4 Helpful Tips to Save Yourself From Mentally Burning Out

There’s something magical about the desert stillness. Don’t get me wrong, I am and will always be, a city girl. When you live in a city where it’s constantly go, go, go from the moment you wake up, when is it ever the time to rest up and recharge? New York City breathes you in, spits you out, and shows you what you’re truly made of (in a rather rude awakening sort of way).

Lately I haven’t been feeling 100%, a combination from powering through my day-to-day and not having a set in stone self-care routine. When I was freelancing I had all the freedom to do whatever, whenever. Now that I’m back to the 9-5 grind it’s harder to squeeze in self-care when I start to feel burned out.

I practically live on the internet. When you run a handful of different social media accounts on a daily basis it gets hard to divide your time between the brands, setting boundaries for yourself, and making time for relationships/friends.

For my 26th birthday, my amazing boyfriend insisted (ok forced) me to take a few days off to relax and catch my breath. Taking a vacay was far from anything I needed but who can refuse a free trip to see that California coastline?

I have to admit that our mini weekend getaway to California was just what I needed. It’s the little things you take for granted -- the sound of the ocean waves washing up against the sand or even a glimpse of that California sunshine. A gentle reminder to be kinder to myself and that everything will turn out fine.

Went from the glistening waters of Huntington Beach to the dusty desert of Joshua Tree and just basked in the simple pleasures of life. It’s funny how you spend so long in one place just itching to leave and when you leave you’re reminded that no matter where you are in this world, there’s only one place to call home.

I left Cali feeling ready to take on this new grind with some actionable items to help me navigate through the stress. Here are some tips I’ve been using that have helped me when I start to feel tense.

Exercising - The moment I got back from vacay I went full throttle on incorporating a workout routine back in my life. Back when I freelanced, I owned my time and could pop into a fitness class at anyyyytime. I’ve narrowed down three nearby studios/gym (Epic Hybrid Fitness, Barry’s Bootcamp, 24 Hour Fitness) so I have zero excuse to not get movin’! I use Classpass which allows me to pick and choose from a selection of studios in my area and let’s me try different classes to pick my favorite!

Blocking off time - This is a huge one. It’s one thing to just see your to-do list, but another to block off certain timeframes to purely focus at one task at a time so you can dedicate a full hour to “organize photos” or “do taxes” vs. looking at my to-do list agonizing over which task to chip away at first. Managing your workload is a MUST.

Headspace - I LOOOOOVE Headspace, it’s helps me decompress, get focused, and even catch some zzZZz’s at night! There are different categories of meditations you can choose from. I’ve been using the “Stress” category to recenter my focus and it coaches you through breathing exercises to relieve stress.

Podcasts - Game-changer. I swapped out my usual morning playlist with a podcast that’s meant to inspire and motivate me to power through the day. It sets my mind into gear to prep for what’s coming and I love hearing How I Built This, it really makes you feel like no idea is too small.

Well if you’ve read all the way through, THANK YOU. It’s been a goal of mine to keep writing and I’m so grateful for all the love and support you’ve given me throughout the years (seriously, thank you).