With busy, preoccupied lives, making time for our mental and emotional health can be tricky. With so much to juggle, our minds can become overactive and chaotic, and we can even reach the point of overwhelm or burnout.

How can we find calmness, inner peace, and a sense of groundedness when there’s so much uncertainty? One possible solution is to practice the art of mindfulness. It’s affordable, accessible, and can be practiced in multiple ways to suit what works best for you.

When tidying starts to feel stressful or overwhelming, the motivation to keep going soon disappears! This is where your bullet journal (or BuJo for short) comes in.

The secret is to take meaningful steps NOW to increase your chances of achieving your desired result.

Did you know there’s a technique that can give you all the benefits of a full night’s sleep without all the zzzzzs? 

The technique is called Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)

by Georgina El Morshdy The truth of who you are is one of the most beautiful things you can share with your friends, family, partner, and ultimately the world.  Often, we hold back our most authentic expression because we’re worried about being judged, rejected, or criticized. We hold our tongue, edit our words, or hide in the shadows.  The good news is that self-expression is an art and a practice. The more you do it, the more your confidence expands. The more you take risks, the braver you become. The more you let others see who’s behind the social mask, the more you see your unique beauty.  Discover how to cultivate the ability to express your true self with these five top tips.  1.Unleash your creative self  Self-expression is the art of taking what’s inside and putting it outside of yourself.  Elevating your creativity muscle can increase your ability to reveal yoru true self because creativity is self-expression.  Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Humans are inherently creative. It’s one of our greatest gifts. Unfortunately, our creativity gets shut down because of a need to fit in or look a certain way. We’ve all got stories of how our creativity was judged harshly. Because creativity is our essence, we CAN reactivate it. This 30-day Creativity Challenge can help. 2. Boost self-expression by writing out your thoughts first If you want to express your truth more authentically and frequently, your journal is your new best friend! Your journal is YOUR journal (I’m obsessed with the Scribe!) It’s a private place where you can explore your self-expression. No one needs to see what you’ve written, so you can dial up the bold and the brave and play around with ideas.  For example:  • Practice using different words. • Allow yourself to express difficult emotions without judging yourself. • Write poetry. • Reflect openly and honestly on experiences you’ve had. • Ask and answer deeper questions. • Take risks.  Turn to your journal when you want to be radically honest and experience the joy of seeing yourself -- minus the self-imposed censorship!  [If you want to dive deeper into the power of journaling as an activator of self-expression, check out this podcast episode.] 3. Give yourself permission.  Here’s a simple tip that’s often hard to implement because of the inner critic!  Fearless self-expression starts with a decision to show up as so.  Can you permit yourself to reveal more of your true self -- first to you, and then to the world?  It’s always your choice.  And, it’s a choice related to your relationship with fear.  In the words of Susan Jefferson, can you “feel the fear and do it anyway?” Can you experiment with your comfort zone and allow yourself to thrive in discomfort?  I bet you can :-)  4. Work on your emotional intelligence. We can elevate our ability to self-express when we expand our ability to identify and label the emotions we feel. Most of us feel comfortable expressing so-called ‘good’ emotions such as happiness, joy, and excitement. In comparison, we find it hard to express emotions such as anger, guilt, or sadness because these types of emotions make others feel uncomfortable! It’s why they get shut down and shut away. As you expand your language around the way you feel, you have a clearer understanding of who you are. For example, are you feeling sad? Or are really feeling empty, guilty, or inferior? Are you feeling happy? Or are you feeling proud, valued, or free? Learning to distinguish between the subtleties of different emotions elevates our creative expression. It expands who we are. It’s empowering. 5. Choose to heal the part of you that stays silent Many of us have experienced things that caused us to censor ourselves. We’ve all had experiences when we believed we didn’t matter. As a result, we shut down. We became shy. We grew more introverted. Maybe you were bullied, and you learned to survive by staying small. Maybe people said you talked too much, so you knew to hold your tongue. Perhaps people criticized you for being too bold with your opinions, so you learned to keep them to yourself. Experiences like these (many of which may have happened in childhood) helped create a belief system. For example: “People aren’t interested in what I have to say.” “It’s safer to suppress my true emotions.” “People expect me to put on a brave face.” Etc.  These beliefs then shape our thoughts, which influence our feelings, which determine our actions. In other words, the way we show up perpetuates a pattern that may have been formed decades ago.  Coaching, therapy, or even self-reflection in a journal can help you identify the old stories and limiting beliefs that suppress your self-expression. You can transform the beliefs that drive you, replacing them with ones that empower you.  It takes courage to do this work, but it can be life-changing for some people. Your self-expression is a gift The famous choreographer, Martha Graham said, ​​“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” Your authentic self-expression is a gift for you -- and a gift for the world.  Set it free, and it will set you free.  What can you do today to express the real you fully?

