One of the last things I do every night is plug in my phone (not in my bedrooom, but that’s another blog for another day…) to recharge overnight.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one

But making time to rest and recharge my mind and my body is still very much a work in progress.

Again, guessing I’m not alone.

So why do we prioritise recharging our devices but think nothing of working ourselves into a state of burnout – now recognised in the World Health Organisation’s 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an ‘occupation phenomen’ and ‘syndrome’ conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’, leading to feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job and reduced professional efficacy.

The ‘Exhaustion Funnel’ concept was developed by Prof. Marie Åsberg at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and later popularised in Prof. Mark Williamson and Dr Denny Penman’s book, Mindfulness in a Frantic World.

In summary, as you start to cut out the activities that help you rest and recharge, you may slip down the funnel of exhaustion until you are running on empty. 

Making time to go for a walk or run, connect with your friends and family and make sure you have (healthy) food in the fridge may seem like ‘lesser’ priorities when you’re up against a work deadline. But it’s exactly those kind of activities that will help you develop your mental fitness and perform your best.