GO Month: Mental Clutter - K

Let's celebrate Get Organized (GO) Month by ridding ourselves of mental clutter from A to Z!

To celebrate Get Organized (GO) Month I'm doing a series of posts on the mental clutter that can be just as pervasive as physical clutter. For each letter, I'll talk about a mental stumbling block that often impacts our well-being.

Let's focus on K ... Knackered

I know what you're thinking... What the heck does 'knackered' mean? I first heard this expression on an HGTV show where a British couple was renovating a castle, while raising 2 kids, and managing a thriving event planning business and they kept talking about feeling "knackered." Knackered is a British slang term meaning burnt out, exhausted, worn out, tired. You get the idea.

As you very well know from living through a pandemic, burnout is real! It's much worse than ordinary fatigue and it can make it hard to cope with stress or handle everyday activities. It leads to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

Signs of knackered-ness AKA burnout can include:

exhaustion

increased illness

cynical outlook

depression

sense of failure

detachment

irritability

There is even a 12-stage process of burnout described HERE.

Ways to combat this burnout include:

• Take breaks - break down projects into small tasks and frequently step away to rest

• Maintain your schedule/routine as much as possible - it can be the anchor to your chaotic week

• Move your body - dance, walk, exercise - it all helps

• Engage in some acts of kindness - it makes you feel good and can re-energize you

• Prioritize your sleep

• Have some go-to coping skills that are effective for you and practice them regularly - journaling, meditating, baking, reading, hiking - whatever works for you

"Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long."

Michael Gungos

Here's to freeing ourselves from the mental clutter of feeling knackered!

Please share with someone who needs a clearer mindset.

featured image by Free-Photos from Pixabay