Taking a pause could look different for everyone. Have you ever defined what taking a break looks like for you? For some people, it is a quiet walk on the beach, for others it's spending time alone or with friends, but ultimately it comes down to what feeds your soul. For me, I know that sunset walks on the beach, traveling, and deep conversations with friends refuel me. Having a support group such as friendships and a community has always been one of the ways I take a break. Not only does it feed my soul, but it also allows me to relax and build a deeper connection with others who I align with. I felt that many people might feel the same way, which is one of the reasons why I created the MembHership - a space for women to connect, support, and uplift one another.
If you saw our Instagram post with Simon Sinek, you know about the importance of taking a break to “sharpen our ax.” Our bodies can work like any machine. They need time to power off and regular maintenance. Essentially sometimes, we can tend to work ourselves into the ground by neglecting our self-care time. In fact, coming out of the pandemic we even have a new term for severe exhaustion called Resilience Fatigue. Have you heard of it? If not, you could be experiencing it yourself so take a look at our post on this as well to see if this describes you. Resilience Fatigue is when one becomes exhausted from trying to stay motivated or positive in the face of a multitude of heavy stressors in their lives. Sound familiar? I know I have been having some of these same symptoms. This is one reason why I do truly believe that our goal is to try to strike a balance between business and wellness to be whole. To align with ourselves and what we truly want in our lives.
Every year around the end of the school year or leading into Summer I recognize I start to feel quite overwhelmed and anxious by the sheer amount of logistics and length of my “to-do” list whether that be work or my three girls schedules. I mean if you are human how can you not?!? It’s a lot to say the least. When the official start of Summer rolls around in June, I am most definitely left feeling quite burned out and does not feed me. Let’s face it, some of it is an obligation which I vow to not take too much of that one as it leaves us feeling depleted. That’s a fact. It’s out of alignment with our value set we feel frustrated by the consistent give and no return on the feeding of ourselves. Also, many people including myself say “yes” to things I can set a boundary and say “no” to. Given this awareness of myself I create a plan or structure that every year I have something to feed my soul just after the kids end the school year. You know what that is? Travel! Whether the trip is a quick jaunt overnight or in the case of this year I planned a mother daughter trip to Paris to celebrate my daughter, schedule something that you know will feed and fuel your soul to revive and come back to life! Try something new that inspires you to learn, grow and see things differently to shift your perspective.Travel, culture and language does this for me this is why I used to love working in international marketing it sparks all of these things within me and lights me up. Ask yourself the question, what lights you up and pulls you from exhaustion? It’s important to thrive not just survive in life.
How often do you find yourself feeling symptoms of burnout? Sometimes it can feel like we are putting all of our efforts into our work and responsibilities that it leaves our minds, bodies, and spirits feeling depleted. And in comes Summer to provide us with the light on our faces as we all know as Vitamin D. In 2021, Time reported that men and women experiencing burnout nearly doubled. 42% of women are now feeling burnt out often or always, a 16% increase from 2020. Forbes also recently reported that working mothers are nearly 28% more likely to experience burnout than working fathers. Ask yourself: Have you been overly critical? Do you lack energy to be consistently productive? Are you constantly dragging around? If so, you may be experiencing symptoms of burnout. We all experience burnout at some point in our lives, I know I have (believe me!). Some possible causes of burnout could be a lack of social support, an unfulfilling career, or even a work-life imbalance. We tend to push ourselves to the extreme without acknowledging that we are bringing our bodies into overdrive. I started my coaching practice with one main priority in mind: to help others balance life, family, work, and to build a support system to avoid burnout and help others build fulfilling careers! If you're wondering how to overcome burnout, here are three ways to hit pause in your life:
THREE WAYS TO HIT PAUSE
Take a break from social media - It can be so difficult to get off of Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. I find myself mindlessly scrolling for what feels like a few minutes but often ends up being at LEAST an hour. The constant stream of content does not help our minds to decompress. Try to get off the apps and spend some time in the real world! I'm not sure if you noticed, but I recently decided to take a break off social media myself. Over the summer, I decided to limit my posts to three times a week. Set a boundary for yourself, whether it is posting less or limiting your time online. Take a break, decompress, and hit pause.
Go on a walk in the sunshine - Do you ever feel so tired and lethargic that your eyes begin to droop and focusing becomes difficult? I know I’ve been there! Sometimes, we really need a little bit of vitamin D. The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, tune in to the Opportunity Knocks podcast, and take a pause outside.
Meditate - I believe that meditation is one of the most important things we can do for our minds and bodies. I know that I’ve talked at length about the importance of meditation, so if you haven’t tried it at this point, this is your sign! Breathe. Clear your mind. Renew your soul! Not only will you find clarity in relaxation, but you'll find less stress in your mind and body.
Regardless of the way that you're feeling, I want to encourage everyone to take a pause this week. Sit with your thoughts, and reconnect with family and friends. Focus on the qualities that make us human beings. Remember that we were made to thrive in this life, and when exhaustion hits, we cannot unleash our full potential. Let's commit to feeling alive this summer!
Be well. Do well.
All my best,
P.S. Looking to create change or transform your life? Learn how one-on-one coaching can help you today! Check out our website for a full list of benefits.
THE MEMBHERSHIP
Join the EmpowHer Community and enjoy your annual membership benefits. Excited to reopen by demand our on-going MembHership. Don't miss our next expert call on Wednesday, June 29th from 12 - 1 PM Pacific featuring Wendy Tamis Robbins. Define your Purpose. Pursue your plan. Take charge of your life.
Monthly LIVE 30-min Community Coaching Call with Top 1% Certified Transformational Coach by Yahoo Finance Michelle Valenzuela Wolf
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Don't miss out on the Opportunity Knocks Podcast!
Be on the look out this Thursday, June 30th for a two-part series podcast featuring Pamela Salzman!
Now on Spotify and Apple Music!
Check out our most recent podcasts:
Samantha Ettus, Founder of Park Place Payments
Lauren Parrish Walker, Founder of ParrishLA & Chief Product Officer at Rachel Zoe, Inc.
Aarona Lea, Author and Co-creator of the Moon Deck