3 Strategies To Battle Burnout and Exhaustion

We live in a time of constant interruptions, instant communication, and never ending demands. Everyone needs something from you: your work, your family, your friends, your pets, AND you have a long list of things that you should be doing. How do you do keep up with it all without burning out?

I’ve spent the last 10 years in a full-time ministry role at Life Church before becoming a Leadership Coach at DuLead. People in ministry face a unique challenge as the demands on them never end. People don’t plan and can’t control when there’s a crisis, someone get sick, or a funeral needs to be performed. Some of life’s biggest crises include a phone call to their pastor. While I’ve loved my role and the way I’ve been able to serve others it’s also forced me to learn how to live in such a way that I don’t burnout and my family doesn’t suffer.

Here are three strategies I’ve learned to battle burnout and exhaustion:

1. You Can’t Do It All – You are a human being not a human doing. You will never be able to fulfill all the requests and demands on your life. Many live their life with a fear of lettings others down and seeking others’ approval. If you live this way you will be overwhelmed. As you start realizing that you can’t do it all, the greatest skill you will need to learn is to, “Say NO with grace and humility.” How are you at telling others no?
   
2. Schedule Margin – We’ve all become really good at using tools to schedule our obligations, appointments, and meetings. However, most people don’t ever schedule what I call ‘margin time.’ Margin time is what you set aside to create space between all your other obligations. It’s time to rest, to be creative, to problem solve, to catch up. Just like it’s unwise to create a financial budget with no margin the same principle applies to our time. If you have no margin, you’re just one step away from walking off the cliff. Do you schedule margin in your life?
   
3. Identify What Recharges You – Everyone of us are different and created in a unique way. I’ve learned that each person has things in their life that recharge and refill them. For example, I love being outside. Going for a hike, run, or just spending time in nature recharges me. My wife is very different. Courtney loves being around people. Social gatherings and time with friends recharge her (while they would drain me!) Once you identify what recharges you, it’s important to make it a priority and schedule it to make sure it happens! Do you know what recharges you?

It’s normal to be overwhelmed, stressed out, and to eventually burn out. Let’s not be normal! Let’s be a people that are healthy and in it for the long haul.

Question: What helps you avoid burnout and exhaustion? You can leave a comment by clicking here.