As I covered in a previous blog series, your mindset is your money maker. Without a growth mindset that is always on and aligned, you will be limiting your success.

Another important part of your mindset is making space for recharging physically, mentally and spiritually. Here we are, working into the second week of the New Year, but if you had a busy holiday season, you might be rushing full-speed into a burnout.

Your business is demanding more and more energy as you work to get 2017 off to a great start. So how can you de-stress quickly without taking time off work?

Here are 5 Simple De-Stress Hacks to Prevent Burnout:

1) Micro Break

I know, I know. We just got back from the holiday break, but if your “holidays” were anything like mine, you were rushing around to get to parties, scheduling time with all of your friends and family members to squeeze in a visit with everyone, and hosting big dinners. You managed to survive the first week back to work, but I bet your energy level is low and your brain might even be starting to feel a little foggy.

You’ll need to know yourself to make the most of your micro break, so pick a solution that will work for you. If you’re more of an introvert, plan a walk through nature, a spa experience like a facial, pedicure or massage. If you’re more of an extrovert, have a pub night out with one person so that you only have to focus on one conversation, but you get the full experience of a busy atmosphere. A micro break could also be scheduling time for you to be creative, like colouring in an adult colouring book, painting, sculpting, etc. Getting creative engages your brain in a new way and can lead you to breakthroughs rather than burnouts.

2) Disconnect

Even with a micro break, you should consider a full disconnect. We are constantly distracted with our devices because they keep us too connected to our business and the outside world, and we’re distracted from our own minds. Your mind is where your power comes from! If you’re overloading yourself and your mind is starting to feel foggy, you’re setting yourself up for wasted time, missed opportunities, and burnout.

3) Sleep

It is so important to get the amount of sleep that your mind and body needs. We are all different, some people only need four hours of sleep to feel fully refreshed, and others need closer to eight or nine hours to feel like their best selves. Either way, make sure you’re not skipping sleep to “power through” the start of the New Year, because the only thing you are powering yourself up for is a total burnout. You may feel like a super hero with your goals planned out and an action plan already in the works, but your money maker (aka your mind) needs you to be asleep to rest and regenerate.

4) Time With Loved Ones

Again, I know we just got back from the holiday break, which was most likely filled with time spent with your loved ones. This time, I mean select a small amount of your loved ones that you need to reconnect with. Our relationships keep us grounded, loved, and secure enough to dream bigger. If you have a significant other, you probably spend a lot of time together, but how much of that is true quality time? Plan a special date just for the two of you and disconnect from your devices so that you give your undivided attention. You’ll be surprised how refreshed and inspired you can be from taking an interest in building your closest relationships.

5) Me Time

Even if you’re more of an extrovert and you love being around people, there is a part of you that needs to be alone to recharge. Me time can be part of your micro break, or a separate occasion. Our time is constantly being taken up with meetings, handling projects, planning new ventures, and more. When is the last time you had a moment to yourself? My biggest tip for finding me time is to schedule it in your calendar and consider it a very important meeting. During your me time you could disconnect and go for a walk, go to the gym for a workout, read a book, pursue a new or old hobby, write in a journal or do any other activity that you enjoy.

Do you use any of these hacks already? What are some other ways you de-stress? Share them below in a comment so we can all find new ideas.
Let’s de-stress so that we can push forward with strength.

Frank