How to avoid end-of-year burnout?

 

For decades, I managed to push myself both physically and mentally to the point where I would spend the last weeks of the year sick. Although I am becoming more aware, as the end of the year approaches, due to the strong external pressure I usually lose this quality.

Last year I found myself in a situation where I had to quit my apartment two weeks before Christmas and urgently find a new place to live. Perhaps due to the shock, something broke within me and I started to see my life differently. I realised that in order to prioritise my mental and emotional health, I need to take immediate steps and regain control over my stressful and burnout-prone life. 

The following helped me to reconnect with my conscious self.

Slowing down

When the entire outside world speeded up and rushed towards the holidays, I consciously slowed down. I moved slower, ate slower, lived slower, and regularly took on the role of an observer. I walked in nature, admired the holiday lights, tuned in to the needs of my body, and therefore rested more. And I only said yes to invitations that I genuinely felt like attending.

Reflection

Slowing down also brought the need for introspection. I started to rediscover my own voice, which had been lost amidst the tremendous noise. I felt the need to zoom out of my everyday life and see the bigger picture. To stop, summarise, and contemplate along the following questions:

Where am I on my life journey right now?

Which direction am I heading?

What are my desires?

Having fun

This point has come to the forefront this year. I consciously began to allocate time for activities that bring joy and help me escape from the everyday routine. Dive into a good book, go to the cinema, walk along the beach, laugh, and sing with friends. To do something without goals or results, just for the fun of it, is one of the best preventions for any kind of burnout.

It is not easy to pave your own path, when the whole world dictates the opposite. But step by step, habits develop that, over time, become ingrained and assist you in preventing mental and physical exhaustion more easily.