Well hello to you my reader chums! Looking after your mental health should be your number one priority and something I value highly. By caring for your mind, it benefits every element of your life, including your outlook on life. This means listening to your mind and what you want, putting yourself first and speaking kindly to yourself.

Whether you're dealing with burnout or feeling stressed, burnout is common and here are my tips on how to prevent and deal with burnout. 

Take breaks throughout the day and week

Breaks are the key to looking after yourself. If you're constantly working and giving 100% energy, you're going to burn out. You need to have breaks to recharge, give yourself room to think and recover from hard work. Your phone battery needs to charge after a while and you're the same, you're human after all. If you're known for not coming up for air, schedule breaks into your calendar as it'll give you the reminder you need.

Do activities which promote joy

Burnout is easy to come by, especially if you're doing activities or tasks that make you frustrated or fill you with negative energy. Find activities that spark joy, whether it's writing, baking, going for a walk or doing pilates. Whatever the activity is, ensure it's one which makes you happy and you can implement it as much as possible in your daily and weekly routine. 

Reduce screen time

Screen time is the source of many negative effects, such as enforcing negative thoughts about yourself and a constant dopamine hit. I find I use my phone more when I'm burned out as I'm in a negative mindset and need something for that dopamine hit. Reducing screentime can help keep a more healthy mindset towards your daily life and yourself and add to the techniques of prioritising your mental health.

Stay social

Socialising is incredibly important for us to reduce loneliness and put ourselves first. Staying social adds that positivity to your day and gives you that break away from work and the other frustrations in your life. Similar to how you organise breaks, do the same with socialising. Whether it's after work or on the weekend, social plans help immensely for your mental health.

Get outside and experience the fresh air often

Fresh air and getting outside are crucial to caring for your mental health and the same with preventing burnout. I find that burnout is more common for me when I stay inside and continue working rather than take a break and go outside to breathe in the fresh air.

Prioritise good nutrition 

Health is the most important thing, both mentally and physically. Nutrition goes hand in hand with both physical and mental health, having a positive impact on both. How we eat can help boost our mood, productivity levels and how we treat ourselves. By making quality food, you're prioritising your health which is a self-care tactic we all deserve more of.

Ensure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep

Sleep is so important for our mental health and ensuring we're looking after ourselves. 7 to 8 hours of sleep is recommended for a good night's sleep and it's vital we all get it. By sleeping enough, you'll be able to fully recharge your batteries and that means, burnout and overworking yourself is less likely.

Write down your thoughts and feelings regularly

We all carry plenty in our minds, whether it's a to-do list, something we're anxious about or endless work tasks. Whatever it is, write it down and how you're feeling about it. By doing this, it'll take a weight off your shoulders and means there's less to think about and you're less likely to burn out.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?

Thank you for reading <3