Coming Back From Burnout
Have you experienced burnout before?
Are you on the road to it now – or are you already there?
Burnout can be caused by ongoing and prolonged stress, overwork, and parenting demands. If you feel you have nothing left to give, it’s going to affect all other areas of your life too.
It doesn’t happen overnight but it’s a gradual and insidious process. Burnout isn’t just fatigue – it will come with a sense of failure, helplessness, procrastination, reduced productivity, detachment, and possibly physical symptoms like headaches and muscle pain.
If this resonates, it’s time to pause and take slow and steady steps back to health:
Recognize that it will take time. Change habits where you can over time, be kind to yourself, and create a new lifestyle.
What isn’t in alignment? You’ll feel more burnt out if you feel unappreciated or undervalued at work or in a relationship. Do you need to change the status of something in your life to feel less drained? Tired and fulfilled is very different from tired and unfulfilled.
Don’t forget to reach out to people. It can be easy to isolate but you need connection too!
Do things that light you up and that you love. Burnout can lead to hopelessness and a lack of caring about anything. Try to remind yourself that there are things that used to fill your cup and seek them out: music, art shows, nature walks, making collages, shooting hoops.
Listen to yourself; check in often; rest when you need to; create boundaries.
Move your body but don’t overdo it if you’re taxed. Try leisurely walks, light yoga, breathwork, meditation.
You can read more about coping with burnout here.