How to handle burnout

Burnout Prevention and Treatment - HelpGuide.org

stress

If constant stress has you feeling helpless, disillusioned, and completely exhausted, you may be on the road to burnout. Learn what you can do to regain your balance and feel positive and hopeful again.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

Most of us have days when we feel helpless, overloaded, or unappreciated—when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be burned out.

Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn't happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout

Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.
Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.

Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout

Sense of failure and self-doubt.
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
Loss of motivation.
Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

Sense of failure and self-doubt.
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
Detachment, feeling alone in the world.

Loss of motivation.
Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout

Withdrawing from responsibilities.
Isolating yourself from others.
Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done.
Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope.
Taking out your frustrations on others.
Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.

Withdrawing from responsibilities.
Isolating yourself from others.
Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done.

Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope.
Taking out your frustrations on others.
Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.

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The difference between stress and burnout

Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and mentally. However, stressed people can still imagine that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.

Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you're drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

Stress vs. Burnout
Stress	Burnout
Characterized by over-engagement.	Characterized by disengagement.
Emotions are overreactive.	Emotions are blunted.
Produces urgency and hyperactivity.	Produces helplessness and hopelessness.
Loss of energy.	Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope.
Leads to anxiety disorders.	Leads to detachment and depression.
Primary damage is physical.	Primary damage is emotional.
May kill you prematurely.	May make life seem not worth living.

Causes of burnout

Burnout often stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout, from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation in years, to the frazzled stay-at-home mom tending to kids, housework, and an aging parent.

But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands.

Work-related causes of burnout

Feeling like you have little or no control over your work.
Lack of recognition or reward for good work.
Unclear or overly demanding job expectations.
Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging.
Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment.

Lifestyle causes of burnout

Working too much, without enough time for socializing or relaxing.
Lack of close, supportive relationships.
Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others.
Not getting enough sleep.

Personality traits can contribute to burnout

Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough.
Pessimistic view of yourself and the world.
The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others.
High-achieving, Type A personality.

Dealing with burnout

Whether you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout or you’re already past the breaking point, trying to push through the exhaustion and continuing as you have been will only cause further emotional and physical damage. Now is the time to pause and change direction by learning how you can help yourself overcome burnout and feel healthy and positive again.

Dealing with burnout requires the “Three R” approach:

Recognize. Watch for the warning signs of burnout.

Reverse. Undo the damage by seeking support and managing stress.

Resilience. Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health.

The following tips for preventing or dealing with burnout can help you cope with symptoms and regain your energy, focus, and sense of well-being.

Dealing with burnout tip 1: Turn to other people

When you're burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it's difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone take action to help yourself. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. There are positive steps you can take to deal with overwhelming stress and get your life back into balance. One of the most effective is to reach out to others.

Social contact is nature's antidote to stress and talking face to face with a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to “fix” your stressors; they just have to be a good listener, someone who’ll listen attentively without becoming distracted or expressing judgment.

[Read: Social Support for Stress Relief]

Reach out to those closest to you, such as your partner, family, and friends. Opening up won't make you a burden to others. In fact, most friends and loved ones will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only strengthen your friendship. Try not to think about what's burning you out and make the time you spend with loved ones positive and enjoyable.

Be more sociable with your coworkers. Developing friendships with people you work with can help buffer you from job burnout. When you take a break, for example, instead of directing your attention to your smartphone, try engaging your colleagues. Or schedule social events together after work.

Limit your contact with negative people. Hanging out with negative-minded people who do nothing but complain will only drag down your mood and outlook. If you have to work with a negative person, try to limit the amount of time you spend together.

Connect with a cause or a community group that is personally meaningful to you. Joining a religious, social, or support group can give you a place to talk to like-minded people about how to deal with daily stress—and to make new friends. If your line of work has a professional association, you can attend meetings and interact with others coping with the same workplace demands.

Find new friends. If you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, it’s never too late to build new friendships and expand your social network.

Tip 2: Reframe the way you look at work

Whether you have a job that leaves you rushed off your feet or one that is monotonous and unfulfilling, the most effective way to combat job burnout is to quit and find a job you love instead. Of course, for many of us changing job or career is far from being a practical solution, we’re grateful just to have work that pays the bills. Whatever your situation, though, there are still steps you can take to improve your state of mind.

