Tips to Combat Work Exhaustion

When we talk about productivity, we often focus on time management. ⏰ And yes, how we manage our time is important. But I believe that how you manage your energy is even more important and can have a deeper impact when it comes to sustaining peak performance. It's not just about doing the right things, but also doing them at the right time, with the right energy. ⚡️ So what does that mean practically speaking? Here are some tips: 📆 Schedule Your Energy, Not Just Your Time: ○ Identify your energy peaks: Are you an early bird or a night owl? Schedule demanding tasks for your peak times and less demanding ones for when your energy dips. ○ Embrace the power of breaks: Don't push through exhaustion. Short, regular breaks can boost focus and prevent burnout. Try the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes work, 5 minutes break) or find a rhythm that works for you. ○ Listen to your body: Pay attention to physical and mental cues of fatigue. Don't be afraid to take a walk, stretch, or meditate to recharge before diving back in. 💪 Fuel Your Body and Mind for Optimal Energy: ○ Eat for energy, not just for taste: Stock up on nutritious, whole foods that provide sustained energy. Limit processed foods, sugar, and excessive caffeine, which can lead to crashes. ○ Stay hydrated: Dehydration can zap your energy and focus. Aim for 8 glasses of water daily and adjust based on your activity level and climate. ○ Move your body: Exercise is a natural energy booster. Even a short walk or workout can improve focus, mood, and overall well-being. 💆♀️ Prioritize Rest and Recovery: ○ Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Optimize your sleep hygiene with a consistent bedtime routine and a dark, quiet sleeping environment. ○ Learn to say no: Don't overload your schedule. Prioritize tasks and delegate or decline those that drain your energy unnecessarily. ○ Schedule time for relaxation: Make time for activities you enjoy, whether it's reading, spending time in nature, or connecting with loved ones. These activities can help reduce stress and replenish your energy reserves. Remember, managing your energy is a journey, not a destination. Experiment with these tips and find what works best for you. Bonus Tip: Share your own energy management strategies in the comments! Let's build a community of support and learn from each other. #Productivity #EnergyManagement #PeakPerformance #WellBeing

Rest! I haven't shared this message in a while but "rest" assured, it is still very relevant. When we are rested, we are able to reap many rewards. Here are few strategies to achieve the rest you NEED: Scheduled Downtime: Treat rest as an essential appointment. Block off periods in your calendar for breaks, just as you would for meetings. Use this time to recharge, step away from your workspace, and clear your mind. Mindful Breathing: Take a few minutes throughout the day to engage in deep, mindful breathing exercises. This simple practice can help reduce stress, increase focus, and boost your energy levels. Digital Detoxes: Unplug from devices during designated times. Constant notifications can lead to burnout. Set boundaries by silencing notifications and allowing yourself to fully disconnect. Physical Activity: Engage in regular physical activity, whether it's a brisk walk, yoga, or hitting the gym. Exercise not only contributes to your physical health but also has a positive impact on your mental clarity and creativity. Hobbies and Passion Projects: Dedicate time to activities you're passionate about outside of work. Engaging in hobbies rejuvenates your mind, fosters creativity, and helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Quality Sleep: Prioritize sleep hygiene. Create a relaxing bedtime routine, limit screen time before bed, and ensure you're getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. Short Breaks: Incorporate short breaks during your work hours. The Pomodoro technique, for instance, involves 25-minute focused work sessions followed by a 5-minute break. This approach can enhance your productivity and prevent burnout. Social Connections: Spend time with friends and loved ones. Social interactions provide emotional support, reduce stress, and contribute to your overall happiness. Remember, rest isn't a luxury—it's a necessity for maintaining your peak performance and well-being. By integrating these strategies into your routine, you're investing in your long-term success as a professional. 🚀🌈 #RestForSuccess #Productivity #Wellbeing #WorkLifeBalance #SelfCare Let's start a conversation! How do you ensure you're getting the rest you need to thrive in your professional journey? Share your insights below! 👇👇

