Episode 4

The speaker shares 15 tips for managing stress, avoiding burnout, and staying motivated. The tips include setting realistic goals, prioritizing and organizing tasks, practicing time management, taking regular breaks, maintaining work-life balance, practicing stress management techniques, seeking social support, celebrating achievements, staying physically active, taking care of oneself, learning to say no, seeking variety and learning opportunities, avoiding perfectionism, disconnecting from technology, and regularly reassessing and adjusting goals and progress. The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding what works best for oneself and implementing these strategies to become the best version of oneself. Managing stress and avoiding burnout and staying motivated are crucial for maintaining your well-being and achieving your goals. Today I'm going to be sharing some practical tips and strategies to help you in these different areas. Tip number one is set realistic goals and what I mean by that is you want to break down your goals in these different areas of life into smaller achievable tasks. So for example, when I wanted to start a podcast and impact and serve other individuals like yourself, step number one was to go out and get all the equipment and start the podcast. There was many little steps and action steps that I had to do. For instance, the first thing that I remember doing is, what's the name of the episode? Okay, cool, I came up with that, check that off the box. The next day I would come up with, okay, I need a cover photo, let me check that off the box. Then the third day, what platform am I going to use? Okay, cool, check the box off that. Number four, what distribution am I going to use? So you have to set these smaller little achievable tasks and once you start checking those off the box, oh my gosh folks, you start creating momentum and confidence in achieving this goal. Okay, so that's tip number one. Number two, prioritize and organize. So what I mean by this is make a to-do list. For instance, in front of me, I have what's called a weekly design and on the back of that weekly design, I have my task and to-do list that I need to do and this is just a productivity tool to help prioritize my task. Now, for me, I'm a morning guy. What I mean by that is, typically I wake up at 4 a.m. and my day doesn't end until typically in the afternoon time around 1 or 2. So from 4 to 2, I am just like checking things off the box and what I mean by that is, it allows me to organize my work based on importance. So if I'm dialed in and running peak optimal levels, which is typically around 8 to 12 p.m., so I got about a four to five hour window, that is usually where I'm prioritizing my high priorities to-do list and tasks that I need to do. For instance, I want to make sure I bring value, energy, passion, love to this episode, to this podcast, for my audience, for my friends and family and even in my coaching business, I want to make sure that I designate that time so I can pour my energy, heart and soul and have the energy to be able to coach my students and coach my coachees. So I make sure I prioritize and organize that by focusing on the high priority items first. This also reduces stress and ensures that I stay on track. Okay, number three, practice time management. So basically you want to allocate specific time blocks and what I mean by this for certain tasks and activities like I just said in number two. So I do what I call intervals. So in other words, I do 25 to 30 minutes, let's just call it 25 minutes of work. So intense focus, put the phone on do not disturb, no dogs, nobody comes into your office, it's just you're dialed in for 25 minutes. Then once that 25 minutes timer goes off, which I set it on my Apple Watch, then I take a three to five minute break and this allows me to break it up for three to four intervals until it's time for typically my lunch break around 11, which I'll check off four different intervals. So I'll do four different 25 minute time blocks where I'm just dialed in, focused, no distractions and then I'll have like a 30 minute break where I eat lunch or something like that and regroup. Now this allows me to maintain a structured routine and prevent procrastination when you hone in and focus. So where focus goes, energy flows. This also avoids multitasking. So multitasking reduces productivity, increases stress levels. That's worth repeating, avoid multitasking as it can reduce productivity and increase stress levels. Okay, number four, take regular breaks. Just like I said in tip number three, allow yourself regular breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. Work harder on yourself than you do your job, your task, your list, okay? So short breaks, this also helps prevent mental fatigue and improve focus when you return to your task, responsibilities or work. These techniques can be dialed in and done correctly with a focused burst and short breaks. It enhances the productivity. So in other words, there's individuals out there that work eight to five. However, there's individuals that work eight to four, I'm sorry, eight to 12. So they work half the time that somebody that works eight to five, but they're getting the same amount of work done because of the focus, the intervals, the intensity in that work and they're not just spreading that work out for eight hours, instead they're condensing it and cutting it in half in four hours because of the structure. Okay, number five, maintain work-life balance. Okay, so you want to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. So a lot of folks are home-based businesses now, they're working from home, so you want to make sure that if you're working in the office, then that's the office. If you come out of the office to eat lunch, you want to make sure you close the door. If you shut down at two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock, five o'clock in the afternoon, then you have to leave the office, right? Put it on do not disturb on your phone, get away from the electronics, so separate that from work and personal