Feeling Burnt Out, Exhausted, or Just Plain Unmotivated?

Morning girls! How’d you all sleep? Did you see yesterday’s post where I talked about stomach bloating? It was much loved. Second round of biz, did you sign-up for Girl Talk?

Today I want to chat about feeling burt out, exhausted, or just plain unmotivated. We all feel it from time to time, right? It’s normal, and also, there’s something we can do about it.

We all agree that it doesn’t feel great, right? If I ever feel unmotivated, or burnt out, it feels a bit like I’m dragging. Is that what it feels like to you? Usually, I want to get out of the feeling as quickly as possible.

When I’m feeling this way, one of several things are usually going on, and it’s helps me to check in with myself, and correct course. Hopefully you’ll be able to relate, and will feel inspired today to make a change for the better today.

1. Your priorities are off

This is number one for a reason. I find, and I know many of you will find, that when my priorities are off, life feels off. Right?

What are your priorities? If it helps, make a list. It doesn’t have to be in order. Write down the things you feel like you need to do, people you love, things that bring you joy, etc… Write it all down… No structure, no holding back, just scribble. Now, circle the ones that bring you joy. Those are likely your top priorities.

Next, look for the things that you can ask for help with. When asking for help, trust me when I say: (1) there is someone out there who CAN do it better than you, and this is a GOOD thing, and (2) even if someone doesn’t do something JUST the way that you’d do it, that’s okay. It’s still worth it to ask for help and give a simple thank you (not a correction — I’m totally preaching to myself here, too). It’s good to not do everything on your own.

And last, look at your top 3-5 priorities. Remember these as you’re planning your weeks, or just going through your day.

2. You’ve been at it non-stop

What have you been doing non-stop lately? Working? Exercising? Hey, could be something like watching TV! Doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, if you’re spending way more time on one single thing than you are on anything else, chances are, you’re simply just spending too much time on that one thing.

3. Sleep isn’t going so well

Well, since Arianna Huffington did a whole TED Talk on sleep, we now know that it’s really important. 😉 She basically said that if you want to success, you need to sleep more. She actually said we should all be “sleeping our way to the top,” which made me laugh… But really, no matter how simple this is, it’s true!

Many times when we’re burnt out or low on energy (make sure you’re signed-up for Girl Talk if this is you!) we need more REST. And not just any rest, but intentional rest. Like, taking a nap mid day instead of drinking a second cup of coffee and running to the grocery store. Or, closing up shop instead of trying to work for 3 more hours tonight even though your brain will only be capable of completing 30 minutes of work in those hours. Take the break. Put the to-do’s away. Rest.

4. Favorites are missing form your day to day

What are those little joys in your life? Those little things that make you happy each day? Is it setting the coffee to go off in the AM? Going to a coffee shop most weekdays and socializing while you get your coffee? (Why am I talking only about coffee?) Is it having music playing throughout the house.. Having candles lit. Taking long baths at the end of the day. Reading? Going out to dinner? Meeting friends? Helping someone and feeling appreciated?

Think about these little joys. Usually when we get into go-go-go phases, our little joys fall to the side. We think “Yea, that’s great and all, but I don’t have the time for that right now. Maybe next week.” ERK. Stop right there. When we’re the MOST busy is probably the time we need those little joys more than ever.

So, notice the things that bring you the most joy, and try building those back into your routine one at a time.

5. You’re living in your cozy clothes

Oh man, I love my cozy clothes! I know many people who work from home and say they work from their PJ’s, and while I can’t quite do that (would I ever start working?), I do love un-done hair, no makeup, and workout clothes. If it didn’t leave me feeling a wee-bit unmotivated after too many days of gym clothes, I’d probably never leave them.

There’s gotta be a balance here, right? I mean, I don’t want to get fully ready EVERY day, I think that would leave me feeling just as burnt out (agree?). But, sometimes when I’m feeling this low-energy kinda dragging state, I’ll check in and ask myself the last time I got dressed up. Usually, it’ll have been a while. Getting all ready usually puts a little “pep in my step.” What about you? Can you relate?

6. You’re falling for the BUSY trap

Ever have the intention of resting, only to find yourself doing one task to another? It might go a little like this: “Oh, I’ll just pick these clothes up right here. Oh, yea, and that dresser needs to be dusted. Oh, and while I’m dusting this dresser, I guess I’ll dust the bedroom and then the living room, and whoops, need to remember to wash this rug…” The spiral keeps going and next thing we know “Whoops! No more rest for me.”

I can relate to this with cleaning, and maybe you can too, or, perhaps there’s something else in your life that keeps you busy in just the same way.

What is it that your busy trap (remember, mine is cleaning, yours could be something else) is keeping you from? Is it keeping you from resting? Spending quality time with someone you love? This could be a key in what’s got you feeling stuck. Let go of that busy trap for a night by simply denying it. This might sounds like “Oh, there you are BT. Nope, not tonight. I know that one second of my attention turns into 20 minutes.” How does it feel?

A note on the busy trap for those of us who work from home (& even if you don’t you’ll probably be able to relate!). How often are you checking your email? Facebook? Social Media? STOP. Give yourself a limit. It will all get done. Instead of checking your email every 20-minutes (or even more draining, every time something comes in), make a goal to check it 3 or 4 times a day. If that sounds CRAZY to you, then just start by noticing how often you’re checking email/SM right now, and be intentional about doing it less. This will allow you to focus on one thing at a time, be MORE productive, and get your work done much more efficiently.

Now, share your ideas too. I’m sure there are SO many more things that leave us feeling unmotivated, this is only my perspective. I would love to hear yours – what do YOU do when you’re feeling burnt out? Could you relate to any of the above? What else makes you feel burnt out?

Before you go, make sure you’ve entered your name & email into the Girl Talk form. This is for all HHTS readers. The simple recording is coming our THIS Sunday, and hey, if you’re feeling burnt out, then talking about standing in your highest energy will be great for you! Right? Sign-up now.

Love,