How to Recover from Burnout
Guest post from mental health copywriter, Brandon Grill of bgcopywriter.com.
Burnout can sneak up on you at any time. And it can be hard to recover from burnout if you’re working long or irregular hours, not getting enough personal or family time, and not maintaining healthy habits like proper sleep and exercise.
Luckily, there are some ways to recover from burnout, and that’s what this blog is about. We’ll talk about why burnout happens, how long it can take to recover, and tips for a faster and sustained recovery.
What is Burnout?
From burnout researcher Christina Maslach, burnout is a condition composed of “overwhelming exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.” Burnout is different from depression in a few respects, one being that it is caused by one’s work. Whether work is too demanding, or too difficult, burnout recovery can help you reevaluate your relationship with how you earn a living.
Stress and lack of motivation in the workplace affect large numbers of Americans. According to research done by Zippia, 89% of workers have experienced burnout at one point in the last 12 months. And 40% of employees leave their job due to it.
So, if you’re experiencing burnout you’re not alone. Heck, researchers have even seen burnout in therapists! With that said, if you feel you may have burnout, you’ll be wondering what you can do to fix it. And how long does it take to recover anyway?
Telehealth in Indiana is a good option for those experiencing burnout.
How to Recover from Burnout
Burnout can last for years in extreme cases. But for most people who actively recover it lasts for around 3 months. With the right self-care, habits, rituals, and other burnout treatments, you can bounce back and feel like yourself again. And by doing it the right way, you can prevent burnout from creeping up on you again.
So, If you’ve been working yourself to the bone for years on end, it’s time to slow down. Put your feet on the earth. Take a deep breath. Your body is trying to tell you something: “take it easy mate, or you’ll go overboard!” (Yes, your body speaks like a pirate.)
This is your time to develop some strong self-care routines, personal habits, recovery rituals, and support systems.
Self-Care
This means things like taking a hot bath, grabbing a smoothie for lunch (instead of fast food), doing fifty or a hundred pushups, reading a new book, and more. You might also consider working with a therapist who specializes in burnout. The beauty of self-care is that it is moment-by-moment. “What do I need right now to take care of myself and give myself some good lovin’ energy?”
Self-care is all about filling your own tank so you can kick life’s butt (with kindness).
Habits
When it comes to burnout, strong habits help you both prevent and recover. Habits are daily actions that you do, hopefully long enough for them to feel like second nature. And actually, you know a habit is really sticking when you feel “off” those times you miss it.
A habit might be meditating for 20 minutes every morning, going for a run 3x per week, lifting weights, reading a book, or calling a loved one. The key is that you do it regularly and often and it serves you.
Oh, and before we move on, remember the most important habit of all... SLEEP! Yup, it’s super important. In fact, scientists now know that melatonin, which is secreted by your brain during sleep, is the STRONGEST antioxidant a human can get. So, rest up.
Rituals
No, I don’t mean partaking in the occult. That would be weird...
A ritual for burnout recovery is a habit that you do less frequently. It can be taking your kids out for ice cream every Sunday, or watching a movie with your partner every Wednesday, or checking your finances every Tuesday night.
The key here is that the ritual helps you engage with an aspect of your life or yourself that you normally wouldn’t prioritize. Rituals help you feel grounded in yourself and connected to the different parts and characters of your life. For example, I studied classical music in high school, so to reconnect to that part of me, I listen to a Rachmaninoff or Chopin piece.
Rituals proactively fend off burnout by keeping you fully engaged with your life, and not just your work. Additionally, rituals keep your work in perspective if wisely chosen.
Social Support
We humans are wired to be social. And when we don’t get enough socialization, we feel sub-stellar... that's a word right?
Not only does social engagement lift our moods, but it gives us a chance to process the heavy moods we sometimes feel. Social support helps recover from burnout by expressing and talking about it with people who know our personal history and care about us.
The truth is that you don’t have to carry your burdens alone. We are tribal animals, and your tribe can help alleviate your stress and thus burnout. Get some social support to recover and prevent burnout from ever happening to you again.
If you're looking for a burnout therapist in Indianapolis, consider using our contact form to reach us.
How Else Can You Recover from Burnout?
Now call me a quack, but I’ve found a few things to help me recover from burnout when I feel it creeping in. And they just might help you, too.
For one, you can go on a road trip.
I know it’s not always affordable, but if you can budget for it, it’s always worth it (in my experience). Recently I took a road trip to Albuquerque and then Las Vegas from my home base of Austin, TX. On this road trip, I realized one big thing: I wanted to quit my job!
I've gotten so burned out by the lack of support from management and from an unfulfilling role. This road trip is what I needed (and could be what YOU need) to realize a change needed to be made.
What else can you try?
Turn off the tv and politics. Worrying about the end of the world is fun and all, but have you tried NOT being stressed out all the time? I mean for real, politics and tv don't add much to our lives. And unless you're going to get involved in an issue that's close to your heart, politics is pretty much a waste of time.
Instead, use that time to read a book or learn French. Why not use that same time to fill your own cup and make a lasting impact on your life?
What hobbies can you pour yourself into? To recover from burnout and prevent it from coming again, we need to be proactive about getting our needs met and taking care of ourselves.
Which leads to my last tip: take time off and rest.
Put your phone down.
And don't do anything.
It's only logical. We get burned out from over-exerting ourselves. So, the logical way to recover from burnout would be to take it easy for a while, lay back and chillax. How long should you take? It depends on how long and hard you've been overworking yourself without rest. But you'll know once you feel refreshed and able to engage with your work again.
What can burnout teach you?
Okay, you’ve been burned out for a while and are starting to do something about it. Now what?
What you ought to do now is take a step back. While your self-care and such are working their magic, reflect on this: What early signs of burnout did you ignore or fail to notice? What will you do next time to make sure you nip burnout in the bud? And what will you do to proactively protect yourself from another burnout episode going forward?
You know, this can be a wakeup call for you to never have to suffer at a job you dislike again. Or to go back to school, or travel across the world, or... or anything. What is it for you?
Got it? Good. Now don’t let that lesson slip away again.
This was a special guest post from Brandon Grill. Brandon Grill is a copywriter for therapists and other mental health professionals. You can find him at bgcopywriter.com, or at his LinkedIn profile.