Burnout can silently creep into your life, leaving you exhausted and unproductive at work and neglecting your personal life. It’s a common problem, especially in today’s fast-paced world where the boundaries between work and life often blur. If you’re feeling the weight of chronic workplace stress, you’re not alone, and there are strategies to start the recovery journey.
Today you will discover 10 practical strategies as well as actionable steps and insights to understand, combat, and recover from burnout.
Table of Contents
What is Burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you may feel a sense of detachment or cynicism and have difficulty concentrating on daily tasks.
The original Merriam-Webster definition of burnout actually had nothing to do with people. It is “the cessation of operation usually of a jet or rocket engine.”
It wasn’t until 1974 that psychologist Herbert Freudenberger used the term to describe people. Now officially recognized as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization (WHO), this term seems very fitting when describing workplace burnout.
When people experience burnout, their internal “fuel” – their energy, drive, motivation – is depleted. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.
Characteristics that define burnout are:
Emotional Exhaustion
Depersonalization
Low sense of personal accomplishment
Feelings of being emotionally drained and lacking emotional energy
A negative and detached response to other people
The negative effects of burnout can spill over into every area of life—including your home life, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.
Research suggests there’s an urgent need to address this silent epidemic. A study by Microsoft, which polled 20,000 individuals across 11 countries, found that almost 50% of employees, and an even higher 53% of managers, identified as being burned out.
Alarmingly, a different study of 10,000 workers conducted by Future Forum displayed that the younger generation seems more susceptible, with 48% of 18-to-29-year-olds expressing feelings of being drained, as compared to 40% of those aged 30 and above. A gender disparity is evident as well, with women (46%) reporting higher levels of burnout than men (37%).
By understanding burnout and its ramifications, individuals and organizations can be better equipped to address it, fostering a healthier, more productive work environment.
What Causes Burnout?
Burnout is caused by both internal and external factors.
Burnout is insidious because those who are burnt out may find themselves too swamped to even consider the possibility. One’s exhaustive workload may envelop an individual’s mind to such an extent that they don’t even stop to consider their mental health.
Over time, this can manifest as increased irritability, a decline in performance, or challenges in accomplishing tasks that once seemed easy.
There are both internal and external risk factors for burnout. It’s an important distinction because the internal risk factors are within your control. External risk factors, on the other hand, are completely outside of your control or a result of the environment you’re in. The 3 most common burnout external risk factors are heavy workload, lack of control, and unrealistic expectations.
What Happens if Burnout Goes Untreated?
If burnout becomes overlooked or untreated, it can snowball into significant mental, physical, and professional consequences. It isn’t just a state of exhaustion—it’s a critical condition that affects various aspects of one’s life.
Mental Health Implications:
Burnout, at its core, is a state of prolonged stress and exhaustion. When consistently untreated, it can act as a precursor to severe mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
A chronic state of stress and fatigue can become an ingrained part of one’s daily life, clouding judgment and disrupting peace of mind.
Physical Health Implications:
Chronic stress manifests not just mentally but also physical symptoms. Symptoms range from lack of sleep to an increased susceptibility to illness, and other stress-related illnesses.
People may resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms like overeating, alcohol consumption, or drug use to cope with workplace burnout or just to distract themselves from work-related stress. This will only make things worse.
Professional Implications:
Your professional life may take a direct hit as well. The constant fatigue and disinterest can lead to declined job performance.
For many, it’s their dedication to their job that leads to experiencing burnout in the first place. And yet, this same burnout, if left unchecked, can jeopardize their job performance.
Relationship Strain:
Experiencing burnout doesn’t affect yourself, but the people close to you. The constant negativity, irritability, and exhaustion can strain interactions with coworkers, friends, and family members.
The inability to manage stress can also impact quality time with loved ones, creating feelings of isolation and detachment.
In essence, neglecting burnout is not an option. It’s essential to recognize the signs early on and implement recovery strategies.
How Do I Know If I’m Burned Out?
To know if you are burned out, ask yourself if you experience some of the following:
Feeling Emotionally Exhausted: You may begin to feel distant or detached from your job, your loved ones, or the activities you usually love.
Cynical Attitude: Over time, you might notice a growing cynicism towards your professional or personal life.
Low Satisfaction: You might feel a sense of underappreciation or invisibility. You might feel your contributions go unnoticed or that the rewards don’t match your efforts.
Poor Concentration: Tasks that once seemed routine now require a lot of focus. Decision-making becomes draining and difficult, and your mind is foggy.
Increased Irritability: Shorter patience can mean that even minor inconveniences set you off.
Poor Performance: Despite your best efforts, you find it challenging to meet the standards you once easily achieved.
