We’re all working toward something. Some of us wholeheartedly dedicate ourselves to our careers and crafts, with little care for or focus on anything else. What about the days when you literally can’t because you’re too tired, exhausted or you’re simply burning out? It’s never fun when your world comes crashing down because you forgot about everything else. Follow these nine steps to help you keep the momentum going:

Take time to breathe

Photo: Jazelle's Artistry — Photo: Jazelle’s Artistry

Don’t suffocate yourself with your work. Take breaks. We’re not talking about the 30-minute break that you take to scarf food while catching up on the show you missed last night, we’re talking meaningful breaks taken on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Dedicate a day!

Work smarter, not harder

Whether you’re freelancer or a 9-to-5er, you need to make sure that you’re utilizing your time as best as possible. Spend at least 20 minutes at the end of each day to prepare for the next day. A good tactic is to divide your day into 2- or 3-hour intervals and plan what you hope to accomplish during each block.

Set and track goals

It’s very easy to get lost in your work and begin to feel hopeless about the future of career if you aren’t setting or tracking goals. It’s important to remind yourself how far you’ve come and how far you seek to go.

Learn that perfection is unattainable

When work never ends, you must accept that not everything will be perfect. Sometimes you will fail and sometimes you will disappoint yourself, but the easiest thing to do is move forward and give yourself chances to excel with new projects.

Switch it up!

Changing your daily routine not only prevents boredom, but it also helps keep your mind fresh. You’ll be way less bored during the day if you have something new or different to look forward to every evening or morning.

Start doing retrospectives

This is a trick that I learned from working at a major corporation. A retrospective is a look back at a past event or situation. After you finish a major project or at the end of every month, take time to figure out how you can improve your workflow. This means detailing what you should start doing, stop doing and continue doing in your work… It’ll help make you more conscious.

Put down your phone

Let’s be honest. How much work can you really do when your hotline is blinging 24/7? You can re-up your productivity by keeping your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ (if you have an iPhone) or putting your phone face-down on the desk/table while you’re working.

Find a good stress reliever

For some, this might be working out — for others, it might be binge-watching Scandal or A Different World on Netflix. Whatever it is, find it and use it as much as you need to.

Focus on yourself

GMA (5 of 20) — Photo: Jazelle’s Artistry

It’s very easy to lose focus on your health and well-being when work or school is your main focus. Surpassing goals, acing exams and making power moves are all amazing, but what are they really worth when you don’t have your health? Don’t forget to put yourself first.

Do you have other tips for those struggling with managing all of their tasks? Comment below with your advice!

burning out

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week