E242: From Burnout to Balance: Strategies for Sustainable Habits

One of the most common questions I get asked when I’m being interviewed as a guest -on a podcast for example - is, “how can we create sustainable habits? Or how can we create habits that actually stick?” Everybody wants to know how, with such busy lives, we are able to create and maintain healthy habits. So today, I’m going to tell you!

If you could ask me a question about habits, what would it be?

Welcome back to the Women’s Empowerment Podcast, I am your host and Healthy Habit Mentor, Valerie LaVigne. I help women who are making an impact live a life by design, not by default. Using the incredible tool of Healthy Habits, I educate and empower women to prioritize their own health and wellness, so that they can feel great in their body and show up powerfully for the people depending on them.

Part of what makes my clients and students so successful, is that they have sustainable and supportive habits. These are routines and rituals that allow them to experience life, and to grow in their businesses and relationships. The habits themselves are unique to each person, which is why a list of “healthy habits” isn’t what I’m going to share with you today – nope.

What I WILL share with you are strategies for creating habits that stick, so that you can live a life with less stress, and burnout.

[01:45] Pulse Check

A business value I have is honesty. It is very important for me to be honest and transparent about what I share, so before we get into all the strategies I wanted to do a pulse check. We can do it together.

On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being burnout, and 5 being balanced, where do you fall?

Personally, there’s a lot going on in my life. We’re moving into a new house next week, I’m teaching more than I thought I would be this month, and on top of it all, I am pregnant. This is my first time saying it outloud and online!

We’ll have to do another show about my fertility and pregnancy journey this year – let me know if you’re interested! But for now I will say that pregnancy has been a very humbling experience and really helped me solidify boundaries in my life. (More about this later).

How do you want to feel?

If you are new here, get used to this question. Our feeling word is foundational to our healthy habits.

For me, I want to feel present. Present in my physical body, present when eating meals, present with the people or person I’m with, and present in my work.

[03:08] Strategy #1: Define Balance

The truth is, balance looks different for everyone. It may also look different to the same person, but at different times or seasons in life. Can you relate?

After doing that very basic pulse check we would have learned: where we’re at currently, where we want to be/how we want to feel, and by defining balance, we have a very basic idea of how we could create that balance and connect to our feeling word.

For me to feel present with a busy schedule, I need to have a schedule that isn’t booked out with back to back meetings. I want to be able to look at my calendar and not feel like I’m driving around to different places every day or back and forth. In this season of life, balance looks like daily intentional movement.

I originally thought I’d go to the gym today, but it was so beautiful out, I wanted to go for a bike ride. However, since we’re moving my bike is behind a bunch of boxes and I wasn’t interested in moving all of them so I went for a lovely walk around my neighbourhood instead.

When you can define balance for yourself, you can start to make changes, and/or choices that support this way of life for you. Maybe you define balance by how you start your day, or by the type of food you nourish your body with? Perhaps you feel balanced when you ask for help or when you have a restful sleep.

In terms of your sustainable habits: say yes to things that align with your feeling word/definition of balance, and say no to anything that doesn’t align with them. The more you choose to align with your feeling word and definition of balance, the closer you get to balance!

For example: My feeling word is present, and my schedule today has six things on it. The first four things are inside or around my house, and the last two are near/in my studio. I’m driving today, but not to more than two places. My tasks are not overloaded and I’ve given myself ample time to complete the tasks at hand.

[06:06] Strategy #2: Begin the Day with Intention

While this is similar to the first strategy it makes things a little more specific on the day to day. For example, I mentioned I’m in a busy season of life, and I want to feel present in all areas of my life. With our move coming up I’ve blocked time in my calendar for packing and organizing and all that. But that’s not every single day in my calendar. Today and tomorrow, I am in front of small groups of people and I am also producing the podcast, so these first two days, I want to feel present, clear, and compassionate. While the days/times I’m packing I want to feel efficient, prepared, and organized.

Starting your day with intention not only sets you up for the day and tasks ahead, but it’s also a simple ritual to help ground yourself. To look at what actually HAS to be done, where your energy, focus, and priorities are going.

It will make the world of a difference if you do this practice before anything else in the day. Before checking social media, emails, or texts. I use my morning beverage to stir in my intention/feeling word(s) for the day and as I mindfully drink the beverage I imagine the word(s) going into and fueling my body.

Checking your phone before setting an intention is a surefire way to the road of burnout. It may bring up feelings of anxiety or the need to leap into action immediately, when the person who messaged you could probably wait. (Assuming you aren’t an on-call surgeon or midwife or something).

[08:20] Strategy #3: Put Your Phone Down

Speaking of stop checking your emails first thing in the morning – put your phone down! Technology is incredible, I love it! I really do. I wouldn’t be able to have this podcast, or my coaching business without it. But OH MY LANTA it is a huge distraction!

