🕯️ I'm slowly burning out, are you?

My latest plan to recover from hyperfocus mode

Dear readers,

I know burnout is a serious condition, and I am lucky to not have been a direct victim of it. However, this past few months I have noticed a decrease in my energy, my motivation and… my ability to do anything.

I kept getting mildly sick, which made it really hard to keep working and focusing, and I didn't have any energy for my hobbies after work. I ended up confessing to my colleagues that I felt like I was slowly burning out. After seeing healthcare professionals, they suggested I try taking it easier at work.

Let me know if you relate: I am the type of person who tends to hyper-focus on everything.

• When I'm working, I give 100% during my work hours, only take a couple of tea breaks and even feel guilty if I have to take a day off.

• When I'm studying a language, I only consume native content, even when I should be resting.

• When I'm planning a table-top story for my friends, I spend hours prepping to maximise enjoyment.

As a result, I get exhausted, overthink and lose motivation if I don't think I can reach my expectations. In a world where everyone is trying to help you regain your focus, I realised I have to work to lower my focus.

If this speaks to you, take a moment to let this sink in.
You have to focus less, and let your mind relax.
How? We can figure it out together.

I started with the classic Pomodoro method. I used to criticise it: can you imagine? 20 minutes in, 5 minutes out? It felt so unproductive, I thought I would never be able to get in flow with this method.

At first, I thought I would only do this while I'm sick to make sure I take breaks: drink water, stretch a bit, and take my medicine. But I ended up really enjoying it, while keeping the same productivity level. It actually helps me focus on actionable tasks while staying relaxed.

During the 5 minutes off, I tried anything to make myself get up and go away from my screen: tidy something, go outside, drink water. I even purposefully went on my phone to send messages to friends.

*So far the only thing that I haven't solved at work is longer meetings. These are draining.

Can’t be bothered with setting up a timer? Me neither! Let me share my anti-burnout set up on LifeAt.

My personal LifeAt set up

I used this years ago, during lockdown. But it got better in time, and my free set up now includes:

• a Pomodoro timer that runs automatically and beeps for breaks,

• a relaxing animated background,

• customisable music and sounds,

• a task list so I know what to focus on,

• for work, I also use my calendar so that I can time block by drag-and-dropping my tasks.

I tried this set up to work from home. I use a separate set up to help my balance my activities during my free time. You can even open your room, so people can join in and study with you, which is not a feature I have tried yet.

If you make a set-up, please share it with us! In the meantime, do you have any tips that help you take it slow?

I'll keep you updated on my journey, and I hope you can join me to have more energy to yourself.

Best,

Lou

✍️ Dear language learner

Learn your target language with useful phrases! Here are a few to translate to test yourself. If they’re relevant to you, you can add them to your notes or spaced-repetition system.

🌱 Beginner

I need a break.

🌿 Intermediate

You seem tired, take it slow.

🌳 Advanced

What if taking more breaks actually made you more productive?

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Thank you for reading “I heard from Lou”. It can be hard to find people who share your passion for learning. If you have friends who might like this letter, let them know.