Recharging Your Spark: Burnout and The Power of Pausing

Ever felt like you're running on fumes, barely keeping up with life's demands? Trust me, I've been there. In this episode of the Mischief Movement podcast, I'm opening up about my recent personal battle with burnout and the importance of recognising when it's time to hit pause. From the pressure of maintaining a weekly podcast to the juggle of everyday life, I'll share how ignoring the signs almost led me to a breaking point and how my 2 week rest became a 4 month reset. This episode is a heartfelt reminder to prioritise self-care, listen to your body, and understand that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is take a step back.

But it's not all about rest and recovery—I’ve got some exciting updates to share! We’ve revamped the podcast with fresh, festival-inspired, rock 'n' roll infused branding that screams authenticity and encourages you to unleash your true self. (Thanks Amy @madaboutthebrand) Plus, my summer photo shoots (with @the.adventures.of.phil.jones & @katienbrandphoto) have injected new life into the podcast’s image, capturing the essence of what the Mischief Movement is all about. I'll also give you a few clues about my upcoming guests to whet your appetite! So buckle up, tune in, and get ready to reignite your rebel spirit. Let's get back to shaking things up and designing lives that make us feel truly alive once again!

Transcript

Zoe: 0:00

Hey there, welcome, or welcome back to the Mischief Movement podcast. I'm Zoe, your guide on this journey to shake up the status quo and design a life that truly makes you feel alive. If you've ever felt disconnected, stuck on autopilot or trapped in a life that feels more like a treadmill than an adventure, you're in the right place. I know that change can feel scary, so let's turn down the fear and crank up the fierce as we transform your life from the inside out, whether it's solo episodes packed with actionable advice or interviews with some absolute badass human beings who've dared to defy the norm by living life their way. We're here to inspire, activate, empower and challenge you each week. We're here to inspire, activate, empower and challenge you each week. My mission is simple To help you reawaken your rebel spirit, break free from mediocrity and design a life that's anything but dull. You only get one wildlife, so what are you planning to do with yours? If you're ready to stop settling, start living boldly and create a positive impact along the way, let's dive in and stir up some mischief together. Now buckle up and let's go. Hey, mischief makers, welcome back to the Mischief Movement season five. I know right, and you may be wondering where on earth I've been for the past few months, but all will become clear. I will let you know what's been happening and what you can expect coming up over the next few months, which is all very exciting. Basically, I want to dive into something super important today. I want to talk about taking a break before you break down. You know we all push ourselves to keep going, to keep hustling, but sometimes the boldest move you can make is to hit pause, listen to what your body needs and trust that everything's going to fall into place at the same time. You know, I decided I was going to take a break because I was genuinely taking small breaks between seasons of the podcast, just to kind of have that little pause. It's a lot of work to maintain a podcast, especially when you're a one man sorry, one woman show, so I just have needed those little pauses. Um, except that this time, what started out as being a couple of weeks ended up, you know, then becoming a month and I thought, god, I need to get back on it, which then became a couple of months and I was like, wow, now I really don't know. Um, you know when I'm going to get back on it, what is going on and I'll tell you what happened.

Zoe: 2:50

Uh, I was, I think, on the edge of a of a very small burnout, in the sense that I'd just kind of been going on and getting one episode out a week for like well over a year and I think it was just starting to take its toll on me and I and I hadn't seen the signs. I know a lot of people say, you know, once you've had a burnout, you kind of know the signs and you can recognize them. Um, I didn't really see the signs. I knew that I was having some late nights trying to get the episodes out on time, but it wasn't until I actually stopped and couldn't then kind of get back into it that I thought, wow, you know what I'm really enjoying having my weekends back and not having this kind of constant tugging on my heartstrings about, you know, not spending enough time with my kids, um, or dedicating enough time to my partner, etc. Etc. And so it just kind of spiraled down from like a couple of weeks to a good few months.

Zoe: 4:03

And then the summer hit and I was like, well, I'm not quite ready yet, I'm not quite ready to go back to it. Um, that's not to say that I wasn't doing stuff in the background and I really was. Um, two exciting things happened while the podcast was off air. Uh, you may have seen. Uh, we've got some new branding which is just gorgeous, um, so it's a little bit rock and roll, um, but it's also a bit kind of festival inspired, you know. It's that sense of bringing your whole self, uh, being so authentic as you would if you were at a festival, you know, losing yourself to the music, being in great company. It's that kind of vibe, um, and I also had a couple of photo shoots over the summer as well. So those things are all contributing to the relaunch of the podcast, um, and also an exciting new website which I'm building as we speak. So don't think that I've been completely asleep over the last few months. I haven't been. It's just a little pause on the recording, but that's just to let you know why I've been off and why I haven't been back for so long.

Zoe: 5:22

We're here today to talk about taking a break before you burn out or break down. So, without any further ado, let's dive into this episode, because if you've been feeling stuck or burned out or a bit like life is a treadmill, as I've said in the new introduction, this episode, hopefully, is going to help you. Today. I'm going to give you some practical tips. Hopefully, is going to help you. Today, I'm going to give you some practical tips. Do not lose yourself in the hustle, and I'll share some insights on how to navigate the chaos with faith in yourself and your journey. So let's dive in.

Zoe: 5:57

So the importance of taking a break to avoid burnout. First off, let's talk about something that many of us struggle with taking that pause. You might be thinking but I can't stop now. I've got too much to do, and I know that probably sounds familiar. But let me tell you this the most rebellious, powerful thing you can do sometimes is actually to stop and recharge.

