How to Relieve Burnout

Burnout seems to be everywhere these days - and no wonder! There’s always so much going on with politics, wars and conflicts, personal relationships, shifts in technology…you get the point. I don’t have to tell you. 

But what happens when you’re actually in burnout? How do you identify it? And, more importantly, how do you get out of it? 

This post isn’t a comprehensive overview of burnout - that’s far more complex than we can go into here, but it’s a great starting point. I hope it will help you avoid and/or overcome burnout.

Burn out meaning

Burnout isn’t just a hashtag, but it’s become so prevalent lately that it might as well be a posting trend. Burnout is the state of being so emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted by prolonged and elevated stress that you just can’t function properly anymore. It’s a highly subjective experience, so what puts one person into burnout isn’t necessarily what will cause another person to hit that point.

It’s normal for us to feel some degree of being burnt out at work, at home, and in other parts of our lives. For instance, theatre production cast and crew can become burnt out after a show’s run, or you may feel burnt out from the holidays. However, to feel chronically burnt out is a problem. Let’s dive deeper into that by first discussing the difference between stress and burnout.

There’s often a question about stress vs burnout - how do you know if you’re burnt out or just stressed? The simplest way to tell is based on your rest periods. Can you take a break over the weekend or for a short vacation or holiday and feel rejuvenated? If so, that’s stress. If not - and your normal stress relief activities don’t make a dent in how you feel, it’s a sure sign you’re in burnout.

Signs of burnout

Burnout is a failure of leadership when you’re experiencing it at work - in fact, elevated stress over a long period of time is one sign of being overworked. However, we can burn out from various causes: social, emotional, energetic, physical, mental, and empathetic stress. No matter what form of burnout you experience, though, there are some standard signs of burnout:

• Brain fog

• GI issues (when they weren’t there before)

• Headaches

• You’ve become easily irritated by other people

• Large groups stress you out (more than usual, if you’re more of an introvert)

• Your temper has shortened

• Second-guessing yourself

• Insomnia

• Sleeping too much

• You struggle to empathize with others

• Apathy at work

• Struggles with small self-care tasks like teeth brushing

• Forgetfulness

• Lack of creativity, imagination, or innovation

• Feeling like a failure

• Low productivity

• And more

Honestly, the list goes on. That’s one reason it can feel so hopeless when you’re in the middle of it. I’ve found that the biggest giveaway that burnout is imminent is a lack of care and consideration - for yourself, for others, for your work, etc. You just feel so tapped out you have difficulty attaching meaning to…well, anything.

What to do when burned out

So, what do you do when you feel burned out? I’m gonna be real for a moment: Burnout signals that it’s time for something big to change in your life. If it’s that you’re being overworked, you’re suffering from mental burnout, or you’re just stressed about an aspect of your life all the time, now is when you need to make some big decisions about your choices.

If possible, take an actual break. If you’re a caregiver for an ailing family member, call in the help of a nurse or another family member to allow you to get away from the day-in-day-out of it all for a few days. If you can take a sabbatical from work, look into doing that.

The best way to start your recovery from severe burnout is rest - mental, emotional, and physical rest. 

If that’s not possible, then you’ve got to at least shift things around. Think of little things you can change in your life that will relieve the pressure: hiring a housekeeper once or twice a month, ordering your groceries ahead, and just picking them up from the store - most stores charge a minimal fee or nothing at all for this service. Relying on your partner to help with household and family duties more, too.

Asking for help from someone you trust is also vital - be it a beloved family member, trustworthy friend, therapist, or coach - it’s essential to lean on someone else as you overcome burnout. You simply can’t do it alone.

Are you ready for support in your business that helps prevent burnout? If so, let’s chat!