Don’t let summer pass by without taking some much needed time for yourself!  ‘Me’ time is key to de-stressing and re-energizing yourself to make a fresh start.

There is a condition many mental health professionals call ‘brownout’.  Those who suffer from brownout often find that they are becoming disengaged, demotivated and are losing interest in things they used to enjoy.  Brownout is reversible and is often as easy to correct as taking a few days off (without electronics) to decompress, reprioritize and revive your spirit.

Does it sound like I’m talking about you?  Take a look at these signs to see ‘if the shoe fits’!

5 Signs you may be experiencing BROWNOUT:

1.  You are glued to your electronics.  You check emails and texts constantly 24/7 and then obsess or worry about how you will take care of the messages you receive.

2.  You are beginning to isolate.  You prefer not to make plans to be with other people, and when you do, you look for any excuse not to go.

3.  People are asking you, “Is everything okay?”  You appear to have lost your sense of humor and often have a snarky remark or one word response when others try to engage you in conversation.

4.  You no longer seem to care about your physical appearance.  You’ve let working out and healthy eating go by the wayside.  You no longer care about getting good quality sleep.  You stay up way too late watching mindless TV or playing on your computer.

5.  Your family life and friendships are beginning to suffer.  No longer are you interested in building relationships, you just want a mindless way to escape from being forced to engage with everyone and everything you used to enjoy.

Most all of us, on some level, can identify with one or more of these signs.  The bigger question is, “how do we heed the warning and make healthy changes necessary to revive our zest for life?”

Here are some suggestions to help revitalize you:

–  Be honest – with yourself and others.  Life can get too busy and easily become overwhelming.  There is no shame in admitting to yourself, your family and maybe even a counselor that life has gotten out of control for you and you need to spend some time slowing things down and reprioritizing what is really important to you.

–  Be Mindful – use meditation, prayer, music and nature to focus and center you.  Spend quality time alone to evaluate changes you need to make to regain charge of your health and your life.

–  Be grateful – focus on your blessings.  It is so easy to see all that is bad.  Refuse to let those thoughts steal your joy.  Instead think (make a list if you need to!) of all the good you have in your life.  Control your thoughts to dwell on good things.

As summer draws to a close, take time to recharge your batteries and get ready for all the amazing things this Fall has to offer you!  Refuse to let the stresses of life zap your energy, productivity and joy.

One of the things that brings me great joy, is making delicious food to enjoy with my friends and loved ones.  Summer Tomato Bruschetta with Whipped Feta is one of my most requested recipes I make for summer gatherings.  I hope you enjoy!