Burnout is the silent thief of joy.
It sneaks into our lives and leaves us drained, both mentally and physically.
Recognizing the signs of burnout and understanding how to recover and bounce back is crucial to protecting our mental health.
If you have been feeling exhausted, anxious, and unmotivated lately, you might be experiencing burnout.
Although you need to take the signs of burnout seriously, a speedy recovery is possible when we take action daily.
In this article, we cover burnout symptoms and simple daily habits you can take today to protect your well-being and recover from burnout.
So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and settle in while we discuss 13 ways to protect your mental health and get back on track when feeling burnt out.
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What Are The Signs of Burnout?
Burnout is a state characterized by a range of physical, emotional, and behavioral signs.
Here are three common symptoms that may indicate you are experiencing burnout:
- Chronic Fatigue and Physical Symptoms: Persistent fatigue that goes beyond normal tiredness is a common sign of burnout. People who feel physically drained, even after a good night’s sleep, and experience a lack of energy throughout the day are likely experiencing burnout. This exhaustion can manifest in physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, and increased susceptibility to illnesses. Indeed, the body’s response to chronic stress can contribute to a weakened immune system, leaving us more vulnerable to health issues.
- Emotional Exhaustion: Emotional exhaustion is a hallmark of burnout and is characterized by a sense of being emotionally drained and depleted. People suffering from burnout may feel overwhelmed, detached, or even emotionally numb. They might become cynical or develop a negative outlook on work and life in general. Emotional exhaustion can lead to a reduced ability to cope with stress, impacting both personal and professional relationships. A lack of enthusiasm for tasks that were once enjoyable and a pervasive feeling of being emotionally spent are other common indicators of burnout.
- Reduced Performance and Decreased Motivation: Burnout can also significantly impact an individual’s professional performance and motivation. There may be a noticeable decline in the quality of work, increased errors, and a sense of detachment from tasks. Procrastination and lack of interest in meeting deadlines or accomplishing goals are also prevalent. People experiencing burnout often find it challenging to get motivated to complete even simple daily tasks. This reduced performance can further contribute to feelings of frustration and a sense of ineffectiveness.
Contrary to popular belief, burnout is not limited to the workplace; it can affect various aspects of an individual’s life.
Identifying these signs early is crucial for implementing preventive measures and seeking appropriate support.
If you think you might suffer from burnout, here are 13 ways to protect your mental and physical health and bounce back.
1. Recognize Your State
Before you can conquer burnout, you must acknowledge its existence.
Indeed, recognizing our state is a crucial first step towards taking action, healing and preventing further deterioration of our well-being.
Recognizing the signs of burnout and acknowledging the problem is the first step toward reclaiming control over your life.
2. Rest
Rest is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Quality sleep and downtime are essential for physical recovery when experiencing burnout, as the body needs time to heal from the toll of chronic stress and exhaustion.
If you’re feeling burnt out, chances are that you have a lot on your plate. And slowing down is probably the last thing you want to do.
However, allowing yourself the grace to unwind and recharge regularly is key to recovering.
If you cannot take a long-term break from work, a simple but effective way to overcome exhaustion and recover from burnout is to establish a clear work schedule and take 1-2 days off every week, ideally on weekends.
Disconnecting from work a couple of days a week will help you find balance and make time for self-care, which you should prioritize to protect your mental health.
3. Practice Self-Care
We’ve briefly covered it: when it comes to overcoming mental and physical exhaustion, self-care is key.
Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s survival.
Some self-care activities, such as getting adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and engaging in relaxation techniques, help replenish depleted energy levels.
Self-care is also the most efficient way to promote mental and emotional renewal by offering a break from stress triggers.
Activities like meditation, deep breathing, or time spent in nature can help calm the mind and alleviate the mental strain contributing to exhaustion.
If you feel burnt out, find activities that bring you joy and help you unwind, whether reading a book, taking a long bath, or indulging in a new hobby.
Making time for self-care will help you build resilience against burnout.
Related read: 11 Ways Self-Care Will Help You Achieve Goals
4. Learn to Prioritize
Learning to prioritize is about understanding what truly matters to you.
Focus on the high-impact tasks that align with your life goals, and let go of the rest. Prioritizing and letting go of non-productive activities is such a liberating experience.
A simple way to prioritize tasks is to use a Priority Matrix.
A priority matrix, also known as an Eisenhower Matrix, is a time management tool that will help you prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance.
