Burnout: A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion which is caused by prolonged stress, often work related. It shows up when you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or unable to keep up with a seemingly never-ending set of demands.
Trying to break out of a burnout cycle isn’t easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but the good news is, it’s possible! With the right set of intentions, patience and support, you can feel like yourself again.
Here is our step-by-step guide to help you beat burnout:
Step 1: Acknowledge the Burnout
Before anything can change, you need to understand and recognize what you’re experiencing.
Ask yourself:
- Have I been constantly feeling exhausted?
- Do I feel emotionally disconnected from my work?
- Have I been working harder, yet feeling less effective?
These are all signs you’re experiencing some burnout!
Tip: Do your research on burnout and start a journal to track how you feel each day. Especially start to notice any patterns that cause you to feel drained or overwhelmed.
Step 2: Talk to Someone You Trust
Don’t wait until burnout becomes chronic to ask for help, let someone in. Whether it’s a manager, coworker, therapist or friend.
You can even check if your company offers any mental health assistance programs or employee resources.
Tip: Start small, especially if talking about mental health is new for you. A simple, “Hey, I’ve been feeling really drained lately” makes a huge difference.
Step 3: Reevaluate Your Workload
Burnout often stems from constantly overextending yourself.
- Have you been staying late or skipping breaks?
- Have you been saying “yes” to things you don’t have the capacity for?
- Are there tasks you can pause, delegate, or disregard completely?
Tip: Ensure you are setting clear work boundaries for yourself and your team, and stick to them! Protect your time and energy always!
Step 4: Prioritize Rest
Rest isn’t just all about sleep, (but that is important too), rest is about stepping away from constant mental strain.
Some ideas of this would be:
- Go for a walk during the day
- Turn off all work notifications on days off
- Use your PTO
Tip: “Microbreaks” can be a game changer! Try out some different short pauses like deep breathing, stretching, or stepping outside throughout the work day!
Step 5: Reconnect With What You Love
When we are feeling burnt out we often lose touch with things that usually bring us joy.
Reconnect with parts of your job that used to energize you, and engage in some of your favorite activities outside of work that will light you up!
Tip: Again, start small. Reintroduce little moments into your routine like listening to music while you work. Doing this could help you build back that momentum.
Step 6: Seek Long-Term Support
Burnout recovery is not just about feeling better today. It’s about inventing a new system to protect your well-being going forward.
- Advocate for changes in your workplace if needed, like realistic workloads, flexible schedules, or better communication.
- Seek help from mental health professionals and track your energy levels each month.
Tip: Pretend your energy is like a budget, where have you been spending too much? Where can you recharge?
Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak, and it doesn’t mean you’re lazy, it means you’re human!
Recovery won’t happen overnight but each small step you take adds up!
So take the break. Ask for help. Set the boundary.
You’ve got this, and we’ve got your back!
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