The best way to BURNOUT fast

Salam,

Yes, you read the title right, today I will tell you exactly what it takes to burn out quickly. Last summer I experienced my first real burn out as an entrepreneur and alhamdullilah it has taught me to recognise signs that I needed to slow down.

I was working long hours and even when I wasn’t, the activities I was engaged in were related to my job. Everything I was reading, watching, talking about… had something to do with personal development.

At the time, I was getting on up to 7 coaching calls per day! And the worst thing is that instead of increasing my self-care practices to make sure my wellbeing wouldn’t suffer, I did the complete opposite and didn’t prioritise journaling, therapy, exercise, breaks…

This is exactly what you should do if you want to go crazy and hate your job.

But knowing what are the signs that you’re burnt out will benefit you whether you’re working, unemployed, studying… Because this can affect anyone, from the overachiever entrepreneur to the busy stay at home mother.

Here’s what it looks like concretely:

• You feel exhausted all the time

• You struggle to focus

• It takes you longer to accomplish your usual tasks

• You feel overwhelmed

• You feel disconnected and mentally drained

• You feel anxious, sometimes as soon as you wake up

• Your stress is starting to show through physical symptoms

• You are more negative than normal

If you recognise yourself in some of the points mentioned here, you might be burnt out.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to DO MORE constantly nowadays. The “hustle culture” that I see flourish on social media is all about working hard, pushing yourself and giving everything your 200% all the time!

While this approach can be motivating, in the long term it can also be harmful because it doesn’t take into consideration the fact that we are human beings with NEEDS.

Our body, mind and souls were not meant to hustle 24/7 to pursue dunya related goals.

We were meant to experience life as spiritual beings who cultivate awareness of the beauty that surrounds us.

This is an invitation for you to slow down, even if you think you’re not even close to burnout.

When was the last time you took a guilt free break that didn’t involve scrolling mindlessly through a feed?

When was the last time you did absolutely nothing apart from breath deeply and consciously?

Reflect on that and if you think you truly need to create a practice of BEING rather than DOING, I would highly recommend considering meditation as a way to do that.

It has changed my life and has really helped me not feel overwhelmed constantly!

I hope this email will help you allow yourself to just be and take more much needed breaks.

Take care of yourself,

Soumaya

Ps: I’d love to hear from you if you have other ways to slow down or if you’ve experienced burnout too, just comment below and share your story with me!