“Burnout is so hard to get out of because when you’re in it, you ask yourself, ‘What can I do to bring me relief from all this pressure and stress of all this work I need to do?’ And the only answer you can think of is, ‘The only thing that will bring me relief is if I finish this work.'” — Jonny Sun Collectively, we’ve been through a lot over the past few years. So much uncertainty and unpredictability takes its toll. And because society values productivity and the ability to keep going - no matter what - more and more of us are at risk of burnout.  The good news is there are proactive steps we can take to manage our energy and protect our mental health and wellbeing.  So if you’re worried about burnout keep reading to discover some powerful tips and ideas that can empower you to thrive.  What is burnout?  At the core of burnout is emotional exhaustion where you feel so depleted and drained that you have nothing left to give to your job and maybe even your passions, hobbies, and relationships.  As a result, you experience a debilitating overwhelm where your mental capacity is reduced to the point where you can’t think straight or make decisions about what to do next. You can’t organize the chaos around you and you need to pump the brakes so you can create a pause and create some relief.  When you’re burned out, your cup is empty. You can no longer pull from the well because it’s depleted and in desperate need of being refilled. This is different from stress.  Stress is over-engagement, which leads to diminished energy and anxiety. In comparison, burnout is disengagement coupled with a sense of helplessness and demotivation.  What’s the opposite of burnout? The opposite of burnout is feeling balanced and in flow. It’s a feeling of momentum and traction where you’ve got everything going. Where you’re juggling multiple balls and you’re on fire - in a healthy way.  It’s also a feeling of being a part of something bigger than you [in comparison to burnout, which can feel very lonely and isolating]. We saw an example of this while watching archery during the recent Olympics. One of the teams had a fantastic ritual of encouraging and high-fiving each other after every shot [even if an archer didn’t do well]. The vibe was tangible and you could feel how it was driving everyone to be their absolute best at the moment. This is the opposite of burnout.  How burnout affects our health & wellbeing The good news is the old school “grin and bear it” response is becoming more and more discredited. We’re undergoing a culture shift where our mental health is becoming equally, if not more, important than our physical health. We’re starting to have open, honest discussions around mental health. It is past the time where we bury our emotions and feelings and we sacrifice our well-being.  Burnout can have lasting effects on our lives. It’s not uncommon for people to quit their jobs as a result of burnout.   Burnout can also drain confidence and overall life satisfaction; it can harm our home life and relationships and lead to a loss of creativity and innovation. We’re less willing to take creative risks and experiment. Research shows that burnout can lead to changes in sleep habits, increased use of food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel, and even show up as physical symptoms (e.g. - weight gain or loss, trouble sleeping, unexplained headaches or stomach issues).  The cost of burnout is high and not just one we pay as individuals, but as a society as well.  What causes burnout? Various factors can cause job burnout. Workplaces are often responsible for the causes of burnout and they need to take responsibility to make the necessary changes to help overcome burnout.  Possible causes include: Lack of control - not having the necessary resources or being unable to make changes to your schedules, assignments or workload could lead to burnout.  Unclear job expectations - not knowing what is expected of you, especially in times of change, can add unnecessary stress. Lack of social support - especially now with people working from home, it’s easier to feel isolated at work (and in your personal life).  No work-life balance or an imbalance - if work takes up too much of your time and energy, there may be nothing left for family, friends, and personal time.  6 proactive things to do if you experience burnout 1. Be kind to yourself.  In the words of Lalah Delia, “Self-care is how you take your power back.” Burnout is an invitation to invest in yourself - so you can replenish your energy and your vitality. Self-care is a key component in this journey.  Self-care isn’t all spa days and manicures (although it can be!) Instead, it’s about discover what fills your cup. Everyone is different,, but common practices include meditation, journaling, and time in nature.  