Reducing incentives                      

INTRODUCTION

The moment you notice that you are close to a burnout, it is very important that you slow down the stimuli as soon as possible.

Your entire system is probably overloaded and that leads to all kinds of stimuli, sounds, signals, information, etc. being extra taxing. This makes the situation even worse.

It is very important to change this and allow these changes to exist for a while. Perhaps it will be possible to wear these changes in.

In any case, you need to get started with this and hopefully you can implement these changes in such a way that they become a regular part of your daily activities.

TOGETHER

Together with your environment, you can see which stimuli can be reduced. You can make quite a few choices in this.

You can ask yourself:

-if all the app traffic is needed (maybe this should stop, you leave all those funny app groups)

-whether you want to be available at all times (maybe for work, not after 17:00 and not on weekends anyway)

-or social media, is really necessary (I know people with 650 friends on Facebook… friends?)

-whether all that news is necessary (we have all the misery in the world on our retinas 24/7)

-whether all those talk shows are necessary (again only 24/7 croaking)

-whether you really need to have your phone with you at all times (great not to be reachable)

-after Corona, we started working from home a lot. Are you able to separate your private life and work enough?

You can also think about whether there are low-stimulus moments. As a tip:

-turn off the TV for an evening and read a book

-Listen to beautiful music

-leave the work at work

-walk in the forest

-Lie down in the bath, without stimuli

-try to sleep when you feel that you are tired (is also low in stimulus)

-etc….

Just make a list of actions you can do to reduce the stimuli and relax more.

CHANGE

I’ve also made a few changes.

1-My Facebook friends, there are only 20 now. That’s my parents, brother, sister and some real friends. I have left all the funny, useless groups. I don’t have Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or other socials. That gives you a lot of peace of mind. No more unnecessary stimuli.

2-I leave the work at school (teacher), and I am not available outside working hours. Even on days when I am not working (holidays, weekends, days off) I am not available. I have discussed this with my employer, and it is respected.

3-I’ve left the many (funny) app groups from my work. I was sometimes texted late in the evening, in my private time. I found it annoying. Colleagues can email me, if there is anything. Then I answer the email during working hours.

4-My wife and I walk every night after dinner. Just go outside for half an hour, get some fresh air. Because this has become a regular habit, it has also become ingrained.

5-We limit the news consumption. We try to get everything on board, but I don’t have to be overfed in that. The world keeps turning even if I’m not aware of the war in Israel or Ukraine every hour of the day.

6-Finally, we really pay attention to getting enough sleep. If we are tired at 7.30 pm, we just go to bed. If I want to get a good night’s sleep in the afternoon, I do.

All of them, small changes that greatly reduced the number of stimuli and that increase the possibility of refueling and recharging energy.

GROW 

Discuss with your environment and certainly with your employer that you need this. That you are going to make changes in the stimuli (including accessibility) to prevent worse.

You will notice that you are less concerned with all kinds of nonsense (social media, etc.). That you are less burdened by your employer (certainly not in YOUR PRIVATE time… really can’t).

You grow into a situation in which you are given space and time to recover.

TRUST 

You actually choose to go back to the core for a while.

Back to what really matters, apart from all kinds of stimuli. If you can keep this up, you can be confident that this is the right way to avoid burnout.

And of course, in the long run, you will be able to handle some more stimuli. But for now, you’re taking control and performing.

Very strong action!!

SUMMARY

People with 650 Facebook “friends”, endless app groups, constant Instagram and even being available for work on weekends… can achieve energy savings here.

Add to that the pruning back of the jungle of news info and look… The right low-stimulus environment for recovery and prevention of burnout.

Plan quiet moments every now and then (walking, sleeping, doing nothing…) and you’ll be fine.