Morning & Evening Routines That Have Kept Me From Burnout

Burnout is real.

I'm not an expert on the topic but I've experienced enough to know what to look for and how to avoid it.

First off, it's important to make the difference between burnout, which typically happens when you're working too much, not getting good sleep, overly stressed, giving your all in too many areas at once, have lost sight of your overall purpose/motivation, etc., and boredom, which happens when you're not being challenged, have too much idle time, disengaged or uninterested, and so on.

The problem is not always the problem. For example, instead of changing your job, which you think is stressful, you may just need to get disciplined with a sleep routine, so you can have more energy and focus. Or instead of eliminating a hobby altogether, you just need to keep it to once a week, so you have more face to face time with loved ones.

Here are a few activities that have helped me stay balanced in my faith, family, and career (that might be helpful for you too)...

Morning:

1. Light Exercise
Running in place, stretching, pushups, squats, planks. Doesn't sound like much but it adds up (especially at my age). I'm not about heavy lifting or overly pushing the limits. I focus on being able to stretch (especially touching my toes without bending my legs, iykyk), doing at least 30-40 pushups non-stop, and core strength/balance. 

2. Worship
During my commute time (Mon-Thur), I like to listen and sing along to good worship music. Moody Radio Florida has some good selections. As of the time of writing this, some of my favorites are Always, by Chris Tomlin, and You've Already Won, by Shane and Shane. The Bible calls us to praise: "Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever." (Psalm 145:2)

3. Gratitude & Prayer Journal
I have gotten to a point where I look forward to jotting down my thoughts of gratitude to God in the mornings. This is how I start my workday. Sometimes my entries are very short, other times they are longer (you can read more about this, including some of my entries in Daily Altar). It wasn't always like this, but with time, I got into a habit of opening my black gratitude journal before checking or sending emails. I started writing down prayers as well and have looked back to see how God has worked!

Evening:

1. Time with Family
My 'rule' is that I need to hug/kiss my wife Daniela and the boys, within the first 5 minutes of getting home (they often beat me to it). This sets the tone for the rest of the evening. We try to do dinner together every day (this is the only way you can 'change' the world around you btw). Afterwards, we're either hanging out inside/outside, riding bikes, playing sports, riding through town, exploring the city or beach, or the like. They key is, we're together. 

2. Projects/Hobbies
If I'm not playing the violin or writing a melody, I'm drafting a new article or creating a resource for Daily Altar. This is a short list. I also have side projects (don't we all?) that involve real estate and entrepreneurial ventures. And of course, can't forget projects around the house. You homeowners know, there's always something to be done. All these activities help me not only invest my time wisely but also grow or develop skills outside my main 'job'. They also have an element of succession tied to them, as the things I do will have an impact on my family, in the future.

3. Altar Time/Devotionals
We come together as a family before bedtime so that we can read from the Bible and/or a devotional book, pray, and talk about life and 'topics of the heart'; this sometimes turns into a 'tell me about when you were a kid' session, due to high demand from the boys. This has become a routine that, with God's help, we will continue until the boys are out of the house, Lord willing!


Keep the Fire Burning,
Danny