life, emails, text messages, customers, et cetera. You want to dedicate your time outside of work to rest and refuel. What I mean by that is, do something that you love. Is it play golf, is it play tennis, is it go for a walk, relaxation, spend some quality time with loved ones, laugh, giggle. If you have dogs, we have two Labradors, Tripp and Dixie, we love spending time with them. They make us laugh and they fill our hearts with love. So engaging in these activities outside of work helps reduce your stress and promotes over well-being. Well, you may say, well, Sean, I'm just too busy. Okay, well, what's going to happen is you're going to dig yourself a hole, and that's probably for another episode, but just trust me, try these things because I've done both. I've done work, nope, hey, Sean, I'm too busy, I got 10 hours worth of work to do. Okay, cool, that might be the case, but it's not sustainable. There's only a matter of time before you burn out, right? Okay? So number six, practice stress management techniques. So what I mean by that is, you want to incorporate into your day stress management techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation. For me, as soon as I get out of bed in the morning, at 4 a.m., I practice 10 minutes of meditation. As soon as my day started right, I start focusing on my breathing, and I'm not jumping out of bed worrying about what's going on in the world, what's going on with my family and friends and customers. I'm focused on my breathing, my thoughts, my feelings, my emotions, and how I'm going to show up for the day. Also, mindfulness or yoga. So promoting this relaxation will help you stay centered and whole during stressful periods because we all know we stress, right? We're human beings. Okay, number seven, seek social support. This is a huge one. A lot of times we get in our zone. We get it dialed in, right, where we're just like, oh, I've got to do it all. And then we pick our head up and go, oh my gosh, we haven't talked to a friend or a family or a best friend. We haven't done lunch or coffee. So seek social support. Connect with friends, family, colleagues who understand the journey that you're on. If you're an entrepreneur, a business owner, a student, somebody that's in the workforce, a teacher, a lawyer, a real estate, it doesn't matter. You've got to have that support system that can provide emotional support, and I talked about this in Mastermind Group in episode three, I believe it was, as far as having that support group. So sharing your challenges and experience with others can help alleviate the stress and provide valuable insight by having those folks and surrounding yourself with them. Okay, number eight, celebrate achievements. What I mean by that is you want to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments along the way. So reward yourself for meeting milestones or completing a task, which can boost motivation and maintain a positive mindset, which, in other words, is a competitive advantage, right? So when you celebrate the many wins, I don't care what it is. For instance, when I launched my first episode, I went into the living room and gave myself a freaking high five. I celebrated, just for a minisecond, that I celebrated that I launched my first episode. So just celebrating those little mini milestones, and then, of course, the bigger the milestone, the bigger the achievement. Go out to dinner. Maybe take a one-day or two-day vacation. You just want to make sure that you're celebrating those and rewarding yourselves, because we as human beings, we like the progress and we like the rewards when we meet these milestones. Number nine, stay physically active. Out of all nine that I've shared so far, this is probably the most important one so far. Physically active, right? So you want to continuously, regularly do exercises, which, if you know me, the podcast is Level Up, right? So I'm consistently obsessed with leveling up in all areas of my life and running at optimal peak levels, and so in order for me to do that, I have to stay physically active. I have to exercise, which I have found that works best in the morning times for mental and physical well-being. So you want to engage in these activities that you enjoy. For instance, some of you, I'm hardcore, right? I like to do these HIIT workouts that are 60 to 90 minutes. It's taken me several years to work up to that, and now I'm competing. So you could start off with, maybe it's walking, or running, or jogging, or practicing a sport, or fitness. Whatever it may be, physical activity reduces stress, and it boosts mood, and it improves your focus. That's worth repeating. Physical activity reduces stress, boosts mood, and improves focus. So if you struggle with accountability, if you struggle with finding something to get moving, there's so many resources out there. You're more than welcome to reach out to me. Connect with me on the social media platforms. Message me. I'll give you some tips and tricks as far as where to start. Okay, number 10, take care of yourself. Simple as that may be. Prioritize your self-care activities that can promote your well-being. Get enough sleep. Eat whole foods, nutritious foods, like vegetables, fruits, right? Stay hydrated. Too many people do not drink enough water. I'm 190, 195 pounds, so I drink 100 to 120 ounces, especially here in Texas when it's hot, 115 degrees right now as of January, I'm sorry, June 21st, 2023. I have to make sure I replenish my electrolytes and water because taking care of your physical health directly impacts your mental and emotional state. So I cannot stress that enough. Number 11, learn to say no. Recognize your limits and avoid over-committing yourself. Learn to say no when necessary to avoid overwhelming yourself with excessive responsibilities. So if you find yourself saying yes to the wedding, to the birthdays, and there's a birthday every freaking weekend, like for instance, I love my family to death, but my wife, Kendra, her sister has over 12 kids. So there's literally a birthday every single month, love her to death, and she has condensed the birthdays