Being present is the antidote to burnout

"If you don’t declare a finish line, then your body will declare it for you." – Carey Nieuwhof

There are many reasons why one might experience burnout, but the biggest one, in my opinion, is living a rushed, frantic life. We often justify our stressed lives with various reasons like:

• "This is just a busy season, and I have to get a lot done."
• "This busyness and stress are the price I have to pay for success."
• "If I had more time, I could get everything done."
• "I'll borrow time from tomorrow, even if it means I don’t get to rest today."
• "I can multitask to accomplish more in less time."

This mindset traps us in what is known as the stress spiral. It begins with overcommitting to things we don't want to do, leading to overwork, and ultimately overwhelming us when everything becomes too much to handle.

The antidote to this isn't time management. It's energy and attention management. We need to learn to be present in what we are doing. We need to recognize that being frantic and constantly switching tasks will not lead to lasting success. It may provide short-term benefits like a dopamine fix, but it is unsustainable in the long run. Soon, one will be addicted to those dopamine hits, leading to burnout.

The true antidote is the ability to be fully present in whatever you are doing.