Do you find yourself constantly thinking about problems at work? Do you answer emails late into the evening? On vacations can you unplug yourself even for a day or two?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a candidate for burnout. In his most recent newsletter author and speaker Shola Richards addressed what burnout is and how it happens.

Burnout, by definition, is the state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

In fact, in 2019, the World Health Organization recognized burnout as an official medical diagnosis.

My hope is that this distinction will continue to help remove some of the stigma around burnout. 

Constant working is a sure recipe for burnout. Beyond taking meaningful breaks throughout the day, are there other ways to avoid burnout? In his newsletter, Shola suggests three specific ways. First is consistent self-care.

I cannot say enough about the importance of having a consistent self-care routine. It could be daily meditation, taking a walk outside, journaling, curling up with your favorite novel, going to therapy, listening to a podcast and/or TED Talk, getting eight hours of sleep, hanging out with loved ones, or taking a much-needed break from watching cable news and/or from social media. As long as it’s bringing you joy and it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else, please keep doing it consistently.

Second is to set boundaries. If everyone is pushing to have your attention, that prevents you from giving attention to the things that lift you up. Some people live this way because they are afraid of how others will view them. One profound sentence from Shola demonstrates the error in this way of thinking.

And remember, the only people who will be upset with you for enforcing your boundaries are the people who benefited from you not having any boundaries in the first place.

Third, he suggests paying close attention to the company you keep. The truth is that some people lift you up while others drain you. The simple equation is to be more around the former far more often than the latter.

The best gift that you can give yourself is to separate yourself from the drama-addicted people in your life, as much as possible. Is it always easy to do this? No, but when it comes to living a positive life, it’s not always about doing what’s easy–it’s about doing what’s necessary. And avoiding burnout is possibly one of the most necessary pursuits on earth for your overall health and sanity (especially now). 

To tap into Shola’s weekly insights, please sign up for his newsletter and visit his website.