March Planning Tips: How to Renew Your Energy and Avoid Burn Out

March’s arrival means 2023 is now fully underway, and spring is upon us! 💐

If you’re like us, you probably remember all too well that particular March when the pandemic changed our world in ways none of us anticipated. While we never know exactly what the rest of the year has in store for us, spring is still a critical time for our planning — like gardening, we can really dig in and gain traction on cultivating the growth of our goals. 

In springtime, we might feel like we suddenly need to make progress on all our goals at once. As winter thaws nature around us, it’s natural for our energy levels to ramp up too. The key is to not let that spring ramp-up lead us into overwhelm, which can disrupt our productivity and overall well-being. 

So be particularly aware of your energy levels, if they feel unpredictable as the seasons change. It’s important to be more protective of ourselves and our schedules in order to support our mental health and avoid burnout. Your time blocking may change and shift as a result (and that’s completely normal).

Here are some March Planning Tips to help you maintain the momentum, and decrease the effects of burnout along the way: 

• Prioritize your self-care. With more light and longer days, one big question is, where do you want to direct your replenished source of energy? Using recovery blocks will help you avoid burnout and chronic stress. There’s a lot of wisdom behind the idea of good old spring cleaning, so think about it like this: What have you carried through the winter that you now feel you can let go of? 

• Revisit any work-life balance challenges. March is when you’re more likely to experience burnout because the plans and projects you began at the start of the year are fully in motion. It can feel tough to focus on work-related tasks when all you want to do is drive more momentum towards projects in your personal life, and vice versa. Use March and the Quarterly Planner view to take action on really building your Q2 plans, which will help you feel more prepared overall, and surface new space in your life over the next few months (maybe for a much needed Spring Break vacation?). 

• Hold onto what inspires you. Symptoms of burnout are often tied not only to literal and emotional exhaustion, but the lack of time focused on what sparks you, and makes you feel alive. When you feel the work is not moving you towards the goals you care about, you’re most likely to feel the burn. Turn to visualization to help re-inspire your creativity. Beauty and joy — and what we love — can be surprisingly helpful in revitalizing us in all areas of life, and help us keep going. 

March can be an amazing time to make future plans with family members, spend time with loved ones outdoors, and recalibrate your work-related goals. Keep tending to your project’s seeds, and they’ll be sure blossom with success later on.

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