Joy: A Powerful Antidote to Burnout

You’re lying in bed, struggling to find the mojo to get up and face your day. Negative thoughts swirl around you and you may even feel irritated for the daily responsibilities on your plate yet again. What on earth might you be experiencing? Burnout! Psychology Today defines burnout as “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.”

There are several strategies that can pull you out of burnout and often big changes are indeed necessary. However, consider starting with the simple by asking yourself “Do I feel joy and gratitude?”

JOY is a state of mind! Joy can be found in times of uncertainty and even times of grief. One way is to CHOOSE to see the good. It is easy when we are exhausted to focus on the negative events and even ruminate on them. But make a deal with yourself that for every negative thought you have follow up with something you are grateful for! Do you have a roof over your head? Go to the grocery store and buy the food you want? Breathe fresh air? Did you take a hot shower? Score front row parking on a rainy day?

Sometimes we take the everyday and make it so ordinary we forget how wonderful these things actually are.

Small Ways to Spark Joy

Do you enjoy art? NPR’s Joy Generator is a nice break to take time and doodle a bit. Click the link and play away!

Re-engage in hobbies you know you love.

Try something new – a food, activity, etc.

Make time to connect with someone you care about and limit time spent with negative people. Prioritize spending time with people who leave your cup feeling full.

Make quality time to LOVE on your animals! They are only here for a small portion of your life but you are here for ALL or MOST of their life – Make it count.

Try looking for 3 good things through-out your day. Then take 10 minutes to write them out. What are they? How did you FEEL? If you can’t take the time to write, talk about it out loud. Be detailed and really marinate on the experiences. Celebrate the wins!

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. If you are really struggling, it is important to talk with your health care team to determine if more support is needed, so don’t hesitate to reach out if so.