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Bethenny Frankel Breaks Down Her Approach to Burnout: ‘My Identity Is Not Tied to My Calendar Being Full'

Bethenny Frankel Breaks Down Her Approach to Burnout: ‘My Identity Is Not Tied to My Calendar Being Full’
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Over the course of her decades-long entrepreneurial career, Bethenny Frankel has learned that the best strategy for dealing with burnout isn't to manage it, but to avoid it altogether.

The former "Real Housewife" and co-star of CNBC's "Money Court" tells Make It that at this point in her career, she is careful to strike a careful balance between work and downtime.

"I would not expend the time and work physically enough to experience burnout," Frankel says. "My mind going 24 hours a day is the only risk that I have for burnout."

In practice, this means making sure she doesn't schedule too many work obligations back-to-back.

"I'm not going to be booking three flights in a row," she says. "My identity is not attached to my calendar being full."

However, sometimes a busy schedule can't be avoided. When this happens, Frankel trusts the employees who help her manage her calendar to give her time to recover.

"[Sometimes] you're gearing up for something and you know you're going to be exhausted and be a little bit edgy," she says. "My team knows to give me before and after to relax."

Frankel says when it comes to managing burnout, it's just as important to have "discipline" not only about how much you work, but also about making sure you are serious about relaxation.

"It could be putting your phone down, which is very challenging, [or] it could be making sure you take the time to be by yourself or get a massage or do something to check yourself out," she says.

The 52-year-old entrepreneur says that being a mother also keeps her from being too "hooked in" by work because she has more important things to focus on.

"Being a very present mother who's never had a nanny is very helpful because it means laughing with my daughter and going shopping with her and going to hibachi tonight with her and being very present and being a good parent," Frankel says.

CNBC's "Money Court" airs Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT on CNBC.

Want to earn more and work less? Register for the free CNBC Make It: Your Money virtual event on Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. ET to learn from money masters how you can increase your earning power.

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