Try to find some value in your work. Even in some mundane jobs, you can often focus on how your role helps others, for example, or provides a much-needed product or service. Focus on aspects of the job that you do enjoy, even if it’s just chatting with your coworkers at lunch. Changing your attitude towards your job can help you regain a sense of purpose and control.

Find balance in your life. If you hate your job, look for meaning and satisfaction elsewhere in your life: in your family, friends, hobbies, or voluntary work. Focus on the parts of your life that bring you joy.

[Read: Mental Health in the Workplace]

Make friends at work. Having strong ties in the workplace can help reduce monotony and counter the effects of burnout. Having friends to chat and joke with during the day can help relieve stress from an unfulfilling or demanding job, improve your job performance, or simply get you through a rough day.

Take time off. If burnout seems inevitable, try to take a complete break from work. Go on vacation, use up your sick days, ask for a temporary leave-of-absence, anything to remove yourself from the situation. Use the time away to recharge your batteries and pursue other methods of recovery.

Tip 3: Reevaluate your priorities

Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in your life is not working. Take time to think about your hopes, goals, and dreams. Are you neglecting something that is truly important to you? This can be an opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to slow down and give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal.

Set boundaries. Don’t overextend yourself. Learn how to say “no” to requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to the commitments you want to make.

Take a daily break from technology. Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email or social media.

Nourish your creative side. Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout. Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with work or whatever is causing your stress.

Set aside relaxation time. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response.

Get plenty of sleep. Feeling tired can exacerbate burnout by causing you to think irrationally. Keep your cool in stressful situations by getting a good night’s sleep.

Tip 4: Make exercise a priority

Even though it may be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re burned out, exercise is a powerful antidote to stress and burnout. It’s also something you can do right now to boost your mood.

Aim to exercise for 30 minutes or more per day or break that up into short, 10-minute bursts of activity. A 10-minute walk can improve your mood for two hours.

Rhythmic exercise, where you move both your arms and legs, is a hugely effective way to lift your mood, increase energy, sharpen focus, and relax both the mind and body. Try walking, running, weight training, swimming, martial arts, or even dancing.

To maximize stress relief, instead of continuing to focus on your thoughts, focus on your body and how it feels as you move: the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the wind on your skin.

Tip 5: Support your mood and energy levels with a healthy diet

What you put in your body can have a huge impact on your mood and energy levels throughout the day.

Minimize sugar and refined carbs. You may crave sugary snacks or comfort foods such as pasta or French fries, but these high-carbohydrate foods quickly lead to a crash in mood and energy.

Reduce your high intake of foods that can adversely affect your mood, such as caffeine, unhealthy fats, and foods with chemical preservatives or hormones.

Eat more Omega-3 fatty acids to give your mood a boost.
The best sources are fatty fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines), seaweed, flaxseed, and walnuts.

Avoid nicotine. Smoking when you're feeling stressed may seem calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant, leading to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.

Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol temporarily reduces worry, but too much can cause anxiety as it wears off.

Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Lawrence Robinson

References
Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders. (2013). In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. American Psychiatric Association. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x07_Trauma_and_Stressor_Related_Disorders
“ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics.” Accessed November 16, 2021. https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/129180281
Maslach, Christina, and Michael P. Leiter. “Understanding the Burnout Experience: Recent Research and Its Implications for Psychiatry. ” World Psychiatry15, no. 2 (June 2016): 103–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311
Koutsimani, Panagiota, Anthony Montgomery, and Katerina Georganta. “The Relationship Between Burnout, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in Psychology 10 (March 13, 2019): 284. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284
Salvagioni, Denise Albieri Jodas, Francine Nesello Melanda, Arthur Eumann Mesas, Alberto Durán González, Flávia Lopes Gabani, and Selma Maffei de Andrade. “Physical, Psychological and Occupational Consequences of Job Burnout: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.” PLOS ONE 12, no. 10 (October 4, 2017): e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781
Information, National Center for Biotechnology, U. S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, and 20894 Usa. Depression: What Is Burnout? InformedHealth.Org [Internet]. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/
Roskam, Isabelle, Marie-Emilie Raes, and Moïra Mikolajczak. “Exhausted Parents: Development and Preliminary Validation of the Parental Burnout Inventory.” Frontiers in Psychology 8 (2017): 163. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00163
Heinemann, Linda V., and Torsten Heinemann. “Burnout Research: Emergence and Scientific Investigation of a Contested Diagnosis.” SAGE Open 7, no. 1 (January 1, 2017): 2158244017697154. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017697154
Bianchi, Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, and Eric Laurent. “Is It Time to Consider the ‘Burnout Syndrome’ A Distinct Illness?” Frontiers in Public Health 3 (June 8, 2015): 158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00158
Ahola, Kirsi, Salla Toppinen-Tanner, and Johanna Seppänen. “Interventions to Alleviate Burnout Symptoms and to Support Return to Work among Employees with Burnout: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Burnout Research 4 (March 1, 2017): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burn.2017.02.001
Ruisoto, Pablo, Marina R. Ramírez, Pedro A. García, Belén Paladines-Costa, Silvia L. Vaca, and Vicente J. Clemente-Suárez. “Social Support Mediates the Effect of Burnout on Health in Health Care Professionals.” Frontiers in Psychology 11 (2021): 3867. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.623587
Salmon, P. “Effects of Physical Exercise on Anxiety, Depression, and Sensitivity to Stress: A Unifying Theory.” Clinical Psychology Review 21, no. 1 (February 2001): 33–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0272-7358(99)00032-x
Toussaint, Loren, Quang Anh Nguyen, Claire Roettger, Kiara Dixon, Martin Offenbächer, Niko Kohls, Jameson Hirsch, and Fuschia Sirois. “Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided Imagery in Promoting Psychological and Physiological States of Relaxation.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2021 (July 3, 2021): e5924040. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5924040

The Road to Resilience – Prevent burnout by building your resilience to stress and adversity. (American Psychological Association)

Job Burnout: How to Spot it and Take Action – Find out if you’re at risk of workplace burnout and what to do if you are. (Mayo Clinic)

Around the web

Last updated: October 21, 2022

4 Ways To Deal With Burnout : Life Kit : NPR

Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Whether working from home or not, many people are feeling burned out during the coronavirus pandemic.

A new survey found that nearly 90% of respondents in more than 40 countries felt that their work lives were getting worse during the pandemic. And more than 60% felt that they were experiencing burnout often or very often.

Workplace burnout was a growing problem in many professions even before the pandemic. For example, burnout has been common among physicians and health care workers for years.

In 2019, the World Health Organization brought some attention to the issue by defining burnout as a syndrome associated with chronic stress at work that goes unmanaged.

It's important to address burnout because it has serious consequences for individuals' mental health — it's a risk factor for depression, substance abuse and even suicide. Burnout can also be contagious and often affects entire workplaces.

We asked some of the top experts on the topic for tips to recognize and address burnout in oneself and in the workplace. Here's what they told us.

Burnout is more than you think.

Psychologist Christina Maslach of the University of California, Berkeley has been studying job-related burnout since the 1970s. She says burnout is more than the exhaustion that people think defines the experience. In fact, burnout has three components. One is the exhaustion — physical and emotional — you feel when you've been too stressed at work for too long. But burnout also comes with a feeling of cynicism about work. "You know, it's ... 'take this job and shove it' sort of thing," says Maslach. "And you begin to switch from trying to do your very best all the time to do the bare minimum. "

The third component, she says, is when you start to blame yourself for it. "Thinking, 'What has gone wrong with me?' 'Why am I not good at this?' 'Why can't I handle it?' "

Spot the signs of burnout and regain some control.

One way to catch the early signs is to make a daily practice of asking yourself multiple times during your workday how you are feeling, says Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist at the Washington University in St. Louis.

"It can even be helpful to sort of note your mood throughout the day," says Gold. "Like, 'Every time I have a meeting with so-and-so, I feel horrible, and then every time I'm with this person or doing this thing, that's where I find most meaning.' "

Lack of control is one factor in causing burnout, so knowing those things can help you find ways to reduce the more stressful parts of your job or find ways to buffer the stressful bits with things you enjoy.