Work burnout can creep up on you like a stealthy ninja, leaving you exhausted, unmotivated, and overwhelmed. If you're feeling the heat, here are three effective tips to help you cool down and reclaim your enthusiasm for work. 1. Take Breaks and Set Boundaries Imagine your brain as a smartphone: it needs to recharge to function properly. Taking regular breaks throughout your workday can help you recharge your mental batteries. Try the Pomodoro Technique—work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. During these breaks, step away from your screen, stretch, walk, or even do a little dance to get your blood flowing. Setting boundaries is equally important. Define clear work hours and stick to them. Avoid checking emails or work messages outside these hours. It’s crucial to separate your work life from your personal life, giving your mind the necessary downtime to unwind and relax. 2. Prioritize Self-Care Self-care isn’t just about bubble baths and scented candles (though those are nice too!). It involves activities that nurture your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep are fundamental. Try to incorporate activities that you enjoy and that help you relax, such as reading, cooking, or spending time with loved ones. Mindfulness practices like meditation or yoga can also be incredibly beneficial. These practices help reduce stress and improve your overall mental health by encouraging you to stay present and focused, reducing the constant mental chatter and worry. 3. Seek Support and Delegate Tasks Don't be a burnout hero—ask for help when you need it. Talk to your manager about your workload and see if there are ways to lighten the load or share responsibilities. Effective delegation can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and ensure that tasks are completed more efficiently. Reaching out to colleagues, friends, or a professional counselor can provide much-needed support and perspective. Sometimes, just talking about your feelings and challenges can be a huge relief and help you find practical solutions. Remember, taking care of yourself isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. #workburnout #personaldevelopment #bestadvice

You don’t need a vacation. You need to break one of these 7 habits. Some habits look productive on the surface. They get praise. They feel responsible. But they’re quietly draining your energy and joy. You tell yourself you’re doing the right thing. But your body and mind are waving red flags. Burnout doesn’t always come from overworking. Sometimes, it comes from doing too much of the wrong things. Let’s uncover the 7 habits that seem helpful, but are secretly hurting you. And what to do instead. 1️⃣ Overbooking your week → You color-code every hour. → You pack your calendar with back-to-back tasks. → It feels like control, but it kills flexibility. ✅ Solution: Build in 1–2 hour blocks of “white space” every day. 2️⃣ Trying to be “low maintenance” → You say “I’m easy” even when you’re not. → You don’t ask for help, time, or space. → You shrink yourself to make others comfortable. ✅ Solution: Ask for what you need—even if your voice shakes. 3️⃣ Constant “self-improvement” → More courses. More books. More hacks. → You never feel “ready” enough. → You confuse growth with grinding. ✅ Solution: Focus on implementing 1 thing at a time. 4️⃣ Treating rest like a reward → You only rest when everything is done. → (Spoiler: It’s never all done.) → You feel guilty when you slow down. ✅ Solution: Schedule rest like a meeting—and protect it. 5️⃣ Micromanaging your own work → You over-edit your emails. → You redo tasks that were already “good enough.” → You spend more time tweaking than finishing. ✅ Solution: Set time limits. Ship at 90%, not 100%. 6️⃣ Multitasking all day → You jump between tasks, tabs, and texts. → Your brain is always half-present. → It feels productive, but it drains your focus faster. ✅ Solution: Try 90-minute deep work blocks—no notifications. 7️⃣ Staying mentally “on” 24/7 → You think about work even when you’re not working. → You replay conversations. You rehearse tomorrow’s tasks. → Your brain never powers down. ✅ Solution: Create a shut-down ritual. Give your mind a signal: we’re done for today. You don’t need more discipline. You need better energy management. Drop the habits that are stealing your peace. Even if they look productive. ❓ Which of these hit harder than you expected? ❓ Which one is missing? ♻️ Repost to help someone else catch the burnout before it catches them. 🤩 Follow me for introvert-friendly tips on energy, work, and focus.

Your vacation this summer won't fix burn out. I would know, so here's a 58-second Masterclass on how to fix it... I used to think pushing harder was the answer. That was wrong. What I learned is that we need to rethink how we invest our energy. When I changed my mentality from "rest is a reward" to "rest is necessity", my life changed. People who are burnt out think there's no way for everything to get done and their personal value is wrapped in "things getting done" whether we admit that or not. We have psychologically and professionally cornered ourselves into thinking it has to be this way or there will be monumental consequences we will have to face (that are mostly fictional and manufactured by our fears). But here's the other big truths about burnout... - Creativity drops - Critical thinking plunges - You are 40-65% LESS efficient - Errors tend to increase at a fast rate If you took time to rest properly and reframe how you work, you would do MORE WITH LESS. So here’s what I did to tackle my burnout. First, you have to identify it. Do you feel... Exhaustion: Feeling drained and lacking energy, even after a night's sleep. Detachment: Feeling disconnected from your work and personal life. Inefficiency: Struggling to complete tasks you once found easy. Irritability: Becoming easily frustrated or angry over small issues. Loss of Motivation: Finding it hard to get excited about goals you used to care about. Then, you have to overcome it by... Setting Boundaries: Learn to say no to additional responsibilities that don't align with your priorities. Protect your personal time. Prioritizing Self-Care: Schedule regular downtime and make sleep, nutrition, and exercise non-negotiable parts of your routine. Delegate and Automate: Focus on tasks that require your unique skills. Delegate or automate repetitive tasks to free up your time and mental space. Reconnect with Purpose: Reflect on why you started your career or business. Align your daily tasks with your larger goals and values. Practice Mindfulness: Engage in activities that promote mindfulness such as meditation, yoga, or even short walks. Unplug Regularly: Disconnect from work-related emails and social media during your personal time to recharge. Seek Support: Talk to a coach, therapist, or trusted mentor. Sometimes an outside perspective can help you see solutions you might miss. Work Smarter, Not Harder: Focus on high-impact tasks that drive results, rather than being busy with low-value activities. Engage in Hobbies: Pursue interests outside of work to give your mind a break and rejuvenate your creativity. Foster Relationships: Spend quality time with family and friends. Strong social connections are crucial for emotional well-being. Remember, overcoming burnout isn’t about taking a vacation. It's about making sustainable changes to how you live and work and leading a more fulfilling and productive life 😎🤘

