What To Do When You’re Suffering From Burnout

Suffering from burnout is highly uncomfortable, and can take a while to recover from. Mild burnout may only take a couple of months, but it’s still a few months operating at a lower capacity. For more severe burnout, your recovery could take years. Knowing what to look for and how to avoid burnout is key! 

Know The Signs Of Burnout

Making sure you know the signs of burnout is imperative if you’re going to avoid it. Burn out is more than just stress – it’s a state of exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Everybody experiences stress from time to time, but you won’t necessarily burn out unless you are under constant stress for quite a while. There are various signs of burnout, but some of them are as follows:

• Every day is a bad day
• Caring about work/home is a waste of energy
• You’re constantly exhausted
• You find tasks dull or overwhelming, no inbetween
• You feel like nothing you do makes a difference 
• Change in sleep habits
• Headaches and muscle pains
• Procrastinating
• Isolating yourself from others 

If you feel like you might be heading towards burn out or feel that you’re already suffering from it, read on for advice. 

Reach Out To The People Close To You

Start by reaching out to somebody close to you who you trust. They may be able to help you get some help, but at the very least, you should feel a little better for being open about it. 

Limit Contact With Negative/Toxic People

Negative and toxic people can drain you further. Be aware of who drains your energy and try to limit the time you spend with them. 

Try To Find Some Value In Your Work

One of the worst things about burn out is struggling to find any point or value in the work that you do. Try to find the value in the work you do again. Who does it help? Why do you do it? How can you make it more meaningful? 

Lessen Your Workload

See if you can lessen your workload by chatting to your boss about the stress you’ve been under. If you’re self employed, try to stop taking on so much work and figure out a new budget so you can survive. Take some time off if you can, even. A couple of weeks without work and then a lighter workload should help you to recover. 

Get Some Professional Help

You may need professional help when suffering from burn out. If you don’t get it, you could make silly mistakes while out and about or even while driving, as you operate at a reduced capacity. You may even find you need to contact a baker act lawyer for help if things get serious. 

Set Boundaries

At this time, you may need to set boundaries with other people. Don’t agree to do things you don’t want to do, and make sure you focus primarily on yourself! 

Plan Your Relaxation Time

Prioritise your sleep and relaxation time like your life depends on it. This will help you to function a little better when you are struggling.