One thing I’ve been noticing lately (a lot lately) is how the American population tends to always be on the go all the time. With no rest or relaxation too! Whether they’re working at their 9-5, participating in family obligations or just doing meaningless activities that don’t necessarily add value to their lives, everyone seems to be busy all the time. Even as a coach, I tend to be this way from time to time. But what exactly is “busy”? While everyone defines busy differently, one thing I know is that we all can experience burnout from being busy.
When I started to research this burnout that I’ve been experiencing, I’ve always been told to go to the doctor and get treated. But no one has ever told me to just take a day and relax and practice some self-care. Strange, isn’t it?! As a coach that believes in holistic measures first, I’m a big proponent of avoiding a pill because the pill does not necessarily treat the actual reason for the condition, it just treats the symptoms. This is one of the reasons I ask “Why” all the time. I like to get to the bottom of things rather than jumping to conclusions.
I’ve started to research this burnout phenomenon and one interesting article I found was a comparison to the United States and Europe. The article was an eye opener into the different cultures and how people in the United States live very differently from those living in Europe. The article gives 10 differences between the United States and Europe, but here are my biggest eye openers:
- Vacation – Most Europeans have a minimum of 4 weeks vacation and many take this time all at once rather than a few days at a time.
- Lunch Time – Europeans actually leave their desks during lunch time and many for an hour or more.
- Smaller Food Portions – The food portions in the United States are enormous compared to Europe. For comparison’s sake, a small soda or coffee in the United States is like a large in Europe.
These three stuck out to me because they directly affect stress and how we feel about ourselves. The note about lunch time is HUGE for me! Most Americans never leave their desk because of how much there is to do and how much pressure is on them to reach the goals set by the company. Yea, talk about pressure.
Here’s my call to action for you:
Take time to practice self-care, get some rest and recover from the chaos of life, even if it’s just 10 minutes each week.
I want you to do this a little bit at a time, baby steps, because it will help. Be mindful with your decisions and how you make your choices in life because in the end, they will effect your stress level.