"The stress of having so many bosses, so little time, and few resources is getting to me." I spent time the other day speaking with a brand new CMO and offered some advice it has taken me years to learn. It may not be suitable for everyone, but if a pearl works for you... ⏱ Put it down on paper. If you are overloaded write your long to-do list on paper or type it into a document. Get the stressors out of your mind and onto paper, and you will be better able to visualize what you have ahead of you. Once you do that, you'll be better positioned to plan your priorities and consider tasks you can delegate. ⏱ Don't look at the long to-do list every single day. Rather each day, take a few things, three to five is what I usually recommend to my clients, put those on a small note pad, and focus on accomplishing just those.  If there is time after accomplishing those, you can always go back to your longer list. ⏱ On Fridays, review your past week. Were there things that others could have helped you with? Were there projects that could be done better, more efficiently and more effectively? By looking back, you'll be able to tell and move ahead differently for next week. ⏱ If you are structuring a new group, avoid too many direct reports. It's a road to burnoutdom. The rule of seven says that you will be more productive if you can have seven or fewer. I believe that as well. ⏱ Avoid silos of information within your marketing organization and the firm. Some of the most significant stressors I see when working with law firms come when one area doesn't know what the other is doing. The friction (aka complaints) from lawyers and your own staff are generally issues that could have been mitigated by breaking down silos. By creating processes to keep workflows going and putting good communications in place, you can avoid a tremendous number of problems. ⏱ In addition to real getaways, take mini-breaks, even during the day. A walk outside or a trip down the block to grab a coffee can increase endorphins, get your brain cells moving and release some of the pressure. It will also help you think more clearly when you return to the office. ⏱ Learn to say no. One year, I spent several weekends on the phone with a particularly brilliant (yet challenging) lawyer. By the time May rolled around, I realized I was absent from three-holiday celebrations with my family. To some degree, it was my fault for not drawing the line. ⏱ Keep your brain refreshed with new ideas. Be active in industry organizations, for me that means the Legal Marketing Association - LMA International and the International Bar Association, and listen to programs and podcasts on topics you love, even if they don’t relate to your career. I hope you'll share your ideas for how those in leadership positions can achieve more while stressing out less. 

✅ Here’s something that helps me prioritize my mental health and be more productive during my workday. 🔍 What I do: - Schedule focus blocks the first and last hour of my day. - Inform my team that I’d prefer not to meet or be contacted then. - Use the first hour to set my priorities for the day and start working on my most important task. - Use the last hour to track the current status of in-progress tasks and reflect on my day. The result? I’m not as rushed or stressed out during the day. These quiet moments at the beginning and end of my workday help me avoid burnout. And I actually get more work done this way. 📌 Try this if you want to boost your productivity and mental wellness.

Ever lose motivation to work as the day drags on? (fight the afternoon slump using the 4-quarters method) If you’re anything like me, afternoons are the hardest time to concentrate. I would struggle to complete any complex tasks the moment lunch ended. Little did I know, it was my approach that was causing the issues. - - - - - Enter the 4 quarters method. The idea is simple enough, design your workday around your energy level. This is done by splitting the day into 4 chunks: 1. Morning: Energy level is high (7am - 10am) ↳ Focus on creative/complex work ↳ Examples: strategic planning & complex problem solving 2. Late-Morning: Energy level is medium (10am - 1pm)   ↳ Focus on collaborative/communication tasks  ↳ Examples: brainstorming, high importance emails, meetings 3. Afternoon: Energy level is low (1pm - 4pm) ↳ Focus on low intensity work ↳ Examples: routine emails, scheduling, busy work 4. Evening: Energy level is lowest (4pm - 7pm) ↳ Focus on planning and review ↳ Examples: finishing small projects & task list for tomorrow  - - - - - And there you have it! A simple strategy for matching your work to your energy levels. A quick note for those looking to implement. These times work for me but feel free to play around to fit your schedule I look forward to hearing about your results! - - - - - ♻️ If you found this helpful, repost so your network can benefit too. 📌 Follow me (Samuel Sheridan) for daily career advice you can actually use. Thanks for reading and have a marvelous Monday!

