How to Recover From Burnout

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is a symptom cluster referring to emotional exhaustion from caring too much for too long, depersonalization, a depletion of empathy, and a decreased sense of accomplishment.¹ Many factors contribute to these feelings, particularly chronic or toxic stress. Juggling too many tasks without support or time to rest can mentally, physically, and emotionally drain individuals, ultimately laying the foundation for burnout.

How Common Is Burnout?

Burnout is extremely common, with studies estimating that three in five workers report negative emotional and mental impacts due to work-related stress.^2,3 Burnout rates are higher in jobs with low work-life balance or helping fields, such as healthcare workers, teachers, caregivers, and first responders.

Signs of Burnout

Recognizing early warning signs is important when determining how to deal with burnout. Burnout can manifest differently depending on several factors, such as current responsibilities, life stages, and co-occurring mental health conditions. In many cases, burnout can resemble symptoms of depression like low mood, irritability, or general disinterest in previously enjoyed activities. Ultimately, these symptoms can affect every aspect of life, including work, relationships, and finances.

Common signs of burnout include:

• Irritability and/or low mood
• Mental exhaustion
• Difficulty sleeping or resting even when tired
• Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities
• Being emotionally labile or quick to anger
• Apathy
• Decreased productivity
• Physical symptoms (i.e., headaches, high blood pressure)
• Low motivation
• Self-doubt
• Low self-esteem

What Causes Burnout?

People experience burnout for numerous reasons due to the multiple and compounded stressors they face daily. However, careers that require caregiving and emotional labor are more likely to influence symptoms. Additionally, events like job loss, divorce, or homelessness can contribute to burnout. Regardless of the cause, chronic stress in one facet of life can feed into other areas, thus affecting parental, relational, work, and financial obligations.

Some common causes of burnout include:

• Work issues: Workplaces with poor work-life balance, unrealistic expectations, and low employee recognition increase the likelihood of work burnout.
• Relationship conflict: Conflict creates uncomfortable emotions that can lead to emotional exhaustion, sometimes leading to mental and social fatigue associated with burnout.
• Caregiving: A central component of burnout is caring too much for too long. Individuals in caregiving roles often struggle to take breaks from providing emotional, physical, and/or mental support. Constantly giving themselves without replenishing their energy can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout.
• Grief and loss: Grief and loss often trigger a deeply emotional experience, and many individuals struggle to escape the reality of their loss. They may grow hopeless and exhausted from dealing with consistent negative emotions.
• Parenting responsibilities: Being a parent is a 24/7 job with no days off (even when a child is at childcare, school, or with friends). This lack of alone time can provide the groundwork for developing burnout.
• Divorce or separation: Similar to grief, a divorce or separation can be a painful experience. The accompanying legal and logistical proceedings can be emotionally draining and contribute to burnout.
• Dysfunctional family dynamics: Dysfunctional family dynamics can create many exhausting emotions, including anger, fear, sadness, and resentment. Being surrounded by a potentially hostile environment without breaks to avoid emotional depletion can lead to burnout.
• Lack of support: Humans are social beings who need socialization to survive and thrive. A lack of support typically leads to emotional exhaustion, depletion of empathy, and beliefs that life is pointless.
• Instability: Pervasive instability (i.e., homelessness) can contribute to burnout because the nervous system cannot function properly due to constant upheavals and unrest. Individuals may feel stuck in fight-or-flight mode, eventually leading to emotional fatigue, depletion, and burnout.

How to Recover from Burnout: 13 Helpful Tips

Recovering from burnout will not happen immediately. Trust you will soon learn to manage stress and deal with feeling overwhelmed with time and effort. While every process looks different, burnout recovery may mean stepping back to observe your habits and make necessary adjustments that foster wellness and balance. Set boundaries around what you can and cannot handle, ensuring others recognize your need for space and healing.

Below are 13 tips on how to recover from burnout:

1. Examine “Locus of Control”

Recovering from burnout starts by releasing control over things outside your reach. Stop ruminating about aspects of your life you cannot change because doing so only increases stress and perpetuates burnout. Instead, check in with yourself to explore whether these problems are within your influence. If they are not, focus on what you can do to improve your situation.

2. Move Your Body Each Day

Exercise and mental health are connected, but many fail to appreciate their relationship. When determining how to heal from burnout, ensure to set time for daily physical movement. Consider a brisk walk or 20-minute yoga session to regulate your stress response. Not only does exercise boost endorphins, but it also provides a distraction from anxiety.

3. Employ Self-Compassion

Being mindful of your emotions and learning to love yourself removes some of the irritability and self-hostility associated with burnout. Many people experience burnout, and you are no less worthy of support than anyone else. Recognize your need for healing, practicing patience and self-compassion as you recover.

