Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can happen to anyone, and it affects people in different ways. Burnout can make you feel like you're running on empty, and it can rob you of your passion and drive. But the good news is that burnout is not a permanent state, and there are ways to recover from it. In this blog post, we'll look at 10 steps you can take to recover from burnout and reignite your passion.
The first step to recovery is acknowledging that you're experiencing burnout. This means recognizing the signs of burnout, such as feeling exhausted all the time, lacking motivation, feeling overwhelmed, or irritable. Pay attention to your attitude and mindsets towards your work. Are you dreading it more than usual? Or maybe you’ve been procrastinating more? Once you acknowledge the problem, you can start taking steps to address it.
We know that the message of “taking a break” has been emphasised over and over again, and you may be rolling your eyes at this, but it’s a crucial step to achieve a healthy relationship with your work!
Taking a break from work or other stressors is essential to recovering from burnout. It gives your body and mind time to rest and recharge. During your break, do things that make you happy and relaxed, such as reading a book, taking a long walk, or spending time with loved ones. Remember to take your mind completely off of work, and fully submerge yourself into simpler things you enjoy during your break times.
Self-care is pivotal when recovering from burnout. It involves taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health.
You don’t want to force yourself to power through loads of work, as overworking eventually leads to burnout. Protect pockets of time in your schedule to incorporate self-care routines, to ensure you’re taking good care of yourself. This is so that you’ll be able to come back to your work as empowered and refreshed as ever. Some examples of self-care include getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and practising mindfulness or meditation.
One of the main causes of burnout is feeling like you have too much to do and not enough time. To prevent burnout from happening again, prioritise your time by setting goals, delegating tasks, and saying no to things that don't align with your priorities. Understand that not everything can be completed all at once, so pick your battles and organise to complete the rest at more appropriate timings.
Stress is a major contributor to burnout, so it's essential to learn how to manage it. There are different ways you can manage stress.
Some stress management techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualisation. Be sure to seek to understand yourself and implement the best stress management strategies that work best for you.
When you're feeling burned out, it can be challenging to stay productive. However, boosting your productivity can help you feel more accomplished and motivated. To do this, you can break down large tasks into smaller, more digestible steps. This way, you’re able to complete more as each task will be easier to work through. This step also helps reduce procrastination too.
Healthy habits can help prevent burnout from happening again. While this is similar to self-care, these healthy habits could apply to your work too. You could set up your workspace in a way that makes you feel motivated and happy, you could keep your favourite healthy snacks nearby, and so on. Building a healthy relationship with your work is also essential to prevent you from starting to dread work. Also, be sure to avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs or alcohol whenever you’re feeling stressed from work, as this could interrupt your recovery process!
Mindfulness is a technique that involves focusing your attention on the present moment. It can help reduce stress, improve focus, and increase self-awareness. Examples of mindfulness practices include meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises. Mindfulness will help you to not just physically switch, but also mentally switch in between work and rest times, allowing you to have proper, more impactful rest sessions.
If you're struggling to recover from burnout on your own, it's essential to seek professional help. A mental health professional can provide you with strategies to manage your symptoms and prevent burnout from happening again. Make sure to do your research prior to finding a suitable, certified professional!
Setting realistic goals can help prevent burnout from happening again. It's essential to set goals that align with your values and priorities and that are achievable within your time and energy constraints. Make sure your goals follow the base rules for setting goals, to ensure they are appropriate.
Recovering from burnout is not a quick fix, and it requires effort and patience. However, by following these 10 steps, you can begin to recover from burnout and reignite your passion and drive. Remember that self-care and healthy work habits are essential to preventing burnout from happening again, so make them a priority in your life. Seeking professional help if needed is also crucial in your recovery journey. By taking these steps, you can overcome burnout and achieve your goals while maintaining your well-being. If you’re struggling with productivity, our team over at INTERLUNAR can help! Feel free to reach out to us for a chat!
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