#106 | Three Types of Burnouts 🤕

A collection of the best hidden gems, mental models, and frameworks from the world’s top thinkers; to help you become 1% better and live a happier life ❤️

Hello curious minds 🧠

Burnout is a term we often use to describe feeling drained or overwhelmed by what we're doing.

But just like saying "I don't feel well," it's a bit too vague to pinpoint exactly what's wrong and how to fix it.

In Ali Abdaal’s Feel-Good Productivity book, he talks about the concept of sustainable productivity, highlighting three distinct types of burnout that can leave us feeling depleted:

1. Overexertion burnouts: From taking on too much work for an extended period.

2. Depletion burnouts: From not recharging and resting properly.

3. Misalignment burnouts: From doing the things that don’t align with our values or aspirations.

Let's explore how we can manage each type of burnout.

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Hi, I’m Ryan 👋🏼 I am passionate about lifestyle gamification 🎮 and I am obsesssssssss with learning things that can help me live a happy and fulfilling life.

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🤕 How to Manage the Burnouts

1. Overexertion Burnouts

Overexertion burnouts comes from taking on too much work over an extended period of time.

The simplest and most effective solution? Do less.

But, that’s often easier said than done. How can we prioritise our projects, especially when they all seem equally important?

Energy Investment Portfolio

One approach recommended in the book is the Energy Investment Portfolio. This exercise involves creating two lists:

1. List A: Your dreams, hopes, and ambitions.

2. List B: Your active investments; the projects you are currently working on.

List A can be as long as you like. List B should be limited based on the time and energy you have available. Some can afford to have 5 items on List B, while others can only afford 3 items. It all depends on your situations.

By crafting these two lists, it provides clarity on both your long-term aspirations (List A) and your current commitments (List B), but more importantly, it tells you whether you have the capacity to take on more.

Hell yes or no?

Another approach to doing less is to apply a simple rule I've found effective: "Hell yes or no?". If it’s not a hell yes, it’s not worth doing.

Yes, that means if it’s a maybe, it’s a no. Remember, our energy is finite. By saying yes to okayish projects, we are saying no to potentially great ones. So, choose wisely.

Prioritise scheduling breaks

And lastly, start schedule in your breaks.

This is something I want to do more of. Allocate time in your calendar for doing nothing, and allocate more of it than you think you need.

If you're experiencing overexertion burnout, chances are you're not giving yourself enough downtime.

2. Depletion Burnouts

Depletion burnouts happen when we rest the “wrong” way.

But what exactly does it mean to rest the "wrong" way?

Well, there’s a difference between activities you do when you feel drained of energy and activities you do that actually energise you. For example, mindlessly scrolling Instagram when you are drained is different than hitting the gym for a workout, which can actually energise you.

The first step in resting right is recognising this difference.

And so, the first step is to make two lists:

1. List the activities you typically do when you feel drained.

2. List the activities you do that actually energise you.

By comparing these lists, you will gain valuable insights into your rest habits and start to make intentional changes.

So now that you know the differences, what activities should you focus on to reenergise?

The CALM activities

Research suggests that engaging in creative activities can be effective in helping us to relax. These activities often possess four characteristics encapsulated by the acronym CALM:

1. Competence: Activities that foster learning and personal growth.

2. Autonomy: Tasks where you feel a sense of ownership and control.

3. Liberty: Opportunities to disengage from routine work obligations.

4. Mellow: Relaxing activities with low stakes and minimal pressure.

To incorporate CALM activities into your routine, start exploring new hobbies that embody these characteristics.

3. Misalignment Burnouts

Misalignment burnouts come from doing things that don't align with our true selves.

To address this, the book suggests two methods:

1. The Eulogy Method: Simply ask yourself, "What would I want someone to say about me at my eulogy?". This exercise will help you identify what you value from others' perspectives.

2. The Odyssey Plan by the Stanford Life Design Lab: This structured approach to life planning and self-discovery, created by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, offers a framework for envisioning and exploring different paths for your life.

If you're curious about how to apply The Odyssey Plan to your life and explore different paths for your future, check out my newsletter below for an in-depth guide and practical tips on getting started with The Odyssey Plan.

Mystery Gift Box #052 | The Odyssey Plan by Stanford Life Design Lab

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📚 This week, I finished reading…

2 books in progress 🤓

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Have interesting gems you want to share with me and others? Share it by replying to this email and I will include it in the next gift box :)

With love,

Ryan O. 🎮

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