Feeling burnt out? It’s time to invest in yourself

“Shit!” is the only thing that comes to my mind as panic takes hold of me. I woke up late again. I hit snooze too many times, wanting just another couple of minutes of sleep. I’m awake, and yet I still can’t get myself to leave my bed. 

Time is ticking, but I keep scrolling through my  For You page. Anything to distract me from the seemingly never-ending mountain of tasks that I need to complete today. It weighs on me, a heavy burden that slowly crushes my chest, turning the air in my lungs into mercury. It doesn’t help that, as I scroll, I keep stumbling upon videos of people waking up at 4 a.m. and having perfect, productive mornings. 

Seriously, why does self-care have to be so trendy? Everywhere I look, I find reminders of all the ways I am falling short in comparison to those around me. Does this ever happen to you? Do you ever feel like there are never enough minutes in a day? But here I am in bed still wasting the little time I have. 

This used to be how I felt every day. I used to wonder why I was feeling so burnt out. I thought it was because I was doing too much, but the issue was the exact opposite — I was doing too little. Well, at least for myself. I didn’t value myself enough to give myself anything or any time. I was only expending all my energy until it ran dry. Yet by simply setting aside a little time and creating better daily habits, I was able to feel my life get the revamp it needed. 

I now feel excited to get out of bed every morning, refreshed and ready to tackle my day. I can admit that I am a bit of a wellness junkie. For me, supplements, cute journals and wellness Pinterest boards are a big part of my own self-care. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Just like anything else, self-care is a journey of ups and downs. So amongst the sea of self-care videos, posts and products, it’s important to remember the most important factor in the equation: you. It all comes down to each of us making the time for ourselves. 

Personally, I have found it easiest to break down my daily self-care practices into three parts: grounding myself, challenging myself and protecting my peace. 

Grounding yourself is essentially being able to shut out distractions and bring your focus to what is right in front of you — the present moment. Personally, I have found meditation and journaling to be an effective and easy way to achieve this. In fact, meditation is one of the easiest ways you can start incorporating self-care into your routine. There are countless apps that can be downloaded to guide you through daily meditation. 

As someone with anxiety and a professional overthinker, I find that by meditating every day, I start my day with a clearer mind that lasts throughout the day. Studies show that meditation can play an important part in people living balanced lives. In addition, data shows that meditation can even reduce depression in some individuals. 

In terms of exercising, challenging myself through physical activity has transformed my life more than anything else. It has given me confidence and reassurance that has bled over into every part of my life. It has taught me that I am capable of enduring anything and everything, even when life seems difficult. I know that by doing so I am only getting stronger. It’s an incredibly powerful mindset that can be applied both in and outside of the gym. 

My final self-care practice is “protecting your peace.” It can perhaps be the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. This is because it requires more than just setting time aside for yourself. You have to be willing to sit with yourself and to be honest about what isn’t serving your best interest. This may require a lot of work and action, having to put up boundaries with people and making difficult choices. But it will save you time, energy and effort in the long run. 

I like to think of protecting my peace as gathering data about what makes me feel good. Through various life experiences and even making mistakes, I am able to take into account what choices will best serve my well-being long term.

So next time you see a video about self-care pop up on your For You page, it might be worth letting it inspire you to set aside some time to do something for yourself. While it might not be something you should live your life by, some trends are worth following. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.