Dealing with Burn-out, Staying Motivated

posted on March 12th, 2007

Have you ever dealt with what felt like burn-out, or a complete lack of motivation? Over the last ten years that I have been in business, and working from home, there were times that I found myself in that position. Here are a few things that I learned along the way, that worked very well for me:

First and foremost, go easy on yourself. Being hard on yourself or feeling down only adds to the stress. Resolve to wake up each day and handle that one day only, doing what you can. Things will come back together one day at a time, not all in one day - so thats okay.

Make a list of things that need to be done, or things that you would like to get done, and then prioritize that list. It will give you some direction when your mind wont focus on where to start or what to put your energy into.

Think of the things in your life that give you a lift or make you feel positive. For me it was little things - having lunch with friends, reading a great book, takeout and a good movie, etc. Make it a point to treat yourself a bit - even if just in small ways - to help get your positive vibes back.

Consider when your most productive time of day is. For me it is early morning. I love to get up before the kids and have my coffee, and knock things out while the house is quiet. It is a great start to my day. I find that when I do this… I accomplish much more. And a sense of accomplishment goes a long way towards getting back on track.

There’s no magic answer of course - just time. Fortunately it has a way of fixing almost everything