This post is in collaboration with Daisy London
I’ll be honest with you, August was a tough month for me. I felt lethargic, bored and creatively blocked. I was in a complete rut, and I had no energy and want to do anything.
I fell out of habit of my usual wellbeing practices, practicing little to no self care and found myself in a negative headspace.
The reality was this. I was burnt out.
This year, even though we’ve been grounded to our houses, has been non stop. We flooded in February, I ended up in hospital, I left my job, I created a lot of content, I was constantly in hustle mode and I didn’t stop.
I feel like a lot of us have been like this too. We’ve been at home, so we must work and not have a break.
But we need a break. And just because we’re at home, doesn’t mean we can’t stop and have some adventure!
signs your burnt out
So what are the signs of burnout? Sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint, other times it feels more noticeable.
So how do you know if you’re burnt out?
1. Nothing excites you
Are you feeling uninspired? Unfulfilled? Everything feels a bit meh?
This is such a common sign of burn out.
You start to hate everything you’re doing and nothing creatively sparks you.
2. you feel exhausted
Now, I’m someone who feels tired a lot – chronic illness life isn’t it! But burn out comes with exhaustion. You feel drained, lethargic and overwhelmed.
You can feel physically and mentally drained and it takes effort to do anything and everything
3. You feel stressed out
Ah, our old friend stress. Stress can cause us lots of problems; mentally we can feel like we’re chasing our tail. Physical symptoms can include chest pain, headaches and joint pain.
How to find your spark after burnout
Okay, we’ve acknowledged that yes, we are in fact burnt out but now the question is how do you get your spark back.
Getting or spark back can take some time, can be hard, but you will get there.
These are the exact steps I took to find my creative spark again, and I hope they can you too!
1. Give yourself permission to take a break
Step one is actually say, I am taking a week off.
This was one of the hardest parts for me, but it made such a difference.
Block out that time, take some time off work and really find what sparks joy.
Actually giving yourself time off, rather than feel like you’re not getting anything done, can be a complete mind shift, and it gives you the space to be kind to yourself.
2. Find small rituals which make you feel good
Finding small ways to find joy and calm is key to helping get your spark back.
Small rituals I found helped me were lighting my candles (Our Lovely Goods is my absolute FAVE candle brand) and wearing jewellery.
A brand I absolutely love for jewellery is Daisy London. They’re jewellery is simple but every piece has a meaning behind it.
I’ve been wearing the Estée Lalonde starburst ring as it reminds me of summer days and golden hour; two things which make me feel happy, calm and fulfilled.
Perfume is another way I love to feel more together. Just a little spritz, even if I’m not leaving the house, can make me feel so much better.
Finding small ways to make you feel more yourself can be great ways to start boosting how you’re feeling
3. Consume content which inspires you
This is a massive one, and something which can be a real game changer.
When we’re feeling sad, we can sometimes feel the need to wallow. I found myself watching an entire season of This is Us in the space of two days which is INTENSE.
Be mindful of the content you’re consuming. As a content creator, I moved away from content in my niche to help combat any feelings of comparison.
Instead, I opted to read blogs and watch YouTube videos with a travel niche (which I was drawn too and you will notice has influenced my upcoming content) and found myself feeling inspired again.
3. Small doses of wellbeing
Like I said earlier, I found myself completely disconnected from all things wellbeing.
The things that I KNOW will make me feel better made me want to hide.
So I started setting myself smaller wellbeing goals; the main one being write half a page in my journal every day.
It might not sound like a lot but when everything seems too much, it’s a BIG DEAL.
4. Meditation
Finding the right meditation to suit your mood is key.
I felt like I had a blocked creative flow, so I went and found a meditation which was for creative flow and WOW it was amazing.
It was the most transformative meditation I’ve done, and it felt magical.
Here’s the link to the meditation I used, but I really recommend searching YouTube for some free meditations specifically to help combat the negative feelings.
5. Have a digital detox
One major thing I did in my two weeks off was completely switch off from social media.
Considering its a major part of my job, it felt like a BIG DEAL.
It’s one of the best things I’ve done. I was off my phone, felt more present and slept better!
I made sure all tech was away by 8pm too, which felt massive but it was amazing how less dependent I became on my phone. I mean, I even left the house without it one day!
6. Be kind to yourself
My final tip is to be kind to be kind to yourself. Try and be positive about situations, and don’t dwell on the negative – easier said than done I know.
Make sure you sign up to the newsletter to get the 30 day blueprint to wellbeing as it will give you a months worth of wellbeing prompts to help you get back on track.
7. Go somewhere new
Getting out and about and changing your location and scenery can be a massive help. Whether it’s just going on a walk, or going somewhere new. If you’re looking for the best things to do in Cambridge, click here for an amazing blog filled with advice. And if you’re looking for inspiration on going on microadventures, check out my second blog, Postcards From, which is all about travel and food.
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