4. Connect With Your Support Network

Knowing how to get over burnout takes time, and trying to heal in isolation will only worsen your symptoms. Therefore, building a network of trusted individuals can provide support as you learn what methods work best for you. Candidly share your experience with loved ones and invite them to do the same.

5. Unplug From Social Media

Social media leaves too much room for dangerous comparisons based on what others are presenting and not necessarily experiencing. Taking a social media break can help you focus on improving yourself rather than meeting unrealistic expectations. Avoid perpetuating burnout by striving to mirror those who appear more “put together” online.

6. Try Something New & Different

The brain requires breaks from monotonous, mundane, and “to-do” lists in the form of delight and novelty. Adding something new and different into your life (such as taking a new route on a walk or a pottery class) offers opportunities to explore, stimulate your brain, and reduce stress. Find a balance between necessary and exciting things to start healing and recovering from burnout.

7. Ask Others to Hold You Accountable to Recovery

Burnout is a complex condition that develops and accumulates over time. Untangling and addressing the many contributing factors takes time and effort, and some may struggle to take the necessary steps to enact change. Instead of falling behind or giving up on recovery, share your goals and desires with loved ones and ask them to hold you accountable. This additional layer of responsibility can help you stay on track toward improved wellness and stress reduction.

8. Become a Boundary Boss

Dealing with burnout means setting boundaries, whether internally (“I will leave my computer at my desk after 6 PM”) or externally (“I don’t schedule evening meetings during dinnertime”). These limits can help you manage your time, assert communication, and combat overwhelm. Only take on what you can handle to avoid burnout in the future.

9. Allow Yourself to Feel Through an Emotion

Sometimes, burnout comes from emotional avoidance or pent-up feelings. Constantly wearing a happy face can drain you emotionally and mentally. Permit yourself to have unpleasant emotions rather than hide them away. Allowing yourself to be human can help you overcome burnout and work toward self-acceptance, improved emotional regulation, and stress management.

10. Boost Your Sleep Hygiene

Sleep and burnout often have a bidirectional relationship. Burnout impacts sleep quality, while poor sleep worsens burnout symptoms. Therefore, improving your sleep hygiene can help increase your emotional bandwidth to implement the changes necessary to heal from burnout. For example, implement regular physical movement, journal your thoughts before bed, and create a consistent bedtime routine to release pent-up energy, anxiety, and stress.

11. Reassess Your Goals

One of the most powerful things a person can do to heal burnout is assess their goals and expectations. Being honest about your capabilities and standards can help gauge how to structure the necessary changes as you work to reduce stress and overwhelm.

12. Take a Break if You Can

A primary contributing factor to burnout is a work mentality that fosters monotony and exhaustion. Taking breaks can help you feel more resilient when facing stressors by offering space to recharge and rest.⁴

Focus on engaging in activities separate from and unrelated to work. For instance, set time aside to stand, stretch, and walk around. Try taking these breaks outside, as the outdoors can reduce stress and improve cognitive functioning.⁵

13. Learn to Say “No”

Sometimes, the inability to say “no” or feeling afraid to disappoint others can keep individuals from setting the necessary boundaries to protect their needs and well-being. Understand that people can and will survive disappointment. Taking care of yourself by learning to say no to requests or favors you cannot handle can prevent undue stress that can contribute to burnout.

How Long Does It Take to Recover From Burnout?

Many people may ask, “How long does burnout last?” In short, a cure for burnout does not exist, and symptom duration can vary depending on the person. Burnout recovery stages are not linear, and individuals may experience moments of calm within the overwhelm.

However, employing stress management techniques, practicing self-care, and seeking professional help can reduce symptoms of burnout, allowing for a quicker recovery. Start by making small changes that foster work-life balance, conflict resolution, and healthy boundaries.

Burnout Treatment Options

Seeking therapy for stress can help you cope with severe burnout. In many cases, those experiencing symptoms may have an underlying depressive or anxiety disorder that contributes to overwhelm. A therapist can assist in determining how to treat burnout, whether through therapy, medication, or a combination. Ultimately, what suits one person may not meet your unique needs. Explore different approaches and focus on finding the right therapist as you work toward burnout recovery.

Below are treatment options for dealing with burnout:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT can help reframe any unhelpful beliefs and fears that keep you from rebalancing and managing stress.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT focuses on distress tolerance and relationship skills that can help when learning to sit with the discomfort associated with change and setting boundaries.
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy: MBSR focuses on bringing awareness to the present moment to notice and respond to stressors as they arise.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy: ACT helps individuals identify their values, align actions with goals, and reduce internal judgments that impede their ability to make intentional changes.