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Community Corner

Three Steps to Recover from Burnout

Local health coach helps busy women revitalize and refocus.

 

There is not a moment, as a mother, when I don’t feel like I am busy. Someone needs something and they inevitably ask mom. It’s nice to be needed but sometimes, the one who gets their needs met last is mom and only then with whatever time and energy she has left at the end of the day.  

“The remedy is a not a one size fits all solution because everybody’s lives are unique with different variables,” said Christine Scarince, Certified Health Coach in Bethlehem, “but, for most women, a first step is to determine where you feel you are on a continuum of having your needs met.”

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Over time, not getting what mom needs makes it difficult to give what is needed.  Women and moms often have difficulty asking for and identifying what they need from those around them. So too, we often get caught not asking for help because doing it is easier than trying to explain how we want it done. 

It is imperative that you ask and get help when you need it or burnout is inevitable. Scarince teaches three easy steps to recover from burnout during her individual consultations and workshops.  

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  1. Ask what is the next thing that I can do for my health? This might be as simple as turning off the television before bed and settling down or it might mean deciding to have a salad with dinner. Whatever the very next decision is, try to make it the healthiest one you can make.
  2. How do you plan to make it easier to make better choices? Sometimes it is far easier to order out than making dinner especially when after school activities with the kids run late but, it definitely is not healthier. Scarince suggests devoting three hours to planning and making food in advance for the week. It saves time and money, not to mention the benefits of choosing healthy ingredients.  
  3. Not everyone is going to be comfortable with the changes so make them incrementally. Acknowledge that the changes you want to make may be small but that is ok even if they might not be well received at first. Try to rally the troops behind the changes by getting them involved in meal planning and preparation as well as a healthy lifestyle of less television and more movement

“For very busy people, you are trying to make the right decision but as you trying to make the right decision, it is better to make choices a no brainer.”

Stop comparing yourself to the perfect vision of what you are doing. “It is easy to feel like you are very far from that ideal.” Do your best in small steps and you will achieve better health.

Scarince’s next workshop, The Busy Woman’s Workshop, will be on Sunday, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Hanover Township Community Center. Working with other women, you will gain support, learn to make better food choices and find out ways to take better care of yourself “to support a healthy and joyful life.”

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