My Happy List: Burnout Busters

I’m so happy to live in this world – a world where we can openly discuss mental health, where women can work and be independent, and where we have so much comfort.

I’m sure most of you have your “Happy List,” even if it’s not written down, but just in your mind 😉. 

So, I decided to share mine by dividing things into categories. But before we dive in, I want to share a little background. (Feel free to skip this and hop straight to the list!)

Leaving consciously

This is a trend, but not many people truly understand what it means. I had two crucial moments in my life that taught me to live consciously every day.

My hero

The first was when I was 18 and lost my grandma. She had severe cancer, and there was nothing we could do. (Sorry, mum – I know you’re reading this, and it may hurt.) But we live with this loss every day. I often feel her presence, especially when I achieve something – she always asked about our successes, and now I feel like she’s still cheering me on.

She was the kindest person I know, always checking in with “How are you doing?” and giving her best. She’s also my hero – raising three children without a husband takes courage, and she never complained.

Her death in her mid-40s shocked our whole family. We hated cancer, and it made us painfully aware that life is limited. We’d faced deaths before, but each one hits deeply.

War

The second pivotal moment was the russian invasion. I’ve spoken about this before, but war made me 100% conscious. Now, I’m more grateful than ever to be alive.

So, when books say “be conscious,” I know what that really means – and it comes through pain sometimes.

Staying positive 

Even before these events, I practiced realistic positivity, but these two life-pivotal experiences deepened it. They taught me to value life in a way I hadn’t before and gave me a strength I didn’t know I had. 

It’s from this mindset that my list of burnout busters was born.

My Happy List

Work-related routines 

• Keep the schedule: Start and finish at the same time.
• Be honest and open-minded.
• Organize a comfortable space for working.
• Listen to music that motivates me (not distracts!).
• Limit calls (two maximum per day). This is a golden rule, though not always possible for every role.
• Limit notifications when I need to focus.
• Wear comfortable clothes in which you feel confident (pajamas aren’t working for me at all 😀).
• Don’t skip meal time – and don’t eat at your computer or with your phone.
• Have at least one important task per day. This gives you a feeling of confidence and fulfillment.
• Say no when a request is not correlated with your values or responsibilities.
• Team building activities from time to time.

Personal routines

• Caring about yourself: medical treatments and yearly checkups are a requirement, not optional.
• Wake up and go to bed at the same time. (Sleeping is my hobby, so I try to limit “sleeping a lot” to just weekends or vacations).
• Eat well. (Mentioned twice to remember the importance! 😀)
• Find what you like besides work: My “guilty pleasures” are reading and driving.
• Exercise: I have two YouTube playlists: one for when I’m in the mood to try new workouts, and one for when I honestly have no motivation at all (it contains only already checked and easy routines).
• Time for silence: I used to listen to music or podcasts while doing something, but then I realized I needed time just to sit, walk, or lie in silence.
• Time for family/partner – this is non-negotiable.
• Try something new: embroidery, dancing, tennis. You can just try once, but it might help you find a new hobby.
• Traveling: even a short trip to a local museum helps a lot to refresh the mind.
• Eliminate what drains your energy. For me, that was cooking. I realized I wasn’t a fan, so my husband and I delegated it, and we found local homemade dishes that worked for us. Now, cooking is interesting and fun only when we want to make something special together.

Family routines

I’m lucky to have a lovely husband, a wonderful sister, and an amazing family. I try to follow these fulfilling rituals:

• Supporting: talking to family weekly, keeping in touch via video calls (as they live abroad right now).
• Having a family trip at least once per year.
• Having weekly “dates” with my husband – we try to find new places in our city and have quality time together.
• Communication: saying words of appreciation and discussing what’s bothering you is crucial – it helps to stay connected all the time.
• Games: incorporating games into our lives brings joy and good times.

Other stuff

• Keep the space clean and organized – this helped me keep a clear mind.
• Keep the clothes and things that you like – and give away clothes that are demotivating you.
• Donations regularly – from each salary I’m donating to the Ukrainian army, as this is our habit from 2014 and we are trying to support as much as we can.

There are a lot more, but this list is my essential.

Instead of conclusion

Mental health is not something you can ignore. If you can’t overcome burnout on your own, please see a doctor. 

This is one of the most important lessons for me. I have a professional therapist who supports me – and now I know I shouldn’t face it alone. ❤️‍🩹