For people working from home during the pandemic, Gold suggests creating a workday routine like you had when you worked from an office. "Get up at the same time, get dressed," she says. "Sometimes even pretend-commute. So get up, go for a walk, like you would go for a commute."

This helps put boundaries between work and life and helps you have some control over your day.

Know when you're working too much.

A heavy workload is another big risk factor for burnout, says Maslach. "You have way too much to do. You don't have enough resources to actually do the job well. You don't have enough time." As a result, your brain and body are perpetually stressed and after a while are unable to perform as well.

So it's important to take breaks, says Dr. Gaurava Agarwal, a psychiatrist and well-being coach with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and the director of physician well-being.

We need to make sure "we are resting and calming our brain down because brains aren't designed to work this hard, this long, chronically," he says. "And so taking that five minutes in an hour or one day a week to your ability to recuperate is going to be a big part of dealing with that exhaustion. "

Employers and managers need to address burnout.

Workplace culture has a huge impact on burnout, says Maslach. The absence of reward or recognition in the workplace, lack of social support or a sense of community, and the presence of unfairness, bullying and discrimination increase risk of burnout. That's why Maslach and other researchers say that burnout is a systemic issue and that organizations need to take a systemwide approach to addressing it.

For example, a 2019 National Academy of Medicine report on burnout in the health care industry recommended that organizations address the root causes of burnout, say by making workloads more manageable, by providing incentives for more collaboration and teamwork, and by creating an organization-wide culture where employees feel safe.

Agarwal also encourages leaders in workplaces to talk openly and compassionately about burnout, especially now, during the pandemic. "By being transparent, by being compassionate, by showing grief, leadership, what you're doing is you're building the sense that we are in this together and we are going to get through this together," he says. "And we have frankly gotten through difficult times before. So what happens is people start leveraging those experiences. And in some ways, that's the heart of resilience."

The podcast portion of this episode was produced by Andee Tagle.

We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected].

For more Life Kit, subscribe to our newsletter.

How to cope with burnout: 6 tips from a psychologist

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Know yourselfCareer and self-realization Practices how to

Most of us believe that burnout is about someone else. I myself thought the same. At the word “burnout”, I mentally imagined an empty aluminum sleeve from under a tea candle, and in it, on the bottom, the remnant of a burnt wick. No, it's definitely not about me. It seems to us that such things happen only to those who work day and night for wear and tear, literally burning at work. We habitually explain our own state of being by fatigue, but this is the quiet insidiousness of burnout - it creeps up unnoticed.

At some point, you realize that only the burnt wick remained from the warm flame inside. When did I notice the symptoms of burnout in myself? Probably, when positive emotions disappeared, and slight irritation took their place. “Is this really it? Can't be! I'm a psychologist!

I was convinced of the correctness of my suspicions later, when I myself came to psychotherapy. Remember the old anecdote about fake Christmas decorations, which are all right, but they "do not please"? That's what I had as well. It’s not that they didn’t please me, but I didn’t want to get involved in the New Year’s fuss at all, put up a Christmas tree, decorate the house, and run after gifts. And after the New Year holidays, nothing has changed. Then it became clear that it was time to change something.

In my case, not all of the “candle” burned out. The word "burnout" very accurately says what is happening inside a person - he feels exactly burned out. At first, this may not be particularly noticeable: well, a person has no mood. Well, no strength, no emotions. Just think, it happens to everyone, everyone gets tired, and in general life is a difficult thing.

In order not to be so painful, the psyche turns off emotions, protecting itself. The body begins to work in energy saving mode

But if you missed the first bells, then over time the thin sound of the warning bell turns into a deafening ringing. There is a feeling of anxiety, dissatisfaction with everything and everyone. I do not want to communicate even with relatives. Work that used to be a joy is no longer pleasant. What brought joy and pleasure, begins to annoy more and more. Gradually, irritation towards colleagues and relatives grows, self-esteem falls. There are bouts of despair.

It becomes increasingly difficult to communicate with people in this state. The world is drawn in black and gray colors. Everything is perceived sharply, painfully. And in order not to be so painful, the psyche turns off emotions, protecting itself. The body begins to work in energy-saving mode, spending energy only on the most necessary. To ensure vital processes. And then comes indifference to everything. This is the deafening sound.

