Hello my friends, Kristina here, and I’m so happy to be back in a new video with you today to share with you 5 healthy ways to recover from burnout physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. These tips I will be sharing with you today will help you to find balance and wellness in your life, and my tips will teach you how to achieve rest and restoration so that you can get back to feeling like the best version of yourself.

So much has been happening in the world lately. It feels like every day that you wake up, there’s more shocking news of something that’s happened, there’s one more tragedy, there’s something you hear that disregulates your nervous system, and there’s constantly an overstimulation of the senses…leaving us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually depleted. 

A recurring theme that I’m hearing more and more from my friends and family is that they are burnt-out. They are tired. They don’t have any energy left to take care of themselves because they’ve been either giving everything they have to help others, or they’ve been stressed to the point that they simply feel they have nothing left to give…even to themselves.

For me personally, one of the reasons I think this video topic is so important and one of the reasons I’ve chosen to focus on it this week is because I've also been working to find a better balance in my life lately. The tools that I am sharing with you today and that I have developed are the tools I am personally using myself on a daily basis to be able to reconnect back to myself, to accomplish all that I need to get done, and to show up more in service of others. 

I posted on my Instagram stories recently that one of the reasons I haven’t been posting as much is simply because I haven’t had the bandwidth recently to do everything that’s on my plate right now. Life has felt overwhelming. I’ve overworked myself to the point of exhaustion, and I’ve hit a limit on how much I’m able to do on a daily basis. Restoring and running a 9-acre farm, planting 700+ fruit trees, rescuing animals, filming, editing, running retreats, supporting my family, supporting my local community, and more along with everything else I’m doing here can be challenging. So this video for me is made with much intention and commitment to take better care of myself, to set better boundaries around my time, and to allow myself to rest and restore when needed.

There is a big difference between feeling stressed and feeling burnt-out. Feeling stress is something that you might experience on a daily basis and in certain situations. Stress can be in-the-moment or fleeting based upon your day or the events or activities happening in your day. Feeling burnt out happens when those stressful days build and build and build until you hit a wall and you simply CANNOT move forward the way you used to do.

The tips and tools I’ll be sharing with you today are truly fundamental tools that anyone can use. AND–you’ll be able to apply my list of tips and tools and personalize it to your daily routine. Simplifying HOW we move about our days is an important key point here that I will also be discussing.

This video is in collaboration with OSEA, my favorite non-toxic, cruelty-free, organic, and vegan skin care brand. If you’ve seen any of my previous videos, then you know I absolutely LOVE OSEA. OSEA stands for Ocean, Sun, Earth, and Air, and they are a small female-founded and run business whose products are sustainably sourced from seaweed. OSEA has just launched their PLUMPING HYDRATION DUO that includes their ocean cleanser and hyaluronic sea serum. Their cleanser removes surface oils while gently exfoliating and unclogging pores, and their hyaluronic sea serum hydrates your skin while reducing fine lines and wrinkles. OSEA has been gracious enough to offer all of you 10% off your entire vegan skin care order using the code: RAW10 at checkout, this special bundle included. It feels so good to use products that are not only good for our bodies, but also the planet and the animals as well. I’ve included that link and discount code below for you in the description. Please go check it out and enjoy.

All that being said, let’s jump into today’s video. Here are my top 5 tips to help you overcome burnout:

(never force anything…continuously ask…what do I have the energy to do at this moment?)

1) The first fundamental thing you can do when you’re EXHAUSTED or burnt-out is NOT to force yourself to do more, but rather, it’s to allow yourself TO RECHARGE, TO REST, & TO RECOVER. If you want to RECHARGE, understand that recharge = rest. Imagine that you are a battery and that all of your energy or juice has been used up…you don’t recharge that battery by continuing to use it…that will simply give you a completely BURNED OUT battery. The only way to recharge that battery is to stop using it, connect it back to an energy source, and allow it to REST. If you’ve ever experienced REAL burnout like what I’m talking about here, then you’ll know when you hit that wall, you won’t have energy to do much when your battery is depleted. My secret tool is FIRST find a space that you feel SAFE in, and go lay on the floor in that space. It can be in your living room, on your bedroom floor, outside on the grass, wherever you feel SAFE, and lay there and close your eyes. Imagine yourself recharging. If you’re tapped in enough, you can actually feel your heartbeat in this state and the blood pumping throughout your body. Yes, this is a meditative state. I like to call this a restful meditation. Lay there as long as you need to until you feel some energy coming back to you. People often don’t do this, number one because they think it’s probably not socially acceptable to lay on the floor and do nothing, or because they feel they don’t have PERMISSION to give themselves this time for recharging. I have found that it’s essential. Oftentimes we think we need to constantly DO MORE to offset something else, but what actually feels better to us is SIMPLIFYING and DOING LESS.  What’s ironic is that oftentimes you can DO MORE with LESS and become more efficient when you’re rested.  If you fall asleep while you’re recharging, no big deal…embrace it. Your body must need it. If recharging is found through rest, then recovery is found through sleep. Recovery = sleep. Allow yourself enough time in the day to RECHARGE and to RECOVER. REST AND SLEEP. Yes, times are busy and there’s much to do, but if you don’t take the time you need to recharge your battery, you won’t have any energy to do the things you need to do.

