How to Recover from Burnout


Are you the type of person who is always able to recognize when you’re overdoing it? I like to think that I’m pretty good at recognizing this, but that’s not always the case. 

Being a self-motivated person, I can get caught up in reaching my goals and may not recognize that I am quickly heading for burnout.

Doesn’t it feel so good when you create a to-do list and are productively checking things off left and right? The key in balancing productivity and self-care is to know your sustainable limits. I am all about learning how to have healthy and successful lifestyle – that is also balanced.

Here are the steps that have helped me to recover from burnout in the past…

Recognize that you’re doing too much and allow yourself to recover
Burnout

You may not realize that the reason why you’re mentally exhausted early in the day is because you are nearing burnout. If you find yourself saying something like “I really need a vacation”, “I really can’t stand being at work today”, or “I really didn’t want to get up this morning”, you might be closer to burnout than you think.

If you’re not familiar with avoiding burnout, it’s smart not to assume what your limits are. It’s important to be more careful and assume that you should take that mental health day.

About a year ago I reached the point where I was so exhausted every day that I no longer felt guilty for taking a day for myself when I wasn’t “sick”. Ever since then, I avoid getting to that point if I can, and just schedule time off for myself in advance.

Since then I’ve been able to stay on top of my mental health by not letting myself push to the unhealthy limits I was going to before. There is nothing wrong with working hard but knowing when to take a break will keep you productive more consistently.

Take some time off or re-evaluate your demanding schedule.

Sometimes taking a day off simply cannot happen – I get that. Rearranging your to-do list can provide some relief until you are able to do so. Start by taking an hour for yourself and working your schedule around that.

Also, there is nothing wrong with calling off plans or rescheduling something if need be. If you have plans with a friend, explain what is going on. Swap your night out for some take out and a movie at home instead. If my friend suggested that last minute I’d be down – I’ll bring the ice cream and wine!

Focus on recovering

Now that you’re taking the time to care for yourself, listen to what it is you really need. When you’re caught up in your grind, it might be hard to determine what exactly is causing so much strain.

Did you take on too much at work? Are you working toward something you thought you wanted but really, you don’t? Are you just not getting enough sleep? Maybe you didn’t realize you had certain desires for your life and you’re feeling unfulfilled? Taking small steps to achieve fulfillment can be very powerful.

Whatever the case may be, practice being still and listening to that little voice that’s telling you what’s wrong. Take your time to get a clear picture of what you need to do. Start out slow and make a steady effort toward it.

Burnout

Don’t be afraid to set some boundaries and start to focus more on what you need in your life. This will lessen the strain, keep you rested or will bring you fulfillment if that’s what you’re lacking.

Establish boundaries going forward

Now that you’re recovering from burnout it’s important to set boundaries that will prevent it from happening again (or at least decrease the number of times it happens). Put practices into place that will fortify you for everything you need to accomplish. Here are a few things that I do to recover from and even to prevent burnout:

  • Go to bed early when needed. Hanging out in front of the TV at night for a few hours might seem like the only thing that will relax you, but it might be causing more harm than good. Allow yourself some time to catch up on your favorite show but don’t overdo it. Instead, go to bed an hour earlier than you usually would, your body will thank you.
  • Eliminate screen time an hour or two before your bedtime. This ties in with the above suggestion. Maybe have dinner, watch TV for an hour or so then turn it off and read a book. Not only is reading enjoyable and good for your mind, it will also relax you and prepare your body for sleep.
    • Also, try not to be on your phone shortly before bed. There are many negative effects from staring at our phones before bed. One of which is that it can disrupt our abilities to release melatonin! I haven’t purchased them yet, but I’m shopping around for blue light glasses to wear during the evening when I’m spending time on my phone. Blue light glasses block the blue light from our cell phone screens that cause the problems associated with sleep deprivation.
  • Establish a morning or evening routine (if you can do both, great!). Start with only designating 5 or 10 minutes either when you first wake up or right before bed. Here are a few suggestions for you to incorporate: stretching, a workout (not right before bed though), reading, mediation or journaling. Even just being still and reciting affirmations or areas of gratitude is a great way to center yourself.

Personally, I love taking a few moments to plan out my day or jot down areas of gratitude. I use my planner every single day and absolutely love it!

Even just spending 5 minutes to center myself in that way makes a huge difference. I’ll link the planner I use down below!

  • Designate regular time for yourself. Whether it’s once a month or once a week, regularly plan a day for yourself. Even just knowing that you’re regularly doing something for yourself can make you feel more rejuvenated as well.

Hey – real quick! Would you like a FREE Self-Care Printable? Click the images to check them out!

self care tips

Self-care is not a luxury, it’s a responsibility to your own well-being! Start making your self-care a priority with these simple ideas today!

Go forth and conquer!

Not to be dramatic, but sometimes picking yourself up and moving forward after experiencing burnout can feel like you’re fighting a huge battle. The key is to tell yourself that you’re doing an amazing job by persisting and just keep pushing toward your goals. At however slow a pace that needs to be.

Learning to set reasonable expectations for yourself is an important part of this process. If I get off track and need to bounce back, I make sure I do so as soon as I recognize what is happening.

I think it’s all about continuing to shorten the recovery period by using self-care methods that will eventually be able to maintain you.

Cut yourself some slack when implementing these practices. It’s not easy at first.

Personally, I am working on establishing a new morning routine now that I’m working from home full-time. I am going to set reasonable goals each week then scale from there once I acclimate to that schedule. Wish me luck!

Know your limits though – Sometimes sleeping in a little is far more beneficial than getting up an hour early to work on your goals. Don’t be afraid to set a flexible schedule at first and experiment with what works for you!

If self-care for mental health is something that interests you, check out the 3-Month Self-Care Challenge for Mental Health. In this course, I go over the methods and strategies that I’ve used to implement the mental health practices that I now call habits!
self-care for mental health course

Click the link above, or check it out HERE

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mblblogger

Hi, I'm Marissa! I'm passionate about mental and emotional health and want to share what I've learned over the years with others! I've seen first hand how mental health struggles can cause serious issues within relationships, work life, daily productivity, self-worth and more! I truly believe that we owe it to ourselves to bring more awareness to these life changing topics. Start your mental/emotional health journey by learning more today!

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