down to typically a couple times a year, which that is mutual respect. However, I know some of you listening to this, y'all have several family and friends that have birthdays every single weekend, and you're saying yes to every single wedding when you haven't talked to somebody in six years. So whatever you're saying yes to, just remember that you're saying no to something else that could improve your life. So learn to say no and recognize when you're over-committing and be mindful about that. Number 12, seek variety and learning opportunities. What I mean by that is introduce into your routine to prevent burnout. So example, you want to explore new interests, learn new skills, or take on challenging projects. So for me, for example, one of the things I keep getting myself out of my element and out of my comfort zone is I started a mastermind group this year. I would have never have done that in my entire life, but I started a mastermind group. I put one foot in front of the other. That has really helped level up new skills. I've also started a coaching business six months ago, and we're thriving, and we've got beautiful coaches, coachees that have really leveled up their games. So I've had to learn all these new skills, and it's just consistently, every single day, allowing me to be 1% better than I was yesterday because it allows me to strive to something bigger than myself. And then this podcast and these episodes, it's challenging. It's challenging my skill sets. It's challenging my mind. Okay? This helps me stay motivated and stimulates my personal growth. Number 13, avoid perfectionism. And what I mean by that is striving for perfectionism is counterproductive, in my opinion, and leads to increased stress and self-criticism, right? I'll be the first to admit, I'm guilty as charged. There's a lot of times where I want things perfect. I want my garage perfect. I want it to declutter. I want my truck to be perfect. I want my body to be perfect. And so I have to be mindful of this, and instead, I tell myself, I'm like, I just need to focus on the progress and continuous improvement. Focus on the progress and in continuous improvement. So maybe all these things are not perfect, but my goal is to be 1% better than I was yesterday. Okay? And I will also embrace the concept of done, checking that off, is actually better than perfect to maintain momentum. Okay? Number 14, disconnect from technology. This is a huge one. Set boundaries for your use of technology, right? And so, especially during personal time. So limit that exposure to digital devices and social media to reduce stress and improve. Too many people are scrolling, myself included, scrolling TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and you're seeing other people live their lives in Cabo, on the beach, traveling, hiking, experiencing, driving Lamborghinis. We all know, behind the scenes, that is fake. It is all fake. Behind the scenes, they're struggling, just like you. They're stressed out, just like you, right? Living like the Joneses is not the way to live. That's not the key to happiness. So disconnecting from technology allows you to take a step back and connect with Earth, right? Connect with human beings. Connect with what it is that's most important to you versus the external forces that you cannot control, which is what you're seeing on the news and technology. And you want to do this, especially in the personal time when you're resting and refueling. So make sure you put something in place, a system, to disconnect from your digital devices. Number 15, last but not least, regularly reassess and adjust. Okay, so what I mean by that is, periodically review your goals, your strategies, and your progress, right? Most people look at it every January, every year. They're like, they set the goals, they set the resolution, and then they pick their head up in 12 months and go, oh my gosh, I'm so far off, I'm actually backwards three steps. So you want to make sure you're reviewing these every single day. Top producers and entrepreneurs and successful individuals, they look at their goals, they look at their visual, they look at their progress, they look at what's important to them, their purpose, every single day. For me, it's in front of my face every single day. Because there's days where I don't feel like doing something, but you know what? When I look down and go, hey, look, you have a goal here, it says one travel per month. Have you booked your next travel? Or I want to be number one in one of my competitions in a Spartan race. Okay, well have I been eating the right nutrition? So this allows me to be mindful and aware of what's in front of me by looking and reviewing these goals. So make sure you're looking at these every single day, at the very least, every single week to make sure that if you need to realign as far as your needs and aspirations, you can do so by reviewing those. Thank you so much. Those are the 15 tips that I have for you for avoiding burnout, staying motivated. Now I want you to remember, everyone's journey is unique, okay? You're not Sean Myers, you're not your neighbor, you're not your friend, you're not your brother, you're not your family. You're unique and it's important for you to find out what works best for you, okay, in becoming the best version of yourself. Implement these strategies. I hope you took notes today. If not, go back and re-listen to them again. Statistics show when you listen to another episode the second time, you take, I don't know if it's 10 to 15 percent or more of what you didn't hear the first time. So go back and re-listen to this episode, share it with your friends and family. If you feel and if you resonated and you find value in our episode today, because our goal is to serve and impact others and to help you, and these tips will help to adapt you to your individual circumstances and again, becoming the best version of yourself. Thank you so much for tuning in today. Thank you so much for your time, energy and effort. I love you guys and if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. Have a fantastic rest of your day.