Isolation: Social activities seem draining, and you find yourself frequently declining invites or spending time with friends.
What Does Burnout Feel Like Physically?
Physically, burnout has the following symptoms.
Physical Exhaustion: A constant feeling of tiredness, no matter the amount of rest you get. Chronic fatigue can impact everyday activities, even getting out of bed.
Insomnia: Despite feeling physically and mentally drained, your brain refuses to shut down. You become unable to get a restful sleep. Exhaustion from burnout and sleep problems creates an unhealthy cycle.
Unhealthy Coping Strategies: Turning to substances or certain behaviors excessively, seeking relief from the overwhelming stress, or as a means to disconnect from reality.
Stomach Pain: Chronic workplace stress can upset the balance of your digestive system, leading to stomach aches, cramping, and bloating.
How to Recover from Burnout
Te recover from burnout you must use the following 10-step approach.
1. Pause.
2. Ask yourself: what matters to me the most.
3. Delegate. You don’t have to do it all yourself.
4. Build a strong support system.
5. Prioritize. You can’t do it all.
6. Get really good at setting boundaries and saying ‘no’.
7. Do one thing every day to be kind to yourself.
8. Drop the people-pleasing. Focus on what matters to you.
9. Take better care of your body.
10. Connect with people that make you happy.
Pause
Pausing to realize that you are burned out is the most important step here. Break away from work and give yourself a chance to reflect.
Since burnout is usually associated with long hours of working and thinking about work, this pause is crucial. Even if it’s clearing a single day on the weekend just to get away from it all – no responding to emails, no checking Slack, nothing.
Ask Yourself: What Matters to Me the Most
Here is the most important question to ask yourself: What do I really want? What matters to me the most?
You are in charge of your life. You are not the victim of your circumstances. You are the captain of where the ship of your life goes, and as the captain, you need a compass and you need to know where you are going.
Delegate. You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself.
When you try to do everything yourself, you’re actually being ineffective. Do not fall into the trap of trying to be a superhero. Recognize tasks that others can handle and delegate them.
It’s better to focus on doing a few things well than to try to do everything and end up doing nothing well.
Build a Strong Support System
Surround yourself with supportive people – friends, family, or coworkers. Their encouragement and understanding can be your lifeline.
Prioritize. You Can’t Do It All.
Prioritizing tasks is important because it allows you to focus on the most urgent and important tasks first. When you don’t have a proper task prioritization blueprint you can easily become overworked and at the end of the day what’s actually important is not even started.
Prioritizing important tasks can help you to be more productive, avoid burnout, achieve your goals, and have a healthy work-life balance.
Get Really Good at Setting Boundaries and Saying ‘No’
Saying no is a powerful skill that allows us to set boundaries, protect our time and energy, and prioritize our well-being. It is not a negative or selfish act. It is an act of self-care and self-preservation.
It’s vital to set clear boundaries. Whether it’s work hours, social commitments, or personal tasks, learn to say ‘no’ when it threatens your well-being.
Create Work-Life Balance
Each day, find one thing that brings you joy or relaxation. It could be reading, a spa session, or simply a quiet moment with a cup of tea. To do all the things you want, you have to fill your own cup first.
Drop the People-Pleasing. Focus On What Matters to You.
While being there for others is great, it shouldn’t come at the cost of neglecting yourself.
Focus on your needs and what genuinely matters to you. And this way, you can bring your best self when others truly do need you. Also, don’t focus on what others might expect from you. Define your own purpose and what matters to you and stick to it.
Take Better Care of Your Body
Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate rest are not luxuries—they are essentials. Your body takes you everywhere; treat it with care.
It’s common for people to let these three health staples take a back seat to their work: they sleep less, drop the exercise routine, and resort to fast- and easy, on-the-go meals (they call it fast food for a reason). But by neglecting their health, one will not bring their best self to their work, which ultimately doesn’t help anyone.
Connect With People That Make You Happy
Spend time with those who uplift you and resonate with your happiness frequency. Their positive emotions can be a cure for burnout.
And though it may be hard (and sometimes seem impossible), drop the people in your life that drain you.
In essence, burnout recovery is about prioritizing yourself, and your two most vital resources: time and energy.
It can feel selfish (especially because many of us are used to giving so much more to others than we do to ourselves), but it’s not at all. By guarding your energy, you’ll bring your best self to every situation you’re in – this is ultimately much more beneficial to the people around you than if you were to bring your burned-out self.
How Do You Pull Yourself Out of a Burnout Spiral?
If you find yourself pulled into a burnout spiral, you can use the following steps to get out:
Start by identifying and acknowledging your feelings without judgment.
Next, focus on self-care; prioritize sleep, nutrition, and physical activity.
