7 Days of Self Care - Day four: Slow it all down
Today I'm talking all things rest and restoration, in order to get ourselves the hell out of crisis mode and give our bodies the best chance possible to bounce back from this shit show.
Slowing down, breathing and chilling out that overwrought nervous system.
It's totally fine to take your damn time at things. To slow down, pause, take a vacay from every day.
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It's MORE than ok to take some time out for you, to get your life in order, to regroup, to work through whatever you need to work through...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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All the rest of the stuff? The grind, the to-do list, the hustle, the projects, the 'priorities'? They’re not as important as looking after your mental health.
It's really, really important not to frazzle out. People depend on you, your happiness and wellbeing depend on you.
We all know that unchecked stress can wreak havoc on your well-being. Chronic levels of stress, such as those us Melbournians have been facing for the last 18 months in a period of prolonged lockdowns, can lead to an increase in stress hormones, an unbalanced nervous system, exhaustion, mental fatigue and burnout.
If the constant stress has you feeling helpless, disillusioned, and completely exhausted, you may be on the road to burnout.
So, what is burnout exactly?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive, unrelenting. and prolonged stress (such as living through a global pandemic!)
It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the cycle of stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Shit sounds petty heavy doesn't it?
Burnout is not a place we want to reside in. Fuck no. As someone who has suffered from an autoimmune disease for the past decade, I always tread a pretty precarious fine line between feeling good and feeling flat out fucked. If I overfill my cup too much, and start running on stress and cortisol and little sleep? I crash big time and suffer some pretty gnarly coneseuqences - in the form of pain, inflammation, digestive issues, fatigue and generally feeling like crap.
Sign of feeling burnt out that you shouldn't ignore
Every day is a bad day
Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy
You’re exhausted / drained all the time
The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhelming
You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated
You feel helpless, defeated, trapped, overloaded,
Frequent headaches or muscle pain
Change in appetite or sleep habits
Sense of failure and self-doubt
Loss of motivation
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment
Isolating yourself from others
Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done
Self-medicating to cope (hey. we're all doing this)
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on.
Burnout differs from feeling stressed in that when we're stressed, we can imagine if we get everything under control, we’ll feel better.
Being burned out means we can't see any hope of positive change in situations We feel empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring.
If you have any of the above symptoms it may be a red flag that something needs to be addressed.
How to rest and restore RIGHT NOW to prevent burnout
If you pay attention and work to actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. Here are some tips on how to slow it all down.
Being conscious of when you’re getting overloaded or overwhelmed
Focus on resting- in all forms. Slowing down during the day. Taking naps when needed. Sleeping in when you can.
Prioritse having better quality sleep
Enjoying gentle walks in nature
Taking mental time out by doing something mindful and in-the-moment
Support the adrenals - cutting back on stressful thoughts, activities and anything that raises cortisol. Support yourself with adapotgens.
Cut down caffeine, booze and foods that exacerbate stress like refined sugars
Reconnect with your breath, meditate, slow things down
Being thoughtful and intentional about how you’re treating yourself and your body
Making some small changes like making time to take a walk, do a short exercise routine, or choosing to go to bed a little earlier than usual can reduce stress and help you feel more relaxed and resilient.
At Killer Queen, I love to focus on self love, self care and empowerment as a HUGE part of my brand values.
I bang on quite a lot about self love and self care because I know firsthand how important it is to take care of you- and the vital importance of “filling our own cup” first, before taking care of others.
I'm here to remind you that your life, your energy, your power, your time- has value. It's time to RECLAIM IT.
After months of running on empty and being in survival mode, it's time to love yourself more and begin to THRIVE once again.
I take a bold stand for women owning their throne and reclaiming their confidence, and I want you to come out the other side of this pandemic feeling stronger and more resilient than ever, and royally loving who you are.
Get ready for a dose of radical self love and care. The kind that will hopefully make you feel like you're on top, rather than sinking.
Ready to do this together? Read more articles on self love and empowerment here
Feeling inspired? Want to share your wellnes tips?
Feel free to get in touch with me
At Killer Queen we LOVE and CARE for our community so much- your health, safety and wellbeing is paramount! We truly believe self love needs to be at the forefront of everything we do.
We’re also HUGE believers in rest, setting boundaries and relaxation as integral parts of self-care. We’re throwing hustle culture in the bin and encouraging gentle, mindful work instead of grinding away and burning out. We’d love to encourage you on your journey to truly loving and nourishing yourself from within.
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Want to silence your inner critic and feel like the boss queen you are?
Our FREE self love manifesto is here to help guide you to a more positive mindset of self-love, self-gratitude and self-acceptance.
It’s time to start shining from the inside and telling that negative self talk to shove off!
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