A life that’s geared around productivity can often slip over the edge into burnout, for many reasons...

• You commit to more than you can ever accomplish

• You procrastinate until the deadline is tight and the stress soars

• You keep pushing when you know you need a break

hitting pause

Whatever the reason, you start to feel the pressure, feel the “burn” of burnout. Instead of setting the world on fire like you may want to do, you fear you’re flaming out in an inferno of over-work.

When you finally do take a break and collapse, that restful downtime doesn’t seem to refuel you. It’s more like you hit a “pause” button and then went right back to super-speed.

three essential steps to beating stress

These three steps will Recharge your life, reconnect you with what’s important, and build joy into every day.

• you must learn how to rest

Not the crashing you’re accustomed to, but true rest that refreshes, that takes time for solitude, peace, and joy. Take ten minutes and just sit in quiet. Set a timer so you don’t have to keep checking your phone to see if the time is up. Maybe grab a pen and paper to write down the things that pop into your head so you can release them. For more ideas on how to rest check out: Rest: A 5-Day Meditation on a Critical but Lost Art.

• you need to slow down to refuel

Each of us has a different way that we refuel best, but you can try various ideas to bring more fun, creativity, and life enjoyment into your day. Think of ways to bring joy to every aspect of your life. How do you bring more joy to your work? To your home life? To your relationships? Brainstorm some ideas and then get to work experimenting to find the things that work best for you.

• you need to review

Take some time to look back, be present and look ahead. Life goes by quickly, and without the intentional reviewing of your time to see where you’ve been and what you’ve done, you won’t make proactive changes for the future, to correct your course where you’ve gotten off track.

Living a life of Impactivity requires the careful evaluation that comes with regular times of review. Don’t let stress and burnout kill your Impactivity. The world needs you to joyfully pursue the Dream that God is giving you, to love Him, love others, and love your life.