Not only is it distracting, but depending on which accounts you’re following on social media, it can also be energetically, mentally, and emotionally draining. Apps like TikTok and Instagram WANT you to spend all day on them. They have teams of people researching and developing systems to keep you on the app for longer.

If you want to know how much time you spend on particular apps, go to the screen time setting on your phone to get a cold hard truth of your usage.

Most phones have built-in softwares that allows you to limit how much time you speed on certain apps. Take advantage of this feature to automate this new habit – or I guess break this bad habit.

[09:35] Strategy #4: Set Solid Boundaries

Another way to maintain or move towards a more balanced life is to set solid boundaries, not just with your phone, but in business, relationships, with yourself!

This is one of the most impactful habits to get into, and the best place to start is by not replying to requests so urgently/immediately.

For example, if someone asks you to do something and you know you don’t want or cannot take this task on, you could say: “Hi (name of person asking), thank you so much for thinking of me for (task). I appreciate you reaching out. Unfortunately, the timing of this conflicts with my current commitments and I will not be able to take this on.”

Then you could write that you would be interested in something similar in the future, or perhaps offer a suggestion of a more available and suitable alternative of who could help.

If someone asks you to do something and the request lacks details, or you need more time to think about it, you could reply: “Hi (name), thank you so much for thinking of me for (task). Could you please share the absolute deadline of when you would need this to be completed for? (and any other details you may need).”

This response allows you to really understand the urgency of the task. If it’s something that doesn’t have to be completed for weeks or months, perhaps you can add it to your plate. But if it needs to be done by end of day, or end of week, it might not be the task for you!

Remember, check in with your feeling word and definition of balance. Does this ask pass the test?

Clarity is a huge part of boundaries. When I’ve got a lot going on at work, and my partner is on me for little house things or future plans and it’s not within my capacity to answer the questions, I calmly and clearly say, “Babe I’ve got a lot going on at work, and I want to give you my full attention, but I don’t have it in me right now. Can we discuss this together (this evening over dinner).”

Or when I know I’m heading into a busy work week or launch, I will let him know the week in advance that I’m going to be needing some support, or I will be prepping for the week early and will need more of his patience. That sort of thing.

So I guess that’s clarity AND communication. Be clear with what you have to give, and communicate it to the right people.

Not just others, but yourself too! Sometimes I have to say no or not now to things I really want to do because I don’t have the bandwidth for it. When we overcommit ourselves, we only end up burning out, or not performing as best as we would have, and that can spoil experiences and relationships.

A couple episodes back I talked about implementing habits into your busy life. Something I shared in this episode was that you cannot show up as your best, if you are not prioritizing yourself and your own health. Burnout looks like disease or sickness, and balance looks like health, energy, and vitality.

Choose your own self care over a too full plate that leads to burnout.

Episode 240: Healthy Habits for Busy People: How to Incorporate Healthy Habits into Your Busy Life

[13:33] Strategy #5: Be Aware of Burnout Symptoms

Sometimes change happens very quickly, or we accidently let things fall through the cracks, and BAM we’re overwhelmed with life. Burnout can hit us hard, or it can creep up on us. Either way, there will be times where we fall out of balance. It’s okay.

With the strategies and examples I’ve shared with you today, my hope is that you have some tools that help you bring more awareness into your life, and how you’re feeling. You can do the pulse check as often as you need – daily if you need it!

When you feel your balance scale sliding too far to burnout. Stop. Take a pause, a break, a beat, a moment – whatever you need!

Do something for yourself that supports YOU and your well-being, evening if that “thing” is doing nothing.

If you can maintain awareness in your life and with your energy, you can maintain better balance as well, they are directly related in my opinion.

[15:02] Recap

Let’s do a quick recap of today’s episode!

Define what balance means to you. Say yes to anything that aligns with your feeling word and definition of balance, everything else is a “no thanks.”

Begin the day with intention. Distraction free, just you and your feeling word, what energy are you starting the day with, and taking into your life?

Put down your phone. Limit distractions as often as possible. Automate timers, reminders, and phone settings to limit the time you spend on your most distracting apps.

Set solid boundaries. From technology, to work, to relationships, to ourselves. Clarity and communication are foundational for setting and maintaining boundaries. They’re supportive, not restrictive.

Be aware of burnout symptoms. Get in the habit of bringing awareness to your environment and your energy. When feelings of overwhelm arise, take the time you need to reset.

Need a starting point? Do the pulse check I shared at the beginning of this episode! Which of the five strategies will you be implementing? Let me know in the comments below this video, or share them with me on instagram @vallavignelife!

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!