It’s the start of back to school and routine for many coming off of summer vacation, but the past 18 months have seen us experience life at a very different pace. Maybe summer was relaxing and a nice change of pace, but maybe it was just added stress from a seemingly endless lack of structure. Regardless of what your reality is as we shift into September, I think this week’s subject will be helpful.

In my last blog, I shared all about the signs and indicators of burnout, but as always, I know that it’s the solutions that are the most helpful! There are no straight lines, exact timeframes or checklists for recovery from burnout, but there are enough approaches that I felt an article could be dedicated to it.

Each of the times I’ve experienced burnout, the experience of healing out of it has been different; different healing periods, timeframes and life situations lend to different needs. When I burned out as a government employee, I had paid sick leave, when I was working in non-profits I was actually laid off and took the time as I collected employment insurance and carefully crafted my next career move and in another episode, it took a serious medical situation to make me promise myself to never compromise on my core values ever again. I took the time then, despite being terrified at the lack of certainty and life showed me it would take care of me as long as I finally showed up to what I was being called to do.

Your brain, body and soul can only handle feeling overworked and overwhelmed for so long. The first step is identifying the source of the overwhelm and stress and then figuring out some immediate changes you can make to alleviate the most pressing stressors. You might recognize a few ways to lighten your load right away. Accepting that you can’t do it all might be difficult, especially for the Type A’s in the crowd, but delegation and outsourcing can offer an immediate sense of relief.

What can you say no to or delegate today that would cause immediate relief to your nervous system?

When in burnout, you can become so overwhelmed that even determining how to address it seems exhausting. It’s also hard to identify potential solutions when you feel completely depleted. Speaking to trusted friends and family can help you feel supported and also identify solutions your mind can’t access in its current state.

Opening up in this way can trigger feelings of vulnerability, especially if you’re prone to doing it all on your own, but healing from burnout alone can prolong your healing. And remember how good it feels to help others; reaching out allows others that same pleasure in supporting you.

Here are 5 steps to burnout recovery:

1. Take back control

The powerlessness that accompanies burnout can make everything feel out of control. When everything feels out of control there’s a tendency to look at all the outside factors and shift into victimhood; this adds to the feelings of powerlessness and lack of solutions.

While there may be certain things that occurred outside your control, you do have the power to take back control and begin to heal.

Prioritize. Some things just have to get done, but others can wait until you have more time and energy. Decide which tasks are less important and set them aside.
Delegate. You can’t do everything yourself, so if more tasks than you can handle need immediate attention, pass them off to someone you trust.
Leave work at work. Part of burnout recovery is learning to separate work from life. After leaving work, find ways to relax and recharge.
Be firm about your needs. Talk to others involved and let them know what’s happening. Explain what support you need in order to take care of your health and manage your workload productively.

2. No IS a complete sentence!

Boundaries are hard to set for Type A’s and people pleasers who are taught to take on more and more, putting their own needs further and further down the list of priorities. When you hit burnout, you absolutely need to put yourself at the top of that list and this will mean learning to say NO frequently. (No IS a complete sentence!)

Setting limits on the time you give to others can help you manage stress while recovering from burnout because accepting too many commitments can cause overwhelm. It’s not lazy or selfish and you don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Before you agree to anything:

Push the pause button.
Take a moment to walk through everything that will be required of you if you agree.
Ask yourself if you really have the time and more importantly, the energy.
Consider whether doing it offers value to you.

Being selective about accepting commitments is key to taking care of your mental health and helps you proactively prevent burnout.

3. Practice self-compassion

For me, when I experienced burnout, it brought up feelings of failure. I felt like I couldn’t do anything properly and like my goals were further away than ever.

When I learned that at the point of burnout, a person has likely pushed themselves past the point of what is reasonable for some time, I was able to soften my inner dialogue. I also saw that I was modelling unhealthy habits for my kids. I began to imagine how I would parent them if they were in my situation and began to shift into compassion and empathy. I had to remind myself that rest is normal, rest is healthy and rest is necessary. Nothing can function optimally if it’s depleted.

4. Pay attention

Paying attention to your needs and taking charge of your physical, emotional and spiritual health is key to burnout recovery. In an ideal world, reaching the point of burnout would mean you immediately take time off, clear your schedule, and dedicate your days to rest, meditation and relaxation, and I’m not naive enough to think that everyone can do that.

When there are bills to pay, kids to take care of and other responsibilities, just walking away from your job isn’t realistic, however, practicing good self-care is.

Try these strategies:

Make restful sleep a priority
Spend time with loved ones that you WANT to spend time with (don’t overdo it; alone time is important, too)
Physical activity is so important, but stay away from high impact activities that can raise your cortisol levels
Pay attention to your nutrition, eat nourishing meals and keep hydrated
Journaling, meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness practices for improved relaxation

5. Reconnect with joy

Severe burnout leaves you depleted and can make it hard to remember what you enjoy.

You can lose passion in your career, no longer care about hobbies, or avoid friends because you lack the energy for conversation.

You might even feel perpetually irritated and snap at your partner or family without meaning to.

To reconnect with joy, begin creating a list of the things that nourish and fill you up. It might include things like:

Long walks with or without a friend
Reading a book
Taking a long bath
Playing an instrument

Make time for these activities every week, and keep this up even after you feel more like yourself.

In case you missed them:

https://www.jessicadawncoaching.com/blog/how-to-identify-if-youre-in-a-burnout
https://www.jessicadawncoaching.com/blog/9-signs-of-overwhelm-and-how-to-shift-your-experience

5 Steps to Burnout Recovery