4 Ways to Recover from Burnout
Burnout is no fun
If you are in the midst of burnout, having strategies to support yourself is an important step towards recovering from burnout.
This blog exploring ways to recover from burnout is the third in a series of three blogs exploring burnout. In the previous blogs, we considered the 4 domains of burnout and ways to prevent burnout. Here, we cover practical self-help strategies you can employ to help you recover from burnout if you feel you're beginning to suffer from burnout or are firmly in the grip of burnout. You may also be interested in my two other burnout blogs - looking at neurodivergent burnout and the spiritual impact of burnout.
The metaphor of “running on empty” can help to express what burnout is like.
Feeling like you have nothing left in your tank is a call for action.
Burnout recovery? Time to take action
Burnout is the state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It’s feeling of having nothing left in the tank. If you’ve begun to spot some of the physical, emotional, mental and behavioural symptoms of burnout, then it’s time to take action. Self-care and self-help for recovering from burnout are essentially about taking steps to reduce stress and to find ways to re-resource. Burnout is a recognised health condition resulting from continuous and long-term stress exposure (ICD-10 International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision). And, as with any health condition, a return to good health can take time and comes after rest and active treatment. Let’s explore then 4 ways you can support yourself as you recover from burnout.
Reduce your exposure to stress
Stress depletes us
If you are in the midst of burnout, take action to reduce as much stress in your life as possible.
At the point of burnout, we’ve borne the brunt of stress and pressure for too long. The depletion of burnout comes after exposure to stress and suffering, causing us to remain in a state of flight or fight - on high alert, for too long, without sufficient respite. Therefore, once you recognise that you are experiencing burnout, it is essential that you reduce your exposure to stress. Your brain and body need chance to regulate and recover.
An metaphor that is sometimes helpful to explain this is to think of a “stress bucket”. If your bucket overflows, then things will be difficult. One solution is to add drainage to the bucket - ways to relieve some of the stress. But when things are overflowing, you also need to try to stem the source of the stress.
Stress Bucket analogy
A significant aspect of self-care and self-help for burnout is taking a long hard look at what you can do to reduce stress and pressure in your life. How can you stem at source some of the sources of stress in your life. It’s no good building in one or two “stress busters” if there is an avalanche of stress about to engulf you. Do you need to take a break for a few weeks? It may be prudent to book in annual leave as a matter of urgency to give yourself a total break. For some people, burnout means that they are not well enough to work and require a break from the pressure and stress of work. If this applies to you, speak to your GP. Remember, burnout is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a response to chronic stress. It is a “thing”.
Consider the various commitments that add to your daily or weekly load. What can you pause or take a break from in order to reduce your exposure to stress? Perhaps it would help to hire a cleaner for a couple of months to reduce any household pressures. Or, at least accept that – for this season at least - some jobs will just need to remain undone. The world won’t end if you neglect dusting, hoovering or ironing for a while. Step back from volunteering for a while. Learn the art of saying “no”. The last thing you need right now is more commitment. However you manage it, it is essential you have a respite and reprieve from stress and pressure for a while.
Of course, this situation may be offering you chance to spot some ingrained patterns around what you say “yes” to and whose needs you attend to in life. Many people find that burnout is a chance to tackle long standing people pleasing or perfectionism tendencies. This type of patterning is something you can explore through psychotherapy (see below).
2. Find ways to replenish
As well as reducing your exposure to stress, it’s also important to find ways to replenish yourself after experiencing burnout. Using the analogy of the fuel tank in a vehicle - if you’ve been running on fumes, you need to fill up with something that gives you a boost. Or, at the risk of adding in too many metaphors - let’s consider the stress bucket again. Reducing your exposure to stress helps to stem the tide of stress coming in. But, longer term it is helpful to have something other than “stress” coming your way. You need stress antidotes in your life - we can think these as the small holes that allow you to modulate the stress levels to some degree.
Take a long hard think about what it is that gives you energy and enlivens you. What makes you feel engaged, feel more “you” like? Dancing? Meditation? A yoga class? Time alone to read, relax and create? Socialising with precious friends? Walking in nature? Watching your favourite film or show? You’ll know yourself what helps you to feel energised and enlivened. It’s different for each of us, and only you really know what feels a perfect fit for you and your own needs. The act of listening to yourself and your own needs and preferences can be a form of self-care in itself. It is important that you schedule plenty of opportunities to do the things that help, that bring you joy. These things are a powerful antidote to burnout. Make space in your diary and prioritise these activities to help you recover from burnout.
3. Give yourself time
Take time to make changes to your daily, weekly and monthly routines so that you are in a position to recover from burnout
Burnout often takes months to take a hold. Burnout occurs after prolonged exposure to stress and pressure. Therefore, you need to allow time for recovery from burnout. Give yourself time and aim to adopt an attitude of self-compassion and patience with yourself as you slowly recover from burnout.
Take time to make changes to your daily, weekly and monthly routines so that you are in a position to recover from burnout. Give yourself time each day for some relaxation, and rest and chance to replenish. Be patient. Re-evaluate the expectations you place upon yourself about what you can cram into each day, each week, each month. Build in time to rest and time to recover. These are lifestyle changes that will help you to recover from burnout but will also help you to safeguard against future burnout.
4. Seek professional help
Burnout can trigger feelings of shame and bring people-pleasing tendencies to the fore.
Counselling for burnout can help to address this.
Many people seek professional counselling or psychotherapy to explore how they feel about the experience of burnout. Burnout can trigger a range of feelings and responses. For example, some people feel ashamed that they have reached a point of burnout. They are suddenly faced with their own vulnerability and fragility and may feel shocked and shaken at this recognition. The experience of burnout may also challenge self-beliefs and personal constructs. For example, if you hold a “be strong” mindset, the experience of burnout may lead you to question your own identity. Perhaps you’re someone who has gained your sense of self-worth from doing, and from helping others. Burnout can challenge that and leave you questioning whether you are worthy or okay as a person. Burnout can bring into sharp relief any patterns you’ve fallen into, such as perfectionism or people-pleasing. Therapy is a place to explore and examine your own beliefs and feelings about yourself, as well as offering opportunity to consider alternatives that can help towards your recovery from burnout.
Burnout….. so what?
We’ve explored some of the important aspects of recovering from burnout. Recognising burnout is a first step towards recovery, that takes time and deliberate and active action to helps us towards a healthier future. My hope is that you can be clear on what works for you in terms of recognising and managing burnout in your own unique circumstances.
Next steps?
If you’d like to explore whether counselling for burnout with me, Claire Law, you’d benefit from, do feel free to make contact. I offer therapy for burnout either online, or via face-to-face counselling in Preston.
I’m a BACP Senior Accredited Psychotherapist offering professional counselling and psychotherapy. I offer a simple, no-pressure approach to people who are considering therapy - and can chat through how I work, and to share with you my availability for new clients for either:
In person counselling at my therapy room in Preston.
Online counselling via MS Teams.
References:
Brabban, A., & Turkington, D. (2002). "The search for meaning: Detecting congruence between life events, underlying schema and psychotic symptoms" in "A Casebook of Cognitive Therapy for Psychosis" edited by A.P. Morrison.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2016). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (10th ed.)