How to beat the burnout cycle by working less... A common workday phenomenon is known as the “One More Thing” syndrome. Simply put, as the day winds down, we often struggle to hit the brakes. The culture in today's workplaces (what we call the "Busy Bandwagon" at Make Time) encourages us to think, “Just one more thing!” We think that if we answer one more email, one more text, do one more task...then we will have succeeded! And guess what? There is always *one more thing* to do! I fall into that trap myself, a lot (despite teaching people how to avoid it for a living...) One reason is because it can feel like the responsible and hardworking thing to do. You want to be a good teammate, or a responsible manager, right? Another reason is the Busy Bandwagon often makes it seem like it’s *the only way* to keep from falling behind (this is a total myth). But what if I told you there was a different approach? One insight Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky gleaned through their experience running over 200 Design Sprints was that wrapping up the day's work before exhaustion sets in made a big difference in how people felt the next day. Even stopping *just thirty minutes* earlier than usual made a big difference in the week’s productivity. So, when is the right time to call it a day? Forget about conquering every email (not happening) or tackling every task (dream on). Instead, experiment with setting your own finish line. We call this tactic "Quit When You’re Done" (#16 in the Make Time book). It works best if you set out a daily Highlight, or one big thing you'll focus on for the day. Then as the day comes to a close, if you've accomplished your Highlight, you can rest easy knowing you've made time for what matters most. How do you decide when your day's done? #timemanagement #energymanagement #maketime ~~~ For more on this tactic, check out this week's edition of Time Dorks, a weekly newsletter about making time for what matters. Link in the comments 👇

In today's digital era, many of us are glued to our desks, navigating through a sea of emails, calls, and virtual meetings. While technology offers unmatched convenience, it unfortunately promotes a sedentary lifestyle, especially in the workplace. Sitting for prolonged periods isn't just uncomfortable; it's a significant health risk. The solution? Regular, intentional movement breaks. Here's how incorporating brief, active pauses can transform your workday and enhance your overall health: ✅ Extended sitting has been linked to numerous health issues, including heightened risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, worsened back pain, and diminished mental health. Our bodies crave movement; they're not built for sitting still for hours. ✅ Physical Health: Short, active breaks boost circulation, mitigating sedentary behavior's health risks. They also ease muscle tension and combat the stiffness from long periods of sitting. ✅ Mental Clarity: Briefly stepping away from work clears your mind, lowers stress, and heightens focus. This mental refresh can spur creativity and improve problem-solving upon returning to your tasks. ✅ Productivity: Far from reducing productivity, regular breaks can actually enhance it. By warding off fatigue and maintaining energy and focus, you'll likely complete tasks more efficiently and with greater quality. Incorporating Movement Into Your Routine 🎯Set a Timer: Use reminders to take a break every hour. Many apps are designed to integrate these pauses smoothly into your workday. 🎯Stand and Stretch: Utilize breaks to stand and stretch your body. Simple stretches or yoga poses can relieve tension and improve flexibility. 🎯Take a Short Walk: A brief walk, even just around your office or home, offers both mental and physical refreshment. 🎯Deep Breathing: Include deep breathing exercises to oxygenate your brain and body, enhancing the rejuvenating effect of your break. 🎯Stay Hydrated: Drink water during your break. Proper hydration is crucial for energy and focus, often neglected during intense work sessions. 🎯Duration: Keep breaks brief, about 5 minutes, to rejuvenate without losing work momentum. 🎯Mindful Transition: After your break, realign with your tasks. A moment to refocus can help you return to work with renewed energy and purpose. Regular movement breaks are a straightforward yet profoundly effective strategy to boost physical health, mental well-being, and work performance. Movement is more than a physical health necessity; it's a key to unlocking creative and productive energy. Set that timer, and make movement an essential part of your day. #Build4Life #OWNit #EARNit #B4L #WorkplaceWellness #ProductivityHacks #HealthyHabits #MovementIsMedicine #ProfessionalWellbeing