How to prevent burnout? These good habits will keep you from getting burned out

1. Take your sleep seriously

Are you one of those people who can function just fine with a few hours of sleep? That can work very well for a short period of time and is nice if you have a lot of deadlines, for example. But in the long run, chances are you will build up a sleep deficit.

So take your sleep seriously. Too little sleep makes you unstable. You become less alert, feel more restless, are more easily irritated. And above all, you feel incredibly tired.

During the night, your body and head can rest and process all the stimuli of the day. As a result, you get up the next day (if all goes well) full of energy. This is not possible if you don't get enough sleep.

So make sure you get enough sleep and sleep well.

• Create an evening ritual for yourself. Do not look at screens, such as your cell phone, television or laptop, after eight o'clock. The blue light that many screens emit actually makes you awake and alert - something you especially don't want when you go to sleep. Instead, read a book, take a bath or listen to music.
• Be careful with coffee during the day. Try not to drink coffee after 3 o'clock. Caffeine remains in your body for a longer period of time (about six hours) and can also have an effect when you want to go to sleep, making it difficult to fall asleep because you still have too much energy.
• Make sure you have a nice sleeping area. Make sure you have enough fresh air, a clean and fresh bed, a bedroom that is not too hot or too cold and a nice mattress. Make sleep your priority and make yourself as comfortable as possible.
• Meditate before sleeping. Make it a habit to meditate for a few minutes every night in bed. That is, take a moment to rest, take a good breath and prepare yourself (physically and mentally) for the night. A sleep meditation helps you sleep better and deeper. You bring all the thoughts to rest that you would otherwise take with you into the night.

2. Take enough rest

Resting is not just something you do in bed at night. It is also important to recharge your battery during the day from time to time. So be strict with yourself and take regular short breaks during the day (and not just at lunch).

Don't run straight to the coffee machine, but take a few minutes to go for a short walk, go outside, have a quiet cup of tea or meditate with your eyes closed.

Think of something you enjoy, as long as it is without screens. In any case, make sure you take time to mentally recharge and take a break from work.

Want to prevent getting burnout? Then you need these moments of rest. They also actually help you perform better the rest of the time.

3. Exercise enough and eat healthy

If you want to prevent stress and burnout, it is important to take good care of yourself. Do you dwell enough on how you take care of your body (and mind)?

Try to maintain as high an energy level as possible, both physically and mentally. A high energy level makes you more resilient and allows you to handle stressful situations better.

Keep your body healthy and supple.

• Stand up more often if you sit a lot for work.
• Try to exercise for half an hour every day, such as taking a walk after dinner.
• Regular active exercise can also help you get more energy.

In addition, eat and drink as healthily as possible.

• Have plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Drink plenty of water, at least 2 liters a day.
• Avoid sugars and bad fats as much as possible.
• Stop smoking and (too much) alcohol.

Exercise every day? Try to do that outside as much as possible. Getting out into nature and breathing fresh air regularly is good for you anyway. It has also been proven that people become calmer from a natural environment without too many stimuli.

4. Make meditating a habit

One way to stay in high and positive energy is to meditate. Meditating is nothing more than taking a moment to yourself where you calm down that constant maelstrom of thoughts in your head.

We go to the gym to exercise our bodies and work on our overall health. Meditation is a way to train your brain; a gym for your brain!

By meditating for a few minutes every day - for example, during your morning routine - you will sleep better, experience less stress and be able to shut down and focus better. So it can be one of the ways to prevent burnout.

How should you meditate?

1. Make time to meditate, such as in the morning, on your break or before bed.
2. Sit or lie down comfortably.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Focus your attention on your breathing.

The idea is not to think obsessively about nothing when you are meditating. You may just let the thoughts come, but let them float by as if they were clouds in the sky.

Want to start meditating and see what meditation does for you? Then try the meditations from the Meditation Moments app. These are guided meditations. This means that a voice guides you through the meditation, so you only have to focus on that.

5. Manage your time better

These days, our phones almost grow attached to our hands. How often do you sit on the couch and automatically reach for your cell phone to check your social media channels? And how often do you check your mailbox during the day (often unconsciously)?

• Schedule fixed times to check social media and emails, for example half an hour every morning and half an hour every afternoon. Furthermore, turn off all notifications and pop-ups so you are not distracted in between.
• Plan your days and keep a calendar. For example, work with a planner where you keep track of all the things you still have to do. If you experience stress, it helps to write things down so you don't have to remember them. This provides clarity and calmness.
• Avoid too many negative stimuli. Clear your inbox regularly and turn off all notifications. Delete negative accounts on social media and try not to watch too much negative news. This way, you create a positive vibe around you and avoid getting stuck in negativity.

6. Start your day from rest

How do you start your day? The way you get up in the morning has a lot of influence on the rest of your day. Do you get up from rest and relaxation or from chaos and stress?

A fine way to start the morning from rest is to implement a morning ritual. A morning ritual consists of a few nice things you do every morning that get you into a high and positive energy.

Think about what things you like to do in the morning to start your day peacefully. Then set your alarm half an hour or an hour earlier so that you have enough time for your ritual.

What you can do during your morning ritual (this is different for everyone):

• Meditate
• Breathing exercises
• Reading an inspirational book
• Eating a leisurely breakfast
• Stretching exercises
• Exercising (yoga, running, walking, cycling, etc.)
• Visualizing

7. Work on your mindset

Not all situations in life can be avoided. Some things just happen. But you can control how you deal with such situations. Therefore, learn how to best handle stressful situations.

Try to change your mindset regarding stress. Burnout is the final stage of a prolonged period of stress. This means that stress has been able to build up in your body. If you learn in time to deal with stress so that it cannot build up, you can also prevent burnout.

So burnout is not necessarily caused by working too much. Working hard and a lot is not bad, but if it causes you stress, you have to be careful. Deadlines at work can cause stress, but so can, for example, negative relationships, negative feedback and how you experience it, anger about the past or fears about the future.