How to Navigate Burnout

What is Burnout?

The reality is that burnout is a serious and complex issue, and everyone’s recovery journey is different, but you can kick-start your recovery with these resources:

Here are just a few of the ways people who have experienced a work burnout have described it:

  • “A loss in purpose, focus, and energy.”

  • “A complete collapse of your day-to-day.”

  • “A complete lack of motivation paired with a high level of anxiety.”

  • “When you have an overwhelming feeling of not getting enough done nor ability to get caught up.”

  • “A breaking point, can be any combination of physical/mental/emotional where you can no longer execute the day-to-day that is expected of you.”

  • “Stress to the point that it impacts daily and executive functioning – memory, sleep, hygiene, physical health, emotional regulation, cognitive processing.”

Scroll down to educate yourself on the 12 stages of Burnout.

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Take this 8-minute burnout exploration survey, which can give you insight into navigating your own burnout

What Causes Burnout?

According to research by Herbert Freudenberger (and Gail North), who officially coined the term “burnout” in 1974, there are 12 stages leading up to a full burnout.

There are many different possible factors that create the conditions for a burnout to occur, or which may exacerbate a burnout. Here are a few:

  • Personal loss, such as the death of a loved one or a personal health scare, may either push people already exhausted “over the edge” into burnout, or lead to an urge to escape the loss which may end in a burnout.

  • Addictive work routines or an inability to stop working after a reasonable duration/amount cause chronic exhaustion and productivity loss, which, if unaddressed eventually leads to burnout.

  • Overwhelming caregiver needs – the term “burnout” was actually originally coined as a reference to a phenomenon observed in medical professionals and therapist/social workers. This also includes childcare or other non-work supportive roles.

  • High self pressure such as network comparison, high personal expectations, and the high-performer curse can compel us to work harder, longer, and with less rest, which can lead to burnout.

  • Toxic workplaces induce a constant state of survival mode, where intense stress/anxiety, lack of support, and lack of reward easily create the conditions for burnout.

  • Not having enough social support or self care routines degrade our ability to rest and recover, which when combined with consistently demanding work output can cause burnout.

  • Lack of agency or control at work can create feelings of cynicism, which is one of the key factors leading to burnout.

The 12 stages of burnout

Burnout may also come with the following symptoms:

  • Exhaustion/fatigue

  • Irritation

  • Cynicism

  • Anxiety

  • Numbness

  • Headaches

  • Reduced creativity

  • Diminished cognitive functioning/memory

  • Depression/dysthymia

  • Withdrawal/antisocial behavior

  • Listlessness/apathy

  • Insomnia/sleep issues

Keep scrolling to read tips on how to recover from a work burnout.

How do you Recover from Burnout?

Given that there are many different potential causes of burnout, there is no single map for your own recovery journey. That said, there are several helpful pointers that can offer a few ideas of where to start for anyone beginning or continuing their burnout recovery process:

  1. Find ways to take breaks from work:

    1. Take smaller breaks throughout the day or week

    2. Do not work evenings and/or weekends. Ask for help from others or force yourself to do activities which prevent you from working if need be

    3. Take as long a vacation as you possibly can off from work as soon as you can, and do not check in on work during this time off. If you are in the later stages of burnout, take at least 2 weeks off

  2. Find ways to reduce your workload by job crafting (changing your job duties/responsibilities), delegating, letting some tasks go, giving yourself longer to do tasks, or asking for help/sharing workload with others. Again, ask for help from your boss/colleagues/mentor, or a coach if you are struggling to reduce your workload

  3. Address your body’s basic needs:

    1. Eat healthy (whole grains, fruits, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, eggs, and cacao or dark chocolate)

    2. Sleep 7-9 hours per day

    3. Get 20+ minutes of exercise at least 4 times per week (while also ensuring you have a cool-down/stretch/yoga after a workout)

    4. Laugh, cry, engage in hugs or intimate physical touch, spend quality time with people you care about, or even spend time petting a dog or cat. These activities can bring your body from the stress-reactive, survival mode (sympathetic nervous system) to stress-reductive, rest/repair mode (parasympathetic nervous system)

  4. Reallocate how you spend your time beyond work or even tasks that are productivity-oriented. Engage in creative pursuits, add “you” time for yourself, spend time in nature, or spend time reflecting or meditating.

  5. Explore the possibility of changing your job or career. While a person’s job is not the cause of every burnout, many people who experience a work burnout do leave their jobs as part of their recovery process. If your work has burned you out, chances are high that it is time to leave that job for your own personal health. Burnout is serious, and can lead to lifelong complications, or even death.

Get more resources for how to recover from burnout at LearnAboutBurnout.com.

And if you are personally struggling with burnout, remember:

You are not alone.

You are not damaged goods.

You do not need to be ashamed.

You can make it through this.

Scroll down to explore how burnout coaching can help.

Burnout Coaching

Reading articles, watching videos online, or even reading books for many people isn’t enough to figure out how to properly recover.

Burnout is so sinister because our minds convince us that we don’t need, or we can’t ask for help. This line of thinking leads us to burn out in the first place.

So recovering from burnout should not be a solo task.

That doesn’t mean you won’t recover. It means that you could use an ally or guide to help you get there.

So I encourage you to take it seriously, and to seek out help in recovering.

I’ve personally navigated work burnout twice. After my second burnout, I changed my career and became a trained personal development coach specializing in supporting people in their journey through a work burnout or Quarter-Life Crisis. You can read more about my own experiences in these areas in this essay on my Quarter-Lief Crisis, my interview with mental health corporate benefit company, Oliva, and this essay on Burnout.

I offer a free 60-minute exploratory coaching call with no commitments to continue. In even just one session, most of my clients report feeling more understood, hopeful, and most importantly, supported in taking the next steps they were hesitant to take.

You don’t have to go through this alone. Let’s figure it out, together.