How to Prevent Burnout: 16 Tips From a Therapist

What Is Burnout?

Burnout describes feelings of emotional, physical, and social exhaustion due to stress.¹ Juggling various work, home, or parenting responsibilities can leave many individuals feeling emotionally drained and depleted. While most research focuses on work-related burnout, anyone can develop symptoms, whether due to school stress, athletics, chronic illness, or caregiving.^2,3

Signs of Burnout

The first step to preventing burnout is recognizing the warning signs. Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, but the early stages of burnout usually include increased irritability or physical exhaustion. Untreated or unmanaged stress can ultimately impact sleep, relationships, memory, and overall functioning.

Common emotional and psychological signs of burnout include:

• Irritability
• Frustration
• Rumination about work (circular thinking or worrying about work)
• Lack of motivation 
• Lower levels of confidence about abilities
• Increased feelings of negativity, detachment, or overwhelm

Common physical signs of burnout include:

• Low energy
• Profound fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Memory or concentration difficulties
• Increased vulnerability to sicknesses

Common behavioral signs of burnout include:

• Reduced performance
• Increased mistakes
• Decreased efficiency
• Increased absenteeism
• Self-isolation

16 Tips for How to Avoid Burnout

Avoiding burnout requires self-awareness of your stressors and practicing healthy ways to manage overwhelm. Start by identifying what causes you to feel most anxious or drained. Focus on making changes to support self-care, relaxation, and rest. Continuously overextending yourself does more harm than good, so prioritize the most important things first.

Here are 16 tips for preventing burnout:

1. Identify What is Bothering You

Work stress often accumulates over time. That said, identifying the areas in your work life that increase your stress is crucial. You can use this information to determine a plan to adjust or reorganize your workload, schedule, or obligations.

2. Learn About Stress

The more you know about the human stress response, the more equipped you are to manage challenges. Remember, our stress response (fight-or-flight response) can keep us safe from danger. However, chronic stress can keep us stuck in defense mode, resulting in uncomfortable symptoms like a racing heartbeat or restlessness.

Knowledge about your stress response can help you recognize the early signs before they become overwhelming. Pay attention to how your body feels and experiment with different relaxation techniques to be proactive and prevent burnout.

3. Just Breathe

Breathwork is one of the simplest burnout prevention strategies. Deep breaths tell your brain to relax when stressed. Your mind may still be racing, but at least your body understands you are not in immediate danger. Try counting your inhales and exhales or putting your hand on your stomach to notice the rise and fall as you breathe.

4. Find Stress Management Tools That Work for You

Many stress management tools and techniques can help prevent burnout, whether breathing techniques, positive affirmations, yoga, walking outside, or laughing out loud. Everyone has different needs when coping with stress, so try a few methods to see what best suits your situation. Regularly practice these techniques to help you stay grounded and avoid burnout at work or home.

5. Use Daily Relaxation Reminders

Establishing relaxation reminders throughout your day is a great way to stay consistent with managing your stress proactively. Set a reminder on your phone or work calendar to step away for a rest break. Take a deep breath, roll your shoulders, and tell yourself, “I am calm.” With regular practice, your body becomes more and more efficient at returning to a state of balance.

6. Multi-Task Your Stress Relief

Mindfulness techniques can reduce stress-related brain activity. A great way to practice is to play around with the concept during daily tasks, like brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. Instead of letting your mind wander to work-related anxieties, focus on your senses (i.e., sight, sound, smell, touch). Doing so can remind you to stay present, not hyperfixated on your stress.

7. Get Realistic With Time Management

While preventing burnout may not always be possible, improving your time management can help you feel less overwhelmed. Start by establishing your priorities each day. You can then create a schedule and break larger tasks into more manageable steps.

8. Determine Your Non-Negotiables

Sometimes, burnout develops after trying to prioritize everything all at once. Doing so may sound good in theory but is rarely effective or realistic. Instead, try to consider the most critical priorities in everything you do. Write them down if you need a visual to help structure your time and orient your focus to what matters most.

9. Use Your Vacation Days

You can reduce or prevent burnout at work by using your paid time off. Vacations, even a long weekend, can revitalize your mental health and strengthen your emotional well-being. They also offer chances to embrace novelty and reconnect with loved ones, all of which can help manage burnout.

10. Get Enough Sleep

Consider how much energy you actually have each day when determining how to overcome burnout. Sleep hygiene is especially critical. Ensure you get plenty of sleep (adults typically need seven to nine hours) in a dark, cool, and comfortable environment.

11. Prioritize Self-Care

Self-care can help you manage burnout by strengthening your physical and emotional well-being. Self-care comes in many forms, but the overarching goal is to meet your needs kindly and compassionately. Schedule regular, daily self-care–just a few minutes can make a significant difference.

12. Re-Evaluate Your Goals & Values

If you feel stretched too thin, reflect on your goals, values, and desired meaning in life. Doing so may help shift your focus to what matters most to you. In turn, you can eliminate or reduce tasks that no longer serve your best interests.

13. Explore Hobbies

Finding passion outside of school or work is one of the best ways to avoid burnout. You may feel better when replenished and engaged with the world. Hobbies can also be a great way to meet others and improve your self-esteem. If you’re unsure where to start, consider picking just one activity that appeals to you and committing to trying that for a few weeks.

14. Take Frequent Breaks Throughout the Day

Even small breaks can help you restore your energy levels each day. Plan times to eat meals, drink coffee, or even socialize with colleagues during work. Try a time management method where you work for a designated chunk before taking a planned break. In addition to helping you feel better emotionally, doing so can boost productivity.

15. Focus on What You CAN Control

Feeling bogged down by the things you can’t change is easy. However, you may feel more empowered when focused on what you can change (i.e., your reactions, mindset, and behaviors). This step can promote a sense of confidence and offset or reduce the effect of burnout.

16. Ask for Help & Delegate Tasks

Sometimes, reducing burnout comes down to knowing how and when to ask for help. Independence has virtues, but reminding yourself that everyone needs support at some point is crucial. Furthermore, many people want to help, so consider requesting assistance with specific tasks or projects from trusted loved ones.

When to Seek Professional Help

Burnout sometimes coincides with mental health conditions like depression, generalized anxiety disorder, or PTSD. Symptoms can also exacerbate issues with substance use, disordered eating, and low self-esteem. Burnout can be an insidious problem, but therapy can help you learn new ways to cope with stress.

Below are signs to consider seeking help for preventing burnout:

• Worsening depression
• Panic attacks
• Isolation from others
• Increased substance use
• Lack of motivation
• Financial distress
• Feelings of hopelessness