As you can see in the example below, this matrix categorizes tasks into four quadrants:
- Urgent and Important (Quadrant I): Tasks in this quadrant are both urgent and important. They require immediate attention and are critical to your goals or well-being. Ignoring these tasks would have negative consequences, so you should always address them promptly.
- Important, but Not Urgent (Quadrant II): Tasks in this quadrant are important for long-term goals and personal development but may not have an immediate deadline. This quadrant emphasizes proactive and strategic planning. Scheduling tasks from Quadrant II will help prevent tasks from becoming urgent and stressful.
- Urgent but Not Important (Quadrant III): Tasks in this quadrant are urgent but not particularly important in the grand scheme of things. They may be distractions or interruptions that demand immediate attention but do not contribute significantly to your long-term goals. Managing these tasks efficiently is key. You want to complete them but should avoid spending too much time on them because they do not support your life goals.
- Not Urgent and Not Important (Quadrant IV): Tasks in this quadrant are neither urgent nor important. They are often time-wasters and distractions that should be minimized. Spending excessive time on Quadrant IV activities can lead to decreased productivity and hinder personal and professional growth. In most cases, tasks from this quadrant can be ditched without any negative consequences.
5. Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is another crucial step in the fight against mental and physical exhaustion.
Boundaries act as a protective barrier against overcommitment. When we set clear limits on our time and energy, we are less likely to take on more tasks than we can handle.
This prevents the accumulation of stressors that can lead to mental and physical exhaustion.
Additionally, setting boundaries helps maintain a healthy “work-life” balance as it allows us to allocate dedicated time for work, personal life, and self-care.
Striking this balance is essential for preventing burnout and ensuring that both mental and physical well-being are prioritized.
So clearly define your limits at work and in personal relationships. Saying ‘no’ when needed is a powerful act of self-preservation.
6. Focus on Your Physical Health
Focusing on physical and mental health is crucial in the battle against burnout because these aspects are intricately connected, forming a symbiotic relationship that significantly influences overall well-being.
Simple habits can help you take care of your physical health.
- Regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever. Physical activity releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters, helping to combat stress and anxiety.
- Another simple way to focus on your physical health is to make sleep your priority. Improving sleep quality will not only help you recharge your energy but will also help you improve your focus.
- Finally, nourishing your body with healthy, nutritious foods will help you improve your health and protect it in the cold season.
Focusing on physical and mental health is not just a reactive strategy to combat burnout; it’s a proactive and holistic approach that builds resilience, enhances overall well-being, and empowers individuals to navigate life’s challenges with vitality and strength.
Related read: 12 Habits to Stay Healthy in Winter
7. Ditch Bad Habits
Bad habits, such as procrastination, poor time management, or unhealthy coping mechanisms, can contribute to chronic stress and be a source of burnout.
Ditching these habits is key to reducing the overall stress load on both the mind and body.
A lot of habits can have a negative impact on our mental health, the main culprits being:
- Procrastination
- Poor time management
- Lack of sleep
- Eating unhealthy foods
- Mindless scrolling on social media
- Lack of exercise
These bad habits often exacerbate stress, leading to a cycle of increasing tension and strain.
By eliminating these bad habits, you will prevent stress from escalating to more severe levels that may contribute to mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
8. Practice Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is crucial in the fight against burnout because it offers a powerful set of tools to manage stress, enhance self-awareness, and promote overall well-being.
Indeed, mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing and guided meditation, activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing the production of stress hormones. This, in turn, lowers overall stress levels and helps prevent burnout.
However, mindfulness also involves paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without judgment.
This heightened self-awareness will allow you to recognize early signs of burnout and take proactive measures before reaching a critical stage.
Finally, being more mindful will help you prevent cognitive exhaustion by promoting a balanced approach to thoughts and challenges.
Rather than being consumed by an incessant stream of thoughts, mindfulness will help you maintain mental clarity and resilience.
And it really doesn’t take much to be more mindful.
Deep breathing exercises and guided meditations with apps such as Headspace are the perfect place to start if you want to learn how to be more present.
Related read: How to Live a More Mindful Life
9. Implement a Healthy Routine
A structured routine brings stability.
Following a healthy daily routine is a powerful strategy for overcoming stress as it establishes a structured and balanced framework that supports overall well-being.
Healthy daily routines also contribute to burnout prevention and recovery in many ways.
