Burned Out? Try This 60-Second “Mental Trick”

Are you stuck in a loop of default negativity, dreading the work you worked so hard to get?

When you’re overwhelmed, standard advice like “make a gratitude list” can feel like just another chore on your to-do list.

Instead, try a rapid cognitive reset backed by Harvard research: called mental subtraction.

The 60-Second Reality Check

Imagine someone interrupting your next venting session with one sharp question:

“What would happen if you woke up tomorrow and received a letter saying your services were no longer needed?”

Instantly, your perspective shifts.

The sudden threat of total loss forces your brain to realise, “Well, actually, it’s not that terrible and I can deal with it.”

Why It Works So Well For Busy-ness People

As humans, we adapt to good things (too) quickly. The thriving business or reliable team we spent years building quickly fades into the background. When we get too BUSY, we stop seeing the value and only notice the constant friction. The busier we get, the worse this can be. This strategy turns things upside down so you can VALUE what MATTERS and get through the “crunch times”.

• Gratitude lists remind you of what is there.
• Mental subtraction temporarily removes something in your imagination so you feel the sting of its absence.

How To Test It Right Now

Pick something that is frustrating you RIGHT NOW… Pause and assume it’s GONE…

• The demanding client: Imagine they abruptly terminate your contract today.
• The micromanaging business partner: Imagine you are suddenly running the company entirely alone.
• The flooded inbox: Imagine having zero customers inquiring about your services.

By briefly removing these stressors in your mind, you shock your brain out of burnout mode and instantly rediscover their hidden value. If not, then that IRRITANT has to go, but that’s a blog post for another day.

Exponential Mindset Thinking is all about getting leverage from YOUR thinking. Antimimeticisomorphism “Twists The KUBE” to turbo-charge it for greater gains. This is a LEARNED SKILL that underpins the 52-week My Best Year Ever Program.