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“How are you, Freek?”
That’s what a friend asked me last night. I told her that I was doing very well. I was with friends to celebrate my son’s graduation from High School. The weather was perfect. I have plenty of work, and construction on our house is finally done.
Yes. I am doing well. Life is good, and I am grateful for all this. Yet I feel a bit overloaded because there is so much to do for work, at home, for friends and family. A clear sign is headaches.
I am not a burnout expert, but in this Blog, I am sharing with you what you can do to prevent burnout or overload and improve your core strength to live your purpose, your WHY, and fulfill your missions sustainably.
According to Luke Iorio on the LIFT Podcast with Richard Newman, there are four fundamental elements to strengthen your core to avoid burnout or overload: Simplicity, Stability, Stillness, and Surrender.
Simplicity
When there’s a big goal or task ahead, I tend to procrastinate and don’t know where to start. An example is writing this Blog. It’s a big thing for me, and I find it important to stay consistent and write about what I’ve learned every two weeks. I am convinced you can benefit from it as well. And because I have many other things to do today, I am a bit stressed about delivering this article. What helps me is to think about a relevant subject and the structure of the Blog. This gives me an overview and the possibility to start with a small task, like writing the structure of this article.
It’s about simplifying your life. I often tend to (over) complicate my life by saying “Yes!” often. This is because I like to please others. I can make my life simpler by saying “No” more often. This doesn’t me that I reject everything. When I have made a plan for the day and new things come up, I ask if I can do it later or if someone else can do this task. Ask yourself what you can do to create more simplicity in your life.
Stability
A stable life helps me to avoid an overload. I know someone who has difficulty paying all the bills at the end of the month. I also know she likes to stay up late (especially with the beautiful weather) and get up late in the morning wondering what to do that day. A routine can help her to create more stability. For more information about routines, please read my Blog, ” Do you take your M.E.D.S.?”. I am sure this will help you to create stability in your life.
Stillness
Many distractions cause overload in my life. What helps is to create moments of stillness. For me, contemplation is key. I sing my favorite Mantra to find stillness from all the noise of life and reconnect with the divine.
Conscious breathing helps to become still. I have written about block breathing before and recently learned a new breathing technique called “psychologic sighing.” It goes like this: You inhale deeply through your nose, and when you’re at the top, take an extra breath. Then, you exhale through your mouth for two seconds. Doing this for 2 minutes will make you feel calmer and more focused. This breathing technique helps to reduce stress.
After writing the first draft of this Blog, I am going out for a run. Next to hiking, this helps me to find stillness. Being away from my desk and in nature helps me become relaxed, inspired, and energized.
Surrender
Probably, this is one of the hardest elements to avoid burnout or overload. I like to have control and assurance on how things are going. But I’ve learned that you can’t and must surrender to things not going as planned. For me, preparation is key. Next, it’s time to let go. This also requires a degree of stillness to know what to do next.
I pause (and smile) when a group does not respond as expected at a training. Then I ask myself, “How can this group or individual be served best?”. A story, a pearl of wisdom, or another activity always pops up.
Core strength
According to Luke Iorio, we put too much energy into finding balance in life. This can lead to overload or burnout as well! It’s about finding your core strength in mastering simplicity, stability, stillness, and surrender, just like a surfer who can surf the waves because of the core strength. This core strength will help you live your purpose and WHY and fulfill your missions sustainably.
Your WHY
It comes down to knowing yourself and knowing your purpose or WHY. Your WHY is your unique positive contribution and its impact on this world. This drive goes on forever, especially when you have this core strength.
Do you want to discover your WHY? I can help you as a facilitator! Contact me today the get to know me!
For more information about your WHY, please read this article and this article to find out what a WHY session is.
How do you avoid burnout or overload? Let me know in the comment field below. The other readers of this article. and I are looking forward to reading from you!
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Have you seen an error in this article? Let me know! I am grateful!
Source:
–Navigating Self-doubt and finding Purpose, LIFT Podcast with Richard Newman and Luke Iorio
