Are You Burnt Out And Not Even Know It?

Do you secretly resent your job?  Is your temper a little short?  Are you easily frustrated?  You could be burnt out and not even know it.

Ministry is a grind.  It’s easy to take one busy season and turn it into the norm and not even know it.  The reason this happens is because of bad habits that need to be turned around.  If you find yourself tired and worn out stop the craziness by:

IMMEDIATELY GOING TO GOD

It’s not that simple to just stop what you are doing.  When I would get overwhelmed I would immediately find a journal or head to Eucharistic Adoration.  To get out of busyness I needed God’s grace.

If all you can give yourself is 10 minutes then give it to God.  Allow Him to speak to you and give you the focus you need to get back on task.

WORKING ON A SCHEDULE

The reason you are feeling so busy is because you aren’t tracking your time.  To make sure you are using your time wisely you need to sit down and write out a schedule.

You might push back and say, “I don’t have time for that.” The reality is that you won’t last long if you don’t put together a schedule and frame out time for projects, tasks and even time off.

BLOCKING OUT TIME FOR REST

Rest shouldn’t be an afterthought.  When planning out a schedule make your day(s) off, sleep, lunch breaks, and prayer time a priority.  If you are employed for a certain amount of hours work within those hours.  God will make it possible for you to do so.

REVISITING WHAT’S URGENT AND WHAT’S IMPORTANT

Another reason we get busy is because our priorities are out of whack.  We confuse what’s urgent (i.e email) with what’s important (i.e. investing in your leaders).  To get out of that habit we need to prioritize.

A great tool that drives this point home is this video from Stephen Covey:

FINDING SOME HELP

Breaking any bad habits, especially busyness is difficult to do on your own.  Get some accountability by asking someone you feel is organized and has great time management.  Have them:

• Look at your calendar.

• Ask you on a regular basis, “How are you doing?”

• Step in and give you a hand if you are overwhelmed.

• Help you build a team of people you can delegate tasks to.

Bottom line, find someone who is going to help you think more clearly and focus on what needs to be done.

PRIORITIZING YOUR HEALTH

Busyness sneaks up on you; therefore, it’s best to incorporate good habits.  That means:

• Incorporating a healthy diet.

• Exercising regularly.

• Getting the proper amount of sleep.

• Putting your prayer life first.

When you prioritize your health you give yourself the strength and energy to overcome any obstacle.  Take back your schedule and avoid the burnout, your ministry needs you around for the long haul.

Avoid burnout by getting rid of those bad habits.  Connect with God and use the grace He gives you to take back your schedule because your ministry needs you around for the long haul.