When it comes to burnout, no one can avoid it. It happens to everyone and anyone. If you’re a busy individual who ignores time to relax, eating, exercising, and doing the things you love then you will burnout faster than most people. Even individuals with a steady schedule and time off can burnout because of their bad habits and time management. We talked to George Bryant and asked him for some advice on how anyone can avoid burnout in order to maximize productivity.
How do you avoid burnout?
Burnout happens when you don’t honor yourself and listen to your body. Which ultimately comes down to daily thoughts, habits, and containers you put on your life and schedule (more on this below).
To avoid burnout I commit to non-negotiable daily practices and routines that fill my tank and give me the energy and space to show up fully each day.
Things like:
- Bonding with my son
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Hiking
- Cold therapy
- Sleeping 6-8 hours nightly
- Caring for my snakes
- Drinking a gallon of water daily
- Discernment towards what I consume
- Eating healthy, nutritious foods and supplementing
On top of that, another non-negotiable I have is putting containers around my work schedule. Meaning I start work at 7 am and not a second earlier. And I finish my day at 5:30 pm and not a second later.
Even if I’m not finished, if it’s 5:30 pm, my laptop closes and I’m done for the day. It can wait until tomorrow.
From there I go focus on being present with my family!
How do you avoid stress and keep a clear mind?
Breath, space, and reflection.
When feeling overwhelmed, I simply sit back, close my eyes, and take five deep breaths.
5.5 seconds inhale…
5.5 seconds exhale…
Repeat.
Any thoughts that come up get written on a sticky note and put aside for me to review in at least 24 hours.
If I’m still feeling anxious, I get up and go for a walk.
Or drink water.
Or eat a nutritious meal.
I give myself space from whatever is triggering me.
And in that space comes clarity.
What are your successful habits that keep your momentum going?
- Waking up at 3:30 am for me-time before my son wakes up. Using that time to hit the gym and get in my daily exercise.
- Being very intentional and discerning about what I consume. Only consuming things that fill my tank, connect me to self, and put powerful, positive thoughts into my mind.
- Focusing on getting 1 small win every single day.
- Being hyper-engaged in my community and investing time into getting to know our members personally. (yes, even non-paying members).
- Daily breathwork and meditation.
- Daily journaling. For me, getting it on paper means getting out of my head. Whether it’s the 6 things I’m going to get done today, writing about my fears or insecurities, or writing a letter to my 5-year-old self. Getting things out of my head and onto paper is vital.
- Investing in team and processes. Creating a team that can turn your work into repeatable processes is the closest thing you can do to actually cloning yourself. You get a lot more done when it’s not completely dependent on you to get done.
What is the secret to your success and what is success to you?
The secret to all success is people. That’s who ultimately gives you money and talks about your brand/products. Invest in those relationships. You can only benefit by outcaring your competition. Remember, marketing is simply developing long-term, two-way, value-based relationships with your customers and potential customers. To me, success is measured in impact, depth of relationship with self and others, and having the ability to always say YES if I want to.