The most common cause of burnout, even among highly successful people, is poor energy management, says psychologist Sarah Sarkis. She says “Just like you wouldn’t burn through your whole paycheck on payday, you shouldn’t use all of your energy every day.”
She goes on to say “Energy, just like money, is finite,” Sarkis says. “You have credits, and you have debits. Any time you do something that benefits your mental or physical health, like sleeping or exercising, you get a credit. But any activities that are a detriment to that, like working late or skipping a meal, are debits.”
“Run your account into the negatives, and you’ll quickly deplete your energy supply or shut down completely”, she adds.
According to Sarkis, the best strategy to stave off burnout and become a happier, more focused person is creating an “energy budget.”
Here’s how to do it: