How To Never Burnout Again

I’ve always been an early riser, waking up somewhere between 5AM and 7AM for the past 4/5 years and getting straight into my most important task.

So if I’m not waking up until 9AM or maybe even 10AM, something is wrong with me.

And that’s exactly what happened to me just over 2 years ago.

Only I didn’t wake up until 12PM.

I had 0 motivation, 0 drive, 0 discipline. I couldn’t get out of bed for the life of me.

And when I eventually crawled out from the warm shelter of my bed, my legs instantly gave way and I stumbled, catching myself by grabbing my bed with 1 hand and the nearby wall with another.

I could barely stand. Every muscle was aching. My mind craved nothing but to lie in bed and do nothing.

Even when I tried to force myself to work, to focus, I couldn’t. I wasn’t even getting distracted. It was more than my brain was running on empty.

I had officially burned out.

But that’s what happens when you’re an early riser (both by nature and by choice) that isn’t going to bed until 2AM and in the hours I was awake, I had been pushing my mind and body to the limits for the entire day for months on end.

Now, here’s burnout’s dirty little secret that it doesn’t want you to know…

Burnout isn’t caused by volume or intensity of work.

It’s caused by your inability to manage your mental and physical states.

Theoretically, you could work as long and as hard as you want if you could find a way to manage your mental and physical states to the level necessary, but of course, at a certain point, it becomes impossible to manage them to the correct degree - and then you burn out.

But most people don’t help themselves.

Most people think they need to “relax” - which in the eyes of 99% of people involves a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, a large pizza, and a night of Netflix.

To manage your mental and physical states to avoid burnout, you need to recoup your nervous system - not damage it by feeding it crap and lying around doing nothing.

After I burned out, I knew I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing. I had to make a change.

So I spent a few weeks researching burnout, what causes it, and how to prevent it.

So how do you manage yourself so that you never burn out again?

• Training

This is non-negotiable. You need to work out in the gym at least 3 days a week. But do something daily (walks, runs, sports etc) that makes you sweat.

Exercise relaxes your nervous system (after training) through the release of feel-good neurotransmitters such as endorphins and anandamide - helping prevent burnout.

• Meditation

Another non-negotiable. You need to be meditating for 10+ minutes each day.

You need to give yourself time to think in silence with no stimulation, clear out your thoughts, and mentally recover.

• Good nutrition

You need to fuel your body with good food that doesn’t flood your body with crap.

Eat clean foods, prioritising 1 gram of protein / lb of body weight and minimising sugars.

• High-quality sleep

Without 7+ hours of high-quality sleep each night, if you’re pushing your mind and body to its limits each day, it’s only a matter of time before you burn out.

Get morning sunlight. Cut out caffeine 10 hours before bed. Cut out blue light 1 hour before bed.

• Ice baths and saunas

Ice baths and saunas are fantastic for dealing with inflammation, resetting your nervous systems and removing toxins and crap from your body. Essential for preventing burning out.

Aim for 11+ minutes / week of cold exposure at less than 8ºC/46ºF and 1 hour+ / week of sauna at 80ºC-100ºC / 176ºF-212ºF.

Different people can handle different amounts of stress.

Some people could work 16 hours a day and do these habits most of the time and never have to worry about burning out.

Some people could work 8 hours a day and need to do these habits and more (eg. daily walks, reading etc) to manage their mental and physical states appropriately.

Learn your body and how to manage yourself if you want to never burn out again. However, these 5 habits I mentioned above are NON-NEGOTIABLE.

And remember, burnout isn’t caused by volume or intensity of work. It’s caused by your inability to manage your mental and physical states appropriately.

So if you feel like you're burning out, make sure you’re doing these 5 habits and optimising them.

But it’s one thing to know this, it’s another to implement it. That requires a level of Self-Mastery most people will never reach.

If you want to achieve Self-Mastery, unlock your true potential and smash every goal you set, click here to get MasteryOS.

We go over how to master your mind, actions, craft and performance so that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, you also get some sexy bonuses for free if you sign up during this cohort.

- Ross