Review your schedule and ensure you’ve baked in quality, undisturbed, uninterrupted time for you. You’ll feel so much better for it.  Mokokoma Mokhona said, “The wise rest at least as hard as they work.” How would it feel to weave this principle into your life?  2. Celebrate small wins. This may sound like a small, insignificant strategy, but it’s a step that can protect against burnout as well as sparking recovery from it. Our biggest defense against burnout is often a sense of daily progress. We feel rejuvenated when we move forward on our goals and help others achieve theirs. We created the “Win The Day” pads to help with this.  Use it to create a ritual of acknowledging at least 3 wins each day. On a good day, this ritual is the cherry on the cake that can lift your mood higher. On a bad day, this habit ‘forces’ you to find something that cultivates a sense of positivity and accomplishment, which helps you remember who you are and what you can do.  3. Ask for support.  Maggie Smith reminds us, “Be brave enough to ask for help when you need it. There is no merit badge for doing all the hard things alone.”  It’s tempting to isolate yourself when you feel burnt out. We can worry that others might think less of us; that we can’t cope. We might hold back for fear of being a burden on someone else. We might keep convincing ourselves that it’s merely a phase that will pass.  It takes a lot of courage to raise your hand and say that you need support, but it’s one of the most potent steps you can take. Even the act of being honest about your situation can create a slither of space for healing.  Give yourself permission to express your needs and fears. Find someone who you can trust to hold and support you. Talking alone can make a big difference.     Also, see if you can get clear on your needs so you can get the support you need. For example, with the pressure of responsibilities and expectations reduced, there’s more space, energy, and bandwidth available for recovery. Maybe friends can cook meals, take care of household chores, or offer to take the kids - anything that gives you back some time.  4. Evaluate your working environment.  Burnout is often an indication that there’s too much on your plate and that something has to give. You don’t have to wait for burnout to take this step! It’s worth periodically checking the demands of your job to ensure you’re set up for success, work-life balance, and fulfillment. For example:  Are your work expectations still fair?  Are there ways that you can gain more control over your time and your day?  Is the level of support and opportunities for delegation sufficient for your job?  Do you need to redraw boundaries to take back your energy and your time?  Can you say no to demands that place you under additional pressure? This is a conversation you can have with your coach or mentor [if you have one]. Alternatively, you can explore these questions in your journal or in a conversation with a friend to help you get clarity.  5. Know yourself. Burnout can be a time of re-evaluation. Ask yourself what do you want? Get clear on the lifestyle you want to create. Assess how much pressure you’re able to handle and discover the routines and rituals you can implement to protect your mental health and sustain your energy and vibrancy. For example, many people find a daily gratitude practice incredibly valuable. Each day, write down three things that you’re grateful for - regardless of what’s happening. This practice is a great perspective shifter and helps remind you that there’s always something to appreciate.  6. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. When you’re burnt out [or close to burnout], your perspective can become distorted. You can see a glass-half-empty rather than a half-full one. Focusing on your strengths can help you feel empowered in the situation.  One more thing… DON’T make these common burnout mistakes! When burnout strikes, people often feel that they need to quit their job to get back on track. Alternatively, they blame themselves. However, burnout is the end of a spectrum and many factors cause it - both personal and workplace based.  Burnout is an invitation to review the way you live and work. It’s an opportunity to regain balance, review priorities, and revisit boundaries.  When people can reclaim their power in the situation, they often discover that there’s a solution that can make space for more success, joy, and fulfillment than was previously available.  In the words of Fyodor Dostoevsky, “You will burn and you will burn out; you will be healed and come back again.” 

Glance through this powerful selection of forgiveness quotes from some of the world’s greatest thinkers and leaders. 

As a creative being, there’s an infinite well of ideas locked inside of you.
Keep reading to discover five powerful ways to free your mind and reconnect with your inner voice.