Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. If you’re experiencing burnout, it can feel difficult to get back on track. But it’s important to reset your mind and body before you experience the long-term negative effects. Here are some tips on how to recover from burnout and feel like yourself again.
Recognising burnout is the first and most important step in the process of recovery. Learning how to identify burnout can promote awareness of this common condition. Identifying it correctly teaches you how to prevent it from occurring in the future. Here are six common symptoms of high stress that could indicate burnout:
- Feeling emotionally exhausted
- Physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive complications, muscle tension, high blood pressure
- Lack of motivation
- Lower productivity
- Self-doubt and low self-esteem
- Feelings of loneliness and detachment
Despite the grip that burnout has over so many of us, recovery is possible. While there’s no quick fix to burnout, there are many ways to alleviate stress levels and return to a healthier state of being. Here are tips on recovering from burnout that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.
Reassess your goals
Next, take time to reassess your personal goals. Burnout can occur when your work is out of alignment with your values, or when it’s not contributing to your long-term goals. You can also experience frustration and burnout if you have no idea what your goals are. Start by identifying your values and thinking about what gives you meaning in your work. This self-analysis will give you a deeper understanding of what you find most important, and it will show you which elements, if any, are missing from your life or work.
Develop daily strategies to prevent burnout
Recognising and replacing habits that may be fuelling the burnout is a great way to prevent it from controlling your life. Take some time to check in and reflect with the following everyday exercises: Take care of your body, Unwind before bed, Disconnect from screens, Create a gentle reflection practice, Create a practice of staying present/mindful
Adopt an “ownership mindset”
One of the mainstays of burnout is the feeling that things are happening to you, rather than you having control over your own life. Intentionally adopting an “ownership mindset” is a way to remind yourself that while others may have contributed to your current situation, you still have the power to make your own choices (this is empowerment, not blame!).
Practice positive thinking
Burnout can cause you to slip into a cycle of negative thinking. This negative thinking often worsens over time. You can combat this by learning how to think positively. Affirmations, which are positive statements about the future, also help you visualise and believe in what you’re doing.
Consider taking time off to hit your “reset” button
If your burnout is severe to the point where you’re struggling to function, you may benefit from taking time off so that you can reset and refresh. Taking a trip away, or even setting aside a few days to relax at home, can help. Remember to turn off work emails or other contacts, since even small notifications can remind you of stressors and impede your relaxation efforts.
Stress is an unavoidable part of life. Everyone must learn to cope with it in order to survive. The key to unlocking a healthy relationship with work is to invest in daily acts of self-care. By striking a work-life balance, you can focus on your well-being in a way that makes sense for your personal values, ideals, and capacities.
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