Burnout Survival Kit

Place one hand on your belly and one on your heart, then breathe in through your nose and deeply into your belly for five full seconds. Then exhale through your mouth for another five full seconds. Try ten breaths this way.

Pick one or two you can commit to solving by end of the day.

If you've jotted down some things that can't easily be solved, designate some 'worry time' for the day. This is a cognitive behavioural therapy technique that gives you a specific time and place to worry to stop them interrupting your day.

It's okay to feel stress at work. We all do! Sometimes it can even be motivating. But there's a big difference between the occasional spike and an endless high velocity nightmare.

Stress releases a hormone called cortisol. High levels for long periods of time can physically shrink and lose connections with what deals with decision making, concentration, judgement and social interaction.

Nobody is going to think less of you. Admitting when your plate is full is a sign of emotional maturity. When adding extra work - ask what will be delayed or sacrificed to make room for it.

Checking emails less regularly is scientifically shown to reduce your stress. Turn off automated notifications and choose your own timetable for actively checking messages. Maybe that's once per hour. Maybe that's as little as twice a day.

Break your day into small chunks. 3 tea breaks, 2 meal breaks and a wellness walk. Make a list of things you need to get done and what are the truly cursed jobs - do just one of these a day.

Acknowledge the pressure you are feeling while maintaining a cool, calm, clear headed playing style. To get out of a red headed mindset and into a blue headed mindset, take deep deliberate breaths, then anchor yourself with a physical reminder to come back to the present moment I.e. tapping on wrist.

Write a wrist of what you're not going to work on - your permission slip. Stop. Breathe. Write it down.