How do you manage and prevent burnout and stress from your interpersonal and networking activities?

Don’t be a yes man (or woman). I used to say yes to every opportunity that came my way, and it resulted in me resenting a lot of people. I bit off more than I could chew. In my experience, if an opportunity comes your way, and you aren’t equip to take it on at that time, it will be there later. Don’t feel guilty for saying no. It’s much better to do this than say yes and not be able to support/show up fully for it. Same goes for opportunities that don’t make you excited or align with your values. It’s going to DRAIN your energy. Choose wisely. And if you take on clients/opportunities that aren’t working for you, you can fire/end them. It’s never too late.

As we move into 2023, there is a growing concern about the lack of interpersonal public communication skills among the population. Many people seem to be struggling with expressing themselves in public settings and are turning to technology as a crutch. However, there are still those of us who have studied and honed our skills in this area. Personally, I majored in interpersonal public communication in college and learned valuable techniques for dealing with stress and burnout. These include prioritizing tasks, not taking things personally, and actively listening to others. By employing these strategies, I have been able to successfully navigate a variety of public speaking situations and help others improve their own communication skills.

Know your limits but also know what you enjoy as well. When engaging in activities like this - it is important to understand what you enjoy as you will feel better when engaging with activities you enjoy in comparison to things that might be pushing you out of your comfort zone.

In my experience, the idea of carving out time for self-care made me feel like I had another thing on my “to-do” list. Recognizing that self-care also consists of giving myself the time and space to feel, process, and assess my priorities was hugely instrumental. Sometimes the most impactful self-care is more feeling and less doing.

I like to doodle. I read somewhere that doodling actually helps when listening. I also like to use colourful pens when I’m note taking. It’s a tiny bit of fun in sometimes not fun meetings or tasks.

I don't think you should seek professional help only if you feel overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious. Professional help (therapy) can be useful for anyone and I'd say the majority of people should use therapy as a support system through life. There is a common misconception that therapy should be a last-resort, or there must be something "wrong" with you (e.g. depression, anxiety, etc.) for you to be in therapy. It is an old style of thinking, and puts a negative connotation on therapy.

I believe getting expert assistance is critical if you're finding it challenging to handle the pressure of social and networking activities. A therapist can assist you in creating coping methods and stress management plans. It's crucial to work with a therapist you trust and feel at ease with. Being open and honest with a therapist about your experiences is essential once you've found one. The more knowledge they have, the better they can assist you.

In my experience, you can learn from everyone, and if you treat these networking experiences as learning experiences, they’ll seem less like a chore. Even if it’s not the most fun experience, you could back with a good story! The important part about meeting others is being willing to listen, ask questions, and willing to share a part of yourself. If you go into an interaction with genuine intentions, you’ll come out of it with real connections. When you have people in your corner, you can do anything and make it through any challenges, personally and professionally.

For the last 10 years I have allowed my connection with God determine my daily schedule. I seek wisdom on what to prioritize before I start each day. In this way I went from being driven to produce in every area of my life to working from a place of peace as I followed that still small voice on the inside of me. From a practical standpoint, I ask myself the why? behind everything I am contemplating doing. If the motivation of my heart is not "pure", then I don't do it. For example, if it is a business leader's birthday, before running out to buy them a gift I ask myself a question. Am I giving the gift to gain some sort of advantage with them or because I truly desire to bless them? If the answer is the former then I don't do it.

Know what energizes you and what exhausts you Not all activities related to networking and interpersonal interactions are created equal. Pay attention to how certain activities make you feel and do more of what feels good!