Lorraine Cookson

Sometimes we will find ourselves in a place of feeling quite burnt out or running on empty. Like we just have no more to give. Why does this often happen when the finish line is in sight? Perhaps because we haven't paced ourselves well enough throughout this last stetch or because our neurotype means we need only have two gears - all or nothing. (Can you tell I know nothing about cars? Is that the correct use of gears? Let me know!)

If you have this feeling of being near (or at) empty. There are some things you can do to support yourself.

Prioritise Recovery
Let anything that is not essential slide. The house is a mess, you haven't responded to friends, you have a to do list as long as your arm. I get it, it's not easy to put stuff down but you are near or at burnout, you need to.
I know there might be things you can't put down. I know you still need to earn money, maybe you still need to parent, maybe you have elderly relatives to care for. You can't just not do essential stuff but there will be things you can put down for a while and when you are in this period, you just need to do that.

Talk to Someone
Talk to someone you trust about how you are feeling. Have a think about what you want to get from this conversation before you start it so that you can prepare the other person. People that care about you will naturally want to fix the problem and perhaps that isn't what you want. I know it isn't what I would want. I would preface any conversation with a version of "I need to say this out loud to someone, but I don't need you to do anything or fix it, I just need you listen". Perhaps you do what input though or specific support; "hey please can you take over with xyz because I'm drowning over here, thanks".

Be Realistic
Assuming that we have a particular finish line to get to, perhaps an in-depth piece of CPD we have signed up for, or an event we are hosting, or perhaps we are waiting for the leave we have planned. Whenever the finish line is in our minds that we are working towards, take a brief pause to consider the workload left to complete and the time you have to do it in. Is it realistic that you can get this finished?
Do you need to ask for an extension or postpone the event or even bring the leave forwards? Is that possible? Can you enlist some help, even if short term to get this completed? Can you hire a virtual assistant for a few hours for the next few weeks? Can you ask for more support from your course tutor? Can you book off just one day before the official leave starts?
Can you go through your diary and blog out time to get the heavy or urgent things done? Can you pace yourself different to how you have been doing it so far?

Use Strategies
If you have specific things you are trying to complete, remind yourself of any strategies that help you focus. How can you utilise these over the next few weeks or months?
Have you tried 8D music? Great for neurodivergent brains, if you are neurotypical give it a try and let me know how it works for you? Perhaps you would be better with noise cancelling headphones? Or an audio book?
Are you better to get up early and work before the rest of the house rises? Or are you more productive and able to think more of an evening? Is 10am your sweet spot? If so, how can you free up that time as frequently as possible so you can get your work done?
Do you prefer to have your long to do list in one place and refer to it as you go through the day? Or would having a whiteboard with a max of 3 things from the to do list on it help more, so that you aren't overwhelmed?
At the moment, my personal preference is blocking the time off in my online diary as 'To Do List' and having the running list in the notes section. I tick them off as I go. The next time I have 'To Do List' time in my diary I copy and paste the list over and delete anything already ticked and add anything new. It's working for now, but as with all strategies I find their effectiveness ebbs and flows!

If you could do with some experienced and affirming support to conquer you contact me today to help you conquer your business goals to find out how I can help.