had the most strangest routine in the past many years. I mostly end up working 14 to 16 hours a day with a weekend full of socialization where I am either throwing a party cooking for 40 people or taking off to another city or a country. I also cook all 3 of my meals every day and I am a clean freak too. I exercise too. I still take out time to talk to my family and friends too.
In all those years I have been able to maintain great energy levels, sound health, ideal weight, I am mostly told I look atleast 8-10 years younger than my age (which means my heart health is doing great) never experienced hair fall, stress skin rashes or any any major health set back!
How?
Layers of Well being
The Core:
SLEEP is the core of Wellbeing. If you have time for no other wellbeing activity. Just sleep. You have to sleep 8 hours every single day no matter what. You can do it in 2 slots or as many as it takes to cover 8 hours. But 8 is the sweet spot. Give up on anything thats between work and sleep and just sleeep! That's your basic layer of well being. If you are not sleeping you are probably going to run mad. experience obesity (diabetes) memory issues, lack of energy, mood swings, drained social battery and everything comes with burn out.
Sleep is your get out of burn out free card! You literally don't need to do anything else if you are just sleeping well.
The Mantle:
Your soul food is your infrastructure. It can come from anywhere. Favourite music, movies, hobbies, food, people. If you are getting enough sleep everyday and have a little time on top of it. Engage in an a favourite activity atleast once a week. Do something that makes you happy. It will re-energize you. Your level of happiness increases marginally when you increase in an acitvity that fullfills you on a core level!
The Crust:
These are nice to have(s) - are the modern day wellbeing activities like — meditation, ice baths, cycling groups, hiking, yoga, low carb diet and the list goes on. Activities that ‘seem’ nice and genuinely work but require some kind of discipline and work. ONLY do the nice to haves if you have already covered the core and the mantle. If you do these first and then attend to core and mantle you are operating on low energy, lack of sleep. Thats like cleaning you car while not fixing the engine problem. but expecting the car to drive alright!
This is not new information but the key is in the steps.
Core --> Mantle --> Crust
and here's the formula:
Core: When you have only 8 free hours per day.
Core & Mantle - When you have 8 to 10 free hours per day
Core, Mantle & Crust: When you have 16 free hours per day.
Try and let me know if it works --- (it works)