4 Tips for Overcoming Burnout by Yvette Gavin
Yvette holds a Master of Arts degree in Leadership from Oral Roberts University and several professional certifications. She is the recipient of numerous leadership awards including the State of Georgia Governor’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and the Leadership Excellence Award from the Georgia National Guard Chaplaincy Core.
Yvette is a wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoys traveling and entertaining family and friends over great food and conversations.
How many times lately have you felt too busy to eat, too busy to sleep or too busy to connect
with people who are important to you? If you’re feeling tired, spread too thin or just not your
usually bright-minded self, you might be experiencing burnout.
Burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually because of
prolonged stress or frustration. For sure 2020 and 2021 have been stressful years for
everyone with the pandemic, fluctuating economy, and the switch to remote work and
schooling, but the stress of these factors is increasingly more overwhelming for women as
outlined in a study on Women in the Workplace that was conducted by McKinsey. Prolonged
burnout can lead to serious physical and emotional issues such as frequent headaches,
muscle pain, lowered immunity, depression, and chronic disease (high blood pressure, heart
disease, obesity, and diabetes). Don’t allow this to happen to you.
If you’re one of the many women who are experiencing burnout, here are four tips that will
help you move from burnout to a more balanced and joyful lifestyle:
Plan a Day Off for Mental Well-being. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to
take a day off or a couple of days off to recharge your body and mind. Take a mental
health day from work and do something that brings you joy. Keep in mind that doing
something that brings joy could be doing absolutely nothing.
take a day off or a couple of days off to recharge your body and mind. Take a mental
health day from work and do something that brings you joy. Keep in mind that doing
something that brings joy could be doing absolutely nothing.
Say No. My client, Evelyn was overwhelmed and burned out from over-commitments at
work and at home. “Everyone wants something from me and they all want it yesterday. I
think I’m just going to run away,” she said. The good news is that Evelyn didn’t become
a runaway. She learned how to find peace with saying no to requests that did not align
with her priorities and availability. There are ways to say “no” clearly, effectively, and
graciously. One of them is to take a pause before responding to a request. The pause
allows you time to think about the ask, to check your calendar, and prepare your
answer. One trick I’ve found to be successful when having to say no is to offer a
potential solution. For example, I recently said no to an invitation to take an all-expense
paid weekend trip to Tennessee. Without giving an excuse, I said, “Wow, thank you for
thinking of me. I’m not able to make the trip. Have you considered asking ____? I recall
her talking about how she loves the Tennessee mountains.” My friend called me after
the trip and thanked me profoundly for the recommendation!
work and at home. “Everyone wants something from me and they all want it yesterday. I
think I’m just going to run away,” she said. The good news is that Evelyn didn’t become
a runaway. She learned how to find peace with saying no to requests that did not align
with her priorities and availability. There are ways to say “no” clearly, effectively, and
graciously. One of them is to take a pause before responding to a request. The pause
allows you time to think about the ask, to check your calendar, and prepare your
answer. One trick I’ve found to be successful when having to say no is to offer a
potential solution. For example, I recently said no to an invitation to take an all-expense
paid weekend trip to Tennessee. Without giving an excuse, I said, “Wow, thank you for
thinking of me. I’m not able to make the trip. Have you considered asking ____? I recall
her talking about how she loves the Tennessee mountains.” My friend called me after
the trip and thanked me profoundly for the recommendation!
Set Boundaries. Boundaries define our limits of personal and emotional space, If you’re
working from home, setting boundaries within your home is critical. Create a specific
place within your home for office work. Be clear with family and friends on when you’re
available and when you’re not during working hours.
working from home, setting boundaries within your home is critical. Create a specific
place within your home for office work. Be clear with family and friends on when you’re
available and when you’re not during working hours.
Ask for help. Asking for help or delegating work doesn’t mean that you’re not super
great at what you do. It does mean that you’re a smart leader. Too often women
confuse asking for help or delegating with being replaced or eliminated. When you’re
adding value in your core area of competency, asking someone else to pick up a task or assist you with a task doesn't diminish your value.
great at what you do. It does mean that you’re a smart leader. Too often women
confuse asking for help or delegating with being replaced or eliminated. When you’re
adding value in your core area of competency, asking someone else to pick up a task or assist you with a task doesn't diminish your value.
Learn more about Yvette at www.yvettegavin.com Twitter: @yvettegavin
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