2) My second remedy for burnout is to spend time in the elements and in nature. Tap into surrounding yourself with the elements of earth, fire, water, and fresh air as much as possible. Allow me to give you some examples. It’s easy for me to say…go spend time in nature. Yes, sure that’s like taking an afternoon “off” and having some fun or alone time. However, intentionally surrounding yourself with the elements is fueling and restorative in a deeper way. Go jump in your nearest body of water. If that’s not possible, then take a bath or shower. Do some gardening and get your hands in some soil. Do some breath work during a sunrise or sunset. Light candles in your home. Go for a hike outside and experience the earth and air elements together. Pull in these elements and allow them to help bring you back to balance. My favorite element is water. When I’m feeling depleted, I love to swim in the ocean or take baths, and it helps to re-energize me. Add exercise to this and move your body while in the elements or in nature. Movement will energize you as well. Use the elements to help bring you back to balance.

3) Fuel your body with raw foods. Fuel your body with REAL FOODS. Society as a whole has become so disconnected when it comes to food and sourcing. People are consuming chemicals and additives instead of actual food ingredients. Most people are eating processed or packaged goods that have been on shelves for months or years, and most people are eating out everyday or eating highly processed fast meals. It’s time to reconnect with your food. If you REALLY want to feel good, the CORE of your diet should consist of FRESH fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds. Ripe, whole, freshly picked, local, organic when possible, and raw. Eliminate the rest. Eat fresh seasonal fruits. Start juicing. Make delicious smoothies daily. Enjoy rainbow salads and make your own dressings at home. You can even start to grow your own food if you really want to take this to the next level. You can start by growing sprouts or microgreens on your countertops if you don’t have much space. OR, if you’re feeling called…get some garden beds and start growing your own greens and veggies. If you are what you eat, then allow yourself to be fueled by LIVING FOODS that will ENERGIZE you and that will love you back. If you need help starting or with recipes, you can download my FullyRaw recipe app with more than 450+ raw vegan recipes for you at your fingertips. It’s on iTunes & Google Play, and it’s linked below for you. Also, you can join my Inner Circle coaching community where I teach people how to go raw vegan successfully and sustainably to achieve the best long-term results. The link to join my Inner Circle is also linked below for you. Let your FOOD REFUEL YOU.

4) Find your safe spaces, and embrace them. When you’re constantly in fight or flight mode, you will hit burnout quickly. Oftentimes when we are in places that we don’t want to be in, or with people who tend to drain our energy, we don’t feel SAFE…and when we don’t feel SAFE, we are in a state of stress or depletion. It’s physically, mentally, and emotionally draining to not feel SAFE. When I say SAFE, I am referring to your central nervous system feeling COMPLETELY relaxed. Most people don’t realize that they are in stressful environments or around people who cause them stress ALL day, and this can be taxing on us and can lead to burnout. So even if you have to be in certain spaces that overwhelm you, stress you out, or make you feel unsafe, start balancing by finding or creating your own safe spaces for yourself. I shared a video on my YouTube channel over a year ago where I shared my top 11 things I do to create safe spaces for myself. My number one is spending time in water or bathing. I’lll even journal while I’m in the bathtub with some candles on and maybe even some music playing. You’ll notice I mentioned water before as my favorite element, and here, I’m combining my favorite element with my favorite safe space. I practice self-care while I’m bathing. I will take care of myself and use OSEA’s body scrubs, bath soaks, and body oils. 

I use everything from their cleansers, serums, body butters, and body oils, and I use them on my face and body daily. They are made from seaweed, so they are good for the environment too. I’ve gotten into the habit of using their new cleansing body polish on my skin before I get into the bathtub or shower. It feels like a melted honey butter scrub for your skin, and it’s divine. It’s a skin exfoliator, cleanser, and moisturizer all in one easy step.I’ve noticed a difference in the softness, tightness, and health of my skin using this scrub. It’s so nice. For my face, I love using their new Seaglow resurfacing scrub. It exfoliates and cleanses your skin to wash away debris and excess oils to clarify pores, leaving your skin revitalized and glowy. It’s a cleanser and scrub all in one, and it even has oceanic and bentonite clay, volcanic sand, kiwi aha infused rice microparticles, and algae in it to remove impurities while remineralizing your skin with superfoods and nutrients. I’ll follow it with their hyaluronic serum to tone and tighten the skin, and then I'll moisturize with their blemish balm. It’s nice to follow up with their body butter and Undaria algae body oil once you get out of the shower or bath.  If you’re interested in checking out OSEA’s products, you can use the code: RAW10 at checkout for 10% off your entire skin care order using my link below. We live with our skin and in these bodies, so take care of yourself with products that will love you back and protect the animals and environment as well. See my link below and enjoy. 

Other ways I create safe spaces for myself include journaling, spending time with my rescue animals, exercise, praying, singing, dancing, crying, and more. What or where are your safe spaces, and how can you incorporate them into your daily or weekly routines more often?

5) The last and final tip I will share with you to help you recover from burnout is to TAKE THE TIME YOU NEED to RECONNECT back to yourself & others when ready. What does that look like to you? What does a RETURN to self look like to you? A HUGE part of this involves redelegating your time and setting boundaries for yourself so that you can prevent yourself from experiencing more future burnout. The key words here are: setting boundaries. You might need some time alone to figure out what you want and what feels best to you. GET CLEAR. I journal everyday. EVERYDAY. It’s a process I use to reconnect with myself–it’s an honest conversation I have with myself where I commit to my own personal growth and choose to show up to be the best version of myself. Acknowledgement is always needed to a certain degree along with a willingness to change. You can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results. Growth is about change. Applying these simple tools can change HOW you feel and operate on a daily basis. 

BONUS:

MOVEMENT or EXERCISE