- Stress reduction: Implementing daily routines is a simple way to decrease stress by avoiding choice overload. By following the same routines daily, you will not only ensure you make the most out of your time but will also get clarity on what needs to be done every day.
- “Work-life” balance: We’re not sure we like this expression since work is part of life. However, we’re kind of forced to use it for lack of a better term. Following daily routines is a simple but effective way to ensure you make time for everything that matters to you, even on a hectic workday.
- Last but not least, implementing healthy routines will help you slowly become the person you want to be by following habits that will support your life goals, one day at a time.
A sound body supports a resilient mind and healthy daily habits are the most effective way to cultivate it.
10. Detect Triggers
Burnout and exhaustion have become all-too-familiar companions, silently creeping into our daily existence and sapping our vitality.
Recognizing and understanding burnout triggers is a critical aspect of navigating this state.
Whether it’s excessive workload, toxic relationships, or unrealistic expectations, pinpointing triggers empowers you to manage them proactively.
Each person’s journey to burnout is unique and shaped by a combination of internal and external factors.
However, some triggers are pretty common when it comes to burnout and stress in general:
- Lack of control/autonomy: A perceived lack of control or autonomy in one’s work environment is a significant cause of burnout. When we feel micromanaged, have limited decision-making authority, or experience a sense of powerlessness in our roles, frustration and helplessness can quickly become sources of stress. The absence of autonomy undermines our sense of purpose and accomplishment, contributing to emotional exhaustion and burnout.
- Excessive workload: The primary cause of burnout is an overwhelming and unmanageable workload. Excessive demands at work, unrealistic expectations, and tight deadlines lead to chronic stress. The feeling of being constantly behind, coupled with the pressure to meet high expectations, contributes to emotional and physical exhaustion. Over time, the relentless workload can erode our resilience, leading to burnout.
- Inadequate recognition and rewards: Another important factor when it comes to mental and physical exhaustion is inadequate recognition and rewards. Burnout is a multi-faceted phenomenon. However, a misalignment between the time invested in a task and the perceived rewards is a huge factor in burnout.
11. Learn to Say “No”
Mastering the art of saying ‘No’ is a skill that will transform your life.
It is also crucial in overcoming burnout because it establishes boundaries, preserves personal well-being, and prevents the overwhelming feeling of being stretched too thin.
Learning to say “No” is a proactive and empowering strategy to overcome burnout. It involves preserving your energy, prioritizing well-being, and ultimately creating a more sustainable and fulfilling approach to work and life.
Being assertive in expressing your limits and needs will also help you foster healthier relationships and reduce the risk of burnout caused by people-pleasing tendencies.
So next time you don’t feel like doing something, do not hesitate to politely decline commitments that overload your plate.
Doing so will preserve your energy for what truly matters to you.
12. Look For Sources of Inspiration
Seeking for inspiration when feeling depressed is an important step to bounce back and increase motivation again.
inspirational content, whether it be motivational quotes, uplifting stories, or positive affirmations, has the power to elevate our mood.
Exposure to inspiring material can counteract the negative thought patterns associated with depression and contribute to a more positive mental state.
Inspirational content, such as podcasts, TED Talks, and biographies of successful people, can serve as a catalyst for taking positive actions.
Looking for sources of inspiration will motivate you to take steps toward recovery and set life goals again.
13. Rethink Your Life
Recovery often involves reevaluation.
If you’re feeling burnt out, you need to think about what caused this mental state and rethink your life in general.
Chances are that you are feeling physically and mentally drained because your life does not align with the life you aspire to.
Burnout often results from an imbalance between personal and professional priorities. However, it can also be caused by an imbalance between the inputs and outputs you perceive in your life.
A typical example is living a busy life without purpose.
- Are you truly happy with the way you live your life each day?
- Does it make sense to you?
- Is your daily life aligned with your life goals?
Burnout is often the sign we are ready for a change of direction in our lives.
Feeling exhausted physically and mentally might ultimately forget about external influences and rethink your life and goals.
Related read: How to do a life audit with the Wheel of Life
Final Thoughts
The journey to overcoming burnout is a personal one, and each step forward is a victory.
So embrace the power of self-awareness, set boundaries unapologetically, and cultivate a life that nourishes your mind, body, and soul.
In the pursuit of success, may you find not just achievement but genuine fulfillment.
You’ve got this!