It is important to remember that the resources of the mind and body are not endless. For example, we cannot stay awake for a long time, the body needs sleep. Giving 100% at work every day is also impossible. Each of us has his own limit, and it depends on so many factors. From the way of life of a person, from the situation in which he is now, from the time of year and time of day.

For example, we spend much more energy on communicating with unpleasant people than usual. And if a person regularly crosses this limit, exhaustion begins, followed by burnout.

Depression is based on fear, burnout is based on anger. The symptoms are so similar that it can be difficult for specialists to distinguish between them.

From a psychosomatic point of view, those who had a bad relationship with a parent of the same sex in childhood suffer from burnout. This situation in the family becomes the foundation of many problems. The child tries with all his might to earn the attention of his parents, to earn their love. And he continues to do so as an adult. For example, he transfers the role of his parent to the boss and tries to earn his love, or at least recognition of his merits. If this does not happen, self-esteem falls, self-confidence evaporates. There is a feeling of futility. “It’s like I’m fighting windmills,” one of my clients described this state with such words.

It used to be thought that burnout could only be caused by work. But now I'm increasingly seeing burnout in the family. It happens when you don't enjoy what you do for the family. When your contribution exceeds the return. Everything you do is taken for granted. Although both work in the family and work in the office have a lot in common. By and large, the family is also work, only without days off.

Many of my clients complain that they do not receive support from their loved ones. It seems to a woman that she is doomed to "pull the strap." In the evening you tell your family that you are tired, and in response you hear: “What did you do all day? You are at home!”

After these words, there is a feeling of helplessness, resentment, hopelessness and - most often - anger. It is he who is behind the resentment and helplessness. This is, in my opinion, the main difference between burnout syndrome and depression. Depression is rooted in fear; burnout is rooted in anger. The symptoms are so similar that it can be difficult for specialists to tell them apart.

For the majority of women who have chosen family as their main occupation, burnout has become real. Burnout is also possible in creative people, in those circles where there is fierce competition, for example, in the modeling business.

Usually people with burnout syndrome turn to specialists when they have no strength, no desires, no emotions. In this state, a person ceases to care primarily about himself. But it is through this care that the path to recovery lies.

How to return to the “normal” state, to turn from a black wick back into an even and beautiful flame?

1. Helping the inner child. How does a parent express love? Basically, through the body: gentle touches, stroking, hugs. And this is the first thing you can do yourself. Pay attention to your body. Do a self-massage. Rubbing the body with a brush from the bottom up has a very good effect on the lymph. Another option is patting along the meridians that go through the arms and legs from top to bottom and from bottom to top. You can simply massage your neck and shoulders at the moment when you feel tired in the middle of a working day.

2. Leave work problems at work. How? With the help of clothes. When you get home from work, change your clothes. Straightaway. Favorite, comfortable and beautiful. The dressing ritual can turn on or off the role that is so energy-consuming for you. If you have changeable shoes at work, then changing shoes at the end of the day can become this very ritual: when you finish work, you take off your “working” shoes, and with it leave all the work problems in the office. Likewise at home. Putting on home clothes, you seem to turn on the role that is needed at the moment: hostess, mother, beloved wife.

3. Meditate. This is a daily practice for clearing the mind. It is the restless mind that creates the tension that draws all our strength. Pay attention to this.

To cope with burnout, you need to consciously take steps towards a healthy, balanced life

4. Connect physical activity. Try to approach them consciously, feel your body during the exercises. Let your mind focus on the sensations in the body, and not on the working moments that were or will be. In this paragraph, I would include any bodily practices - a bath, massage, walking, running, swimming. Feel your body, every muscle!

5. Practice digital detox and breathe. Daily. For a few minutes, turn off all means of communication, computer, music, movies. Practice mindful breathing during this time. Five minutes of observing how you breathe will be enough for the body to recharge. It's only your five minutes, no one else's.

6. Sleep. Healthy sleep is the best way to recuperate. Try to gradually reduce activity in the evening. To avoid insomnia, you can brew a soothing tea with lemon balm, valerian, motherwort or mint. Get enough sleep! This is my favorite medicine for various diseases, and it really helps.