Consider seeking professional help to navigate through this challenging period.
Remember, reaching out to friends or family for support can provide comfort and perspective.
Lastly, set boundaries at work and in personal life to ensure a balanced lifestyle, and consider engaging in relaxation techniques to calm the mind and body.
How Do You Recover While Keeping Your Job?
To recover from burnout while keeping your job you need to take the following steps: adopt a structured routine, improve prioritization skills, and gradually communicate boundaries.
For detailed strategies on this, read the guide on how to recover from burnout while keeping your job.
How Long Does Burnout Recovery Take?
Recovery from burnout depends on various factors.
Successful recovery from burnout isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can’t predict, with any certainty, a timeline for recovery like recovery from the flu.
If the problems can be addressed internally, by changing your habits, prioritizing self-care, and other stress management techniques, recovery may be quick. Or it may not – it all depends on the habits and behaviors one needs to change, how ingrained those habits are, and your ability to overcome them. Again – it is NOT one-size-fits-all.
In many situations, the environment around you is what causes the burnout. Sometimes, no matter how much internal work you do, there is simply no way you can survive in that environment without sacrificing your physical and mental health. It also depends on the type of burnout you are suffering from.
In these situations, burnout recovery may take longer because it may require searching for a new job (which comes with a checklist of obstacles), or starting a new role.
Crucially, “protective factors” such as close friends, financial stability, or even a loyal pet can accelerate your recovery. Regardless of the timeframe, daily self-care and patience are paramount.
Learn How to Beat Burnout in 5 Steps
If these symptoms resonate with you and you’d like to explore more science-backed stress management techniques to beat burnout, check out this class on how to beat burnout. It includes her actionable five-step method, designed to combat burnout and rekindle your passion, that you can use whenever you find yourself in a burnout phase. Elevate your well-being and achieve a balanced lifestyle. Join the masterclass now and reclaim control over your two most vital assets: time and energy.
Overcoming Burnout With the 6% Methodology
Beating burnout is within reach when you have the know-how and tools. The most actionable tools for beating burnout can be found in The 6% Club, a groundbreaking, easy-to-apply methodology for achieving any goal, that was developed and designed by Dr. Michelle Rozen, aka, the Change Doctor. This strategy was developed based on Dr. Rozen’s extensive research and fieldwork on making real changes that stick and transform businesses and lives. The name of this methodology is based on Dr. Rozen’s jaw-dropping research finding that only 6% of people stick to their goals and reach their goals while the remaining 94% quickly give up. This methodology breaks down what those 6% do differently that gets them to the results and fulfilled dreams that they want for themselves. Read more about the 6% research and discover The 6% Club.
Here’s how to use it against burnout.
Initially, pause and take time for check in with yourself. The main problem with being burned out is being so burned out that you don’t even check in with yourself and realize it. All you focus on is just getting through the day.
Then, focus on setting specific and granular goals for doing things differently in order to feel less burned out. Setting a broad goal like “I want less stress at work” isn’t effective. Dr. Rozen’s research shows that specific goals, such as “I will not take on more tasks until I complete current ones,” have a higher success rate.
The 6% Methodology is versatile, not only for overcoming burnout but also for building confidence, enhancing relationships, achieving goals, and making strategic decisions that change businesses and lives.
Remember, you are on a journey to feel better, do better and live better. The more tools you have, the more successful your journey will be. You got this!
Can You Prevent Burnout With Good Time Management?
Yes, you can prevent burnout if you have good time management skills. In fact, there’s a strong tie between burnout and time management. By efficiently managing your time, focusing on prioritizing tasks, and delegating, you can significantly lower burnout risks. It’s not just about working hard but also working smart, ensuring breaks are integral to your routine. This balance is crucial for managing stress and maintaining both productivity and well-being.
FAQ
Absolutely. With the right strategies and consistent self-care, anyone can recover from burnout and regain their passion and drive.
If you feel that you are resonating with these symptoms in an extreme way, professional guidance may be helpful. Remember to also prioritize self-care and create a support system.
Start by setting boundaries at work, re-evaluating your goals, and don’t shy away from taking necessary breaks.
Slow down, reassess your priorities, and remember that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
Every situation is unique, so it’s important to pause and evaluate what’s causing your burnout. Once you understand the underlying issues, it will be easier to develop an action plan to solve them.
Yes, severe burnout can seriously affect your mental well-being, though it’s often a result of external pressures and stressors.
While both can stem from prolonged stress levels, burnout is a deeper, chronic state that affects your passion and drive, whereas fatigue is more about physical tiredness.
When you’re overwhelmed, it’s a temporary feeling due to a pile-up of tasks. Burnout is more persistent, affecting your passion, motivation, and overall perspective on life.