WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Some of you may have seen through posts on my Instagram, that I’ve been quite unwell for the last couple of weeks.

I’ve been struck with a bad case of the flu and laryngitis, and have also been feeling super run down, tired and exhausted.

I knew I was going to get sick. I knew that I was overdoing it, and running myself into the ground.

I was running around from job to job, meeting to meeting – hardly eating enough food for the amount of energy I was burning, yet believing that I was healthy and on top of things, when really I wasn’t.

I was trying to be superwoman – catering to each of my clients and jobs, and trying to be everywhere at once, everyday of the week. Finally, my body said to me that it had had ENOUGH.

And fair enough, because so had I.

I’d had enough of saying yes to everything and trying to be everywhere at once. I’d had enough of trying to squeeze as much as I could into one day, or lunch break. I’d had enough of not taking the time to sit and enjoy my meals and getting the nutrients and energy my body needs to be able to move.

So, my body reacted in the best way it could and completely stopped me from moving, meaning that I was confined to my bed for three days straight. And you know what? It was bloody bliss.

I am the sort of person that although my body tells me to rest, I still try and do things. So even though I was unable to move very far from my bedroom to the kitchen, I’d still try to – and my body would respond with a big fat “NO you’re staying put in bed”.

This made me realise HOW IMPORTANT rest days are, and how important it is to really stop and rest. Not just be at home “resting” but still doing things around the house (like I was trying to do), but actually hopping into bed, and properly switching off. This I hadn’t done in years.

This mean’t that I took a week off my beloved training at F45 which was hard to do mentally (because I know how important regular exercise is for me), but my priority was to get back to full health so I knew that doing any sort of high intensity exercise would be detrimental to my recovery.

So, because I have almost come out the other side of this sickness and exhaustion, I thought I’d share with you a few tips on How To Avoid Burning Out – and I promise you I’ll be taking my own advice from now on!!

Do everything with purpose

Look deeper into the actions that you do every day, and think what the purpose is to each of them. Are you doing them because you feel you have to, or because you really want to? Think about how you can add meaning to what you do each day.

Practice the art of mindfulness

Be in the moment with everything that you do, and focus on that exact task (and not think about a million other things at the same time). Mastering the art of mindfulness comes with practice through meditation, however once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to switch your mindfulness mind on easily.

Set some non-negotiable’s into your daily routine

This could be dedicating 15 minutes a day to meditating, walking, yoga, or practicing some gratitude. Whatever it is, roster it into your daily routine and know that this is time for you and only you to focus and be present. This will help manage the other stresses that pop into your life day to day.

Listen to your body

If you’re waking up each morning sore and tired, then skip your morning workout and replace it with an afternoon walk or meditation session. If your body is calling out for some rest – give it some! Otherwise you risk getting even more run down and sick, which will prevent you from exercising or working for a longer period of time.

Learn to manage your stress

When not managed well, short-term stress can contribute to burnout. This is why you should learn how to manage stress effectively. Practicing deep breathing, meditation, and other relaxation techniques can help you calm down when you’re experiencing stress.

I’ll admit that lately I had fallen off the bandwagon when it came to managing my stress levels and listening to my body.

I thought that I was invincible and that nothing could stop me, and boy was I wrong.

Moving forward, I’m now taking life a lot more slowly – which means I’m not running from meeting to meeting, I’m walking at a slower pace, only concentrating on the tasks at hand, and making dedicated time each day for my non-negotiable’s and proper meal breaks.

Because I know that if I want my businesses to succeed, I have to learn to look after my body first!

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