Do you remember the last time you did not feel weary of being tired and overwhelmed by all of the “responsibility” you feel weighing down on you? Do you remember the last time you were truly able to fall asleep without first spending an hour or more thinking through all that awaits you tomorrow? Do you remember the last time that you felt you could safely say “no” to a request made without feeling guilty for leaving that person “hanging” or without feeling obligated to say yes even though your plate was full?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then it might be time for some reevaluation about how to prioritize your to-do list and your responsibilities. Here is a helpful tool in planning out your day to avoid burnout:
Here is how to schedule your day to preemptively avoid burn out:
Write the number 24 at the top of a sheet of paper, then list out all of the hours in the day you need to account for.
First, write in “30-60 minutes of “me time” wherever fits best for you. By scheduling “me time” (time for quiet time, meditation, lunch, exercise, a bubble bath, or time to run and grab a cup of coffee etc.), you are making sure that you are prioritizing time in your day to refocus and reenergize so that you can continue giving 100% the rest of the day, including giving the best version of yourself to your family and friends, as opposed to someone who is exhausted and not fun to be around. Do you see how taking some “me time” is best for not only you, but your loved ones, as well?
Next, schedule at least “60 minutes” of time for your loved ones (husband, wife, kids, other family, or friends etc.). By listing when you will spend time with your family or friends, you are prioritizing them and making sure to let them know that they are important to you and that time with them is valuable. If you are a parent, doing this will make a world of difference in your relationship with your children, and if you are in a romantic relationship, the same if true for your significant other. By setting aside time for them first, you are giving them a cut out amount of time that they can look forward to each day where they can be certain they will have your full attention. This way, instead of wondering when you will “have time for them”, you will instead create confidence in them and take stress, pressure, and guilt away from you!
Then, schedule a 10-30 minute window for “Free time”. This is how you will handle surprises in your day that need to be dealt with. No one can 100% plan for everything that may come up, so by scheduling a bit of “free time”, you are allowing for something urgent to come up and are preemptively eliminating the stress that may often come up.
Lastly, list out your work and other responsibilities and estimate how much time you believe will be needed to complete each task. Be generous with your time as to not “burn out” or cram too much into a short time.
While it seems backwards, this is how you schedule your day and avoid burn out! Once you hit 24 hours, including time for sleep, you’re done! Now, thanks to your list, if you are asked to take on any new responsibilities, you can look at your schedule and comfortably tell them, “I am so sorry, but I am unable to take any more on my plate right now”, or, “Sure! I have time between 1:00-2:00 and would be happy to take care of that!”
Take a deep breath, relax, and be at peace. Everything is going to be okay and you have a solution to your stress. USE IT!
