Are you near Burnout, or know someone who is?

As a strategic advisor to entrepreneurs and executives, I’ve had to get smart on what Burnout looks like but also how to stave it off. First, with all that has gone on in the past few years, it’s completely normal to feel in a funk or even at the end of our rope. If you find yourself in a persistently low-energy and unmotivated headspace, pay attention to those feelings. As I like to say, it’s easier to stave off Burnout than to recover from it. Think about it like a car with a flashing red gas light: would you rather run out of gas on a crowded highway like the 405, or limp into the gas station on fumes but still in time to fill up? 

I’ve looked at the science of what we can do to turn our situation around. It starts with stimulating the release of our body’s natural feel-good chemicals of dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin – and then proceeds to dial up the feelings – of control, hope and progress – that we intuitively understand will be beneficial to our mood. 

One final note: this is what people call a “path-dependent” process. So *start* with step one (Sleep) and then proceed down the list, in that order. 

I wish that this wasn’t necessary, but I hope that this checklist will help if you or someone you care about is struggling with these feelings.

So if you’re feeling low these days, start taking S.I.E.S.T.A.S.