Zoe: 6:22

Burnout doesn't happen overnight. It's a slow build of ignoring the signs that your body and mind are probably screaming at you. In my case, they might have been whispering, but anyway, you're not a machine and so pushing through every bit of exhaustion, stress and overwhelm, it's just a fast track to total exhaustion. Taking a break isn't quitting, it's actually a fast track to total exhaustion. Taking a break isn't quitting, it's actually setting yourself up to come back stronger when you feel like you've hit a wall. Rather than pushing harder, I want you to remember to step away. Take a day, a weekend, or however long. You need to just breathe. Think of it like rebooting your system. Sometimes a little reset is all you need to see things from a fresh perspective.

Zoe: 7:13

Next, let's talk about something we often ignore Listening to what your body and mind need. Your body is constantly sending you signals about when it's time to slow down, but how often do we ignore it because we're so focused on that next goal or deadline? Right, guilty as charged. Here's the truth, though. Your body knows more than you give it credit for. If you're feeling exhausted, there's a reason. If you're irritable, stressed or anxious, that's probably your body telling you that it needs rest or at least a shift in your energy. When was the last time you asked yourself what do I need right now? Not what should I be doing or what's on my to do list, but actually what do I need? But actually, what do I need? Maybe you need sleep. Maybe it's time to say no to more things. Maybe you need to just sit still, without guilt. It's all about trusting that if you honour what your body is telling you, you'll come back feeling more grounded and energised to take on what's next.

Zoe: 8:35

One of the hardest things when we feel stuck is trusting ourselves to figure out what comes next. It's easy to feel lost, like everyone else has got it all figured out and and you're somehow falling behind. But here's the thing nobody has it all figured out, not really. Sometimes taking a step back is exactly what you need to gain some clarity. And when you give yourself time to breathe, your mind has the space to process, reflect and reset. Often the answers we're looking for only come when we stop forcing them anyway, and we trust that they'll kind of reveal themselves when the time is right. You don't have to have all the answers right now. Just trust that when the time comes, you'll figure it out. In the meantime, focus on taking care of yourself and letting the next step come naturally, without all the pressures of having everything mapped out. And finally, let's talk about faith Faith that things will work out at the right time.

Zoe: 9:55

Sometimes we get so caught up in needing control and certainty that we forget to trust the process. Life has its own timeline and sometimes the best thing you can do is take a step back and let things unfold. You know, we're so conditioned to wanting to control things and feeling like we really can, but we can't. We can steer the ship that is our life, but we cannot control everything. I know that asking you to take a step back is easier said than done, but the truth is, things often come together in ways that we never expected them to. So when you feel like you're stuck or when things aren't going according to plan, remember just because it's not happening right now doesn't mean that it never will. Trust that everything is working in your favour, even when it doesn't feel like it. Trust that if you keep moving, even in small ways, and take care of yourself, the pieces will fall into place. It might not happen tomorrow, but the more faith you have in your journey, the more you'll be able to ride the waves without burning out. So here are a few practical tips for when you're feeling stuck or burned out.

Zoe: 11:26

Number one schedule breaks. Put downtime on your calendar just like any other important appointment, whether it's a full day off or a 15 minute reset, but please just prioritise it. 2. Check in with your body daily. Take a few minutes each day to ask yourself what do I need? It can be as simple as closing your eyes and breathing deeply for a few minutes. It can be as simple as closing your eyes and breathing deeply for a few minutes.

Zoe: 11:55

Number three journal it out. I know I always go on about journaling because I'm a bit of a fan, but write down what's on your mind. Sometimes the act of putting your thoughts on paper helps you get clarity and see the next step. Number four do something fun. When was the last time you did something just for fun, something that had nothing to do with productivity? Playfulness and joy can reignite your creativity, and I love to go on about playfulness and having the most fun possible. So please do something fun and finally give yourself permission to rest. It's not laziness. Rest is fuel for the badassery that you are going to bring to your life once you've recharged. Anyway, I hope you've taken these points on board.

Zoe: 12:51

Thank you so much for joining me back on the new season of the Mischief Movement. I'm just so excited to be back. I hope you can tell, and let me tell you I've got some brilliant guests for you. Now I'm not going to reveal the names, but I will tell you that this season I will be speaking to a fashion stylist, a business and mindset coach, a former police officer who's shaken up his career to become a motivational speaker. There's also the founder of an award-winning burger restaurant, and he has a brilliant story, so I can't wait to share that with you, as well as a catch-up with a friend of mine and previous podcast guest from right one of the first series, actually so this is the first time that I get the chance to re-interview someone who's already been on the show, so you can look forward to finding out who that's going to be.

Zoe: 13:52

I look forward to hearing your feedback. Um, if you haven't noticed already, you can now leave me feedback directly from each episode, and there's a little link, uh, where you can send me an sms. So if you do enjoy the episode, let me know, um, and if you feel like it might help a friend, please feel for feel I'm out of practice please feel free to um forward them an episode, either on apple podcast or spotify or wherever it is you're listening from. Just send it to them. Be like hey, you might like this podcast. So until next time, keep living boldly, stay rebellious and don't forget to keep making mischief. Catch you next week.

Zoe: 14:45

That's a wrap on another episode of the mischief movement podcast. If today's content stirred something in you. Let's keep in touch on instagram or connect with me on linkedin. You can even click the link in the show notes to sign up to my mischief mail newsletter, where you'll get exclusive insights on upcoming episodes and your chance to submit questions to future guests. But shh, don't tell anyone it's secret. For more info on ways to work with me and some fun free resources, check out the website themischiefmovementcom. Until next time, stay bold, stay rebellious and, of course, keep making mischief. Thank you.