Burnout Cycles and Your Life
Burnout cycles can take over your entire life. When clients come to me saying, “I’m so burned out, I have to quit my job!” I know there’s something else going on. And, if you make changes from a place of frustration and burnout, you aren’t addressing the root of the problem. Yes, your boss sucks, your team isn’t working well together, or new policies are stressing you out. AND, the grass isn’t greener until you’re able to calm your nervous system and get back to the core of who you are.
I once attended a conference where a panel of women discussed their experiences with burnout. When someone asked, “What did you do to get out of it?” one of the women said, “Well, honestly, I make big changes.” This isn’t an example of healing the burnout; instead, it’s perpetuating a never-ending loop of feeling better, thinking you have balance, diving back into work, pushing through deadlines, and months or years later wondering why you’re feeling exactly the same way you did before that change. Again.
Making changes so you recognize the signs and know what to do about them starts small. If this isn’t your first burnout rodeo, you know the signs. You just need to slow down a bit, ask yourself some questions, and be honest with your answers.
Recognizing the Early Stages
Recognizing the early stages of another cycle can be as simple as reflecting on the following questions:
The last time you burned out, did you:
Begin a gratitude journal? When was the last time you wrote in it?
Start meditating? Do you still have your practice?
Set boundaries around work? Are you checking e-mail on the weekends?
Make sure you took breaks to walk around the block, down the street, a few miles, whatever, as long as you got outside? Are you glued to your desk chair?
Create an evening routine that facilitates sleep (i.e. getting off screens at least an hour before bedtime). How’s that going?
If you started any of these practices and you’re noticing they’ve become less than a priority, ask yourself why. If the answer is something along the lines of “I don’t have time!” Look at what’s taking up your time. (Hint: It usually comes down to holding boundaries)
Know Your Nervous System
Your nervous system gives you obvious signals when you’re sliding toward burnout. Often, we brush the signals aside, assuming it’s a short-term issue like making a deadline. However, if the signals persist after the report is written and submitted, you may be more than stressed by one project.
It can look like:
Being irritated by things that hadn’t irritated you before.
Feeling like you have to cry but can’t.
Or crying when just a little bit stressed.
Staring blankly at your screen and feeling scattered or frozen.
Being so exhausted on the weekends, you can’t do the activities you scheduled.
Waking up exhausted no matter how much sleep you get.
Ways to stop the cycle
The first step when you realize you’re backsliding is to get your nervous system under control.
There are so many techniques to help you reset. Here are just a few to try:
Slow Blink – Blink your eyes as slowly as you can until you swallow, yawn, or sigh.
Deep breathing – Inhale 5 counts, exhale 8 counts for at least 3 rounds. Feel your feet on the floor during the exercise.
Shake it out – literally. Shake, dance, whatever. Do what you can to close the loop on emotions that need to be processed.
When You Need Help
Sometimes we need help in making permanent changes so that we can catch the cycle earlier than later. I wish I could say once we heal from burnout it’ll never happen again, but many people I work with experience stressors that eventually leads to another burnout cycle.
So, instead of trying to make it go away for good, focus on recognizing the signs and what you can do when they show up. Understanding your Human Design helps you identify areas for change that have a lasting impact.
If your Human Design Chart shows no sacral definition (sacral center isn’t colored in) as in Initiator*/Manifestor, Orchestrator/Projector, or Calibrator/Reflector charts, you have to step out of the hustle. When you make your own rules for how you work and lighten your schedule overall (as much as possible), you’ll start to notice that you are much more in tune with your body’s need for rest. For those of us who have one of these charts, rest is priority. Identifying where to take breaks throughout your day, or shifting your work schedule can go a long way in staying energized.
Suppose your Human Design Chart is that of Alchemist/Generator or TimeBender/Manifesting Generator. In that case, burnout can still happen even with the sustainable energy of the sacral center. For people with this type of definition, notice if your work is exciting or if you’re passionate about hobbies you have outside of work. As long as some part of your life includes something you’re passionate about, you can weather having a job that’s less than exciting.
This isn’t to say that if your chart indicates sacral definition, you won’t experience serious burnout that leaves you sick. That can absolutely happen no matter which archetype is in your chart.
The key, no matter which archetype your chart carries is to notice when you’re heading toward burnout and bring in practices that help you to get centered. Your archetype can point you in the right direction of changes to make so that you become more aligned with your energetic blueprint.
Need some help understanding your chart? Run your free chart here to download the report that will give you insights into your archetype.
*Quantum Human Design™ language is trademarked by Karen Curry Parker
