Burnout is real. Everything from high-pressure work environments to cultural expectations can trigger it. Contrary to stress, which adds intensity to your experience, burnout leaves you depleted. It is an ongoing state of feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, and emotionally drained due to consistent stress in your work, family, or social life. Gone unchecked, burnout can lead to serious health issues like hypertension, diabetes, weight gain, stomach problems, muscle and joint pain, breathing issues, and even depression.

Signs of burnout include low energy, lack of enthusiasm, frustration, and reduced performance. Physical symptoms such as recurring headaches, loss of appetite, and insomnia often occur. Burnout can manifest in your mental health as well, with feelings of helplessness, failure, cynicism, and losing your sense of purpose. If you recognize these symptoms it’s important to listen to your body, you may be experiencing burnout.

How To Recover From Burnout

The good news, you can take back control of your experience. Ditching your to-do list or eliminating all stressors may not be an option, however, you can bounce back from burnout with these tips:

Identify what went wrong. Exhaustion, hopelessness, detachment, cynicism, and a sense of defeat are the five main symptoms of burnout. Consider what led you to feel these things. The previous point of contention can be turned into the present point of breakthrough. When you know what causes a problem, the solution can be more easily found and implemented.

Recognize your limits. Now that you’ve learned what situations or tasks make you feel depleted, you can handle or avoid them better. This could look like declining an outing, saying no to extra responsibilities, or taking a break – even before you “need” one. Recognizing your limits helps you to avoid hitting your capacity before it’s too late.

Change your routine. The experiences that led to your burnout have to go in order for you to bounce back. Start fresh with a routine that promotes wellness and schedule your day to involve as much joy as possible. This may include outsourcing tasks, implementing self-care, or keeping a sabbath. Make your priorities clear and focus on what is most important to you.

Prioritize your health. As shared, burnout can be detrimental to your emotional, mental, and physical health. Putting your well-being first helps offset the side effects of burnout when trying to bounce back. Make room for healthy conversation with a professional or loved ones; feed your mind with news and information that will promote peace; get more sleep, eat well, and exercise.

Seek help. Don’t underestimate the power of accountability when bouncing back from burnout. Whether you opt for professional help from a therapist or lean on wisdom from mentors and loved ones, know that seeking help can make a huge difference.

Exhaustion experienced from constantly being swamped by the burdens of life does not have to be your reality. Create a new normal by changing what you can, immediately and intermittently. There is no set timeline for recovery from burnout. As you take the steps to reduce stress, you will see the changes you desire. The sooner you start, the better.

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