These are fairly simple tips that all of us can do. It is important to understand that burnout will not go away on its own. To cope with it, you need to consciously take steps towards a healthy, balanced life. Even if these steps are very tiny, the main thing is to do them every day.

About the author

Tanya Mezhelaitis — psychologist, psychotherapist, training leader. Read more on her Facebook page (an extremist organization banned in Russia).

Text: Tanya Mezhelaitis Photo source: Getty Images

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How to deal with burnout when work is exhausting

9003 February

Identify the cause of stress and take care of yourself.

Recognize the symptoms

Burnout has become a serious problem of our time. Millions of people think about Sunday night with horror, and on their way to work on Monday morning they feel unwell. And when they imagine how long to endure until Friday, they get even worse. All this is characteristic of burnout - a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion.

You have no strength for anything, a growing feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, irritation. And in the end, it begins to seem that there are no more internal resources at all. Naturally, there can be no question of any productivity in such a state.

If you have a mentally or emotionally demanding job and you are not conscious of your decisions and habits, you are almost guaranteed to burn out.

As defined in ^{Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases / WHO by the WHO, "burnout is a syndrome recognized as the result of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. " It extends to other aspects of life and manifests itself as follows:}

You feel exhausted, you have no strength for anything. Sleep problems may occur, as well as flu-like symptoms.
You have trouble concentrating. The brain seems to shut down and sink into a fog that can last up to several hours.
You are irritated and dissatisfied. And you criticize yourself too much.
You are tired of too much light and too much noise. Supermarkets and similar places start to put pressure on you.
You no longer enjoy what you used to love. And there's nothing you can do about it.

Learn more 😔

What is burnout at work and how to deal with it

Identify the cause lack of development and indifference. Each of them needs its own approach.

Overload. This subtype is common among those who fanatically work to the end despite being tired. Most often, these people try to cope with burnout by blowing off steam and complaining about their bosses or work organization. However, this does not help, but only increases stress.
Lack of development. Occurs in people who do not have the opportunity to reach their potential at work. To cope with stress, they distance themselves from work, and this causes discouragement and a cynical attitude towards tasks.
Indifference. This subtype of burnout occurs when a person gives up in response to constant stress or lack of reward. He feels that he is not in control of the situation and begins to experience indifference. As a result, he lacks the motivation to overcome obstacles on the way to the goal, even if he wants to achieve it.

Any burnout is like a leaky pipe that drips for months or even years. However, at some point it will burst and the water will flood everything around. Therefore, it is important to notice the symptoms in time and choose the right “treatment”.

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30 tips to help you recover from burnout

Protect yourself from stress

If you feel overwhelmed at work, take care of yourself first. Remember that the brain needs to rest in order to effectively do what you ask it to do.

Restore your physical and emotional strength. To do this, get better sleep, eat well, move more and communicate with people. Try meditating and journaling, and spend more time in nature. Just remember that rest and relaxation alleviate the condition, but do not eliminate the problem. If you have a huge amount of work every day, they will not save you.
Try to reduce the number of responsibilities. Talk to your boss about overwork. Automate or delegate some tasks. Keep track of what exactly you spend time on, after which you remain completely exhausted. Then think about how to do less of those tasks or interact with the kind of people that cause stress and bad mood.
Change the way you do work. Stop telling yourself that you can do everything if you delay or put in more effort. As soon as you feel too tired, switch to something else to recharge.

If your burnout is caused by a lack of development opportunities, find something to help you open up.

Talk to the manager. Perhaps you need creative challenges, more responsibilities, or a position in a different department.
If you don't have that chance at your job, find a hobby. And start doing it in your free time. Think about what you would like. Maybe play a musical instrument, draw, write, or play some unusual sport. Let it be something that fills you with joy and your life with meaning.
Do not neglect your hobbies. When you find something that energizes you, make it a permanent part of your life. If burnout is caused by cooling to work, this is especially important. In this state, there is usually nothing to do, and a hobby or project will just help to return the fuse. This will change your attitude towards work.

If you are burned out due to indifference and lack of control, start recovery with small steps.

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