Avoiding New Year’s Resolution Burnout

by Michael Mantell

Here are 6 tips to get you past burnout and start to reenergize, refuel and recommit to your health:

1. Begin your day with a relaxing meditation – make it brief and create a SMART daily goal – one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. Visualize yourself- really “see” yourself – in a more positive and enjoyable exercise routine.

2. Change your thinking about what you erroneously believe you “must” do to what you’d more accurately “prefer” to do.

3. Set firm and clear boundaries on your time. It’s ok to say, “no.” Work time is for “them” and private time is for “you” and fill the “you” time with quality enjoyment.

4. Slow down, take a break from working out and change up your exercise routine – add a new approach to the exercises you do, add new music to listen to, exercise in a different gym, find a a new workout partner, or try another fitness coach. Do it! It’s your life and only you know what you really want and need in order to recharge yourself.

5. Ask for support from others, create new motivators, reset your priorities, take control of your time, focus on what’s NOT wrong and what can go right with your workouts. And, find alternative ways of thinking about exercising that are less demanding, more positive and lead to a healthier approach to working out. Mental and physical exhaustion, and burnout are different, and each need its own responses.

6. Add PERMA to your life:

  • Positive emotions
  • Engaged actitives
  • Enjoyable Relationships
  • Find Meaning in what you do
  • Take pride in your Accomplishments

These 6 steps are not meant to be a complete list, but they do touch on all of the key points that are meant to restore you to health, happiness and wellbeing – free of exercise burnout. Give them a chance, expand on them and return to the preferred you.

(This is an excerpt from an ACE Fit Life  article by Michael Mantell)