How to Beat Burnout
You know what they say, tomorrow’s a new day! Come to think of it, the day after tomorrow is a new day, too… and the next, and the next, and the next. If you find yourself waking up every morning less-than-excited to seize the day, you might be experiencing burnout. Burnout is the culmination of long-term mental, physical, and emotional fatigue. In other words, it’s the exhaustion you get from, that’s right, being exhausted. But all hope is not lost! Read on for advice on how to beat burnout and get back on your feet.
1. Identify the Source(s) of Your Burnout
If you’re trying to relieve burnout, a good first step is to figure out why you’re burnt out in the first place. Each of us balances a unique combination of responsibilities at home, at work, in our relationships, etc. Chances are, there’s more than one specific thing burning you out. Consider what a typical day looks like in your life. What responsibilities do you have? What things do you dread or avoid doing? Are there specific obligations, conflicts, or challenges in your life that are making you feel stressed? Figure out what’s bogging you down and get ready to face it head-on.
2. Identify Your Needs
Hand-in-hand with identifying the source of your burnout is identifying what you need to not feel burnt out. Exhaustion can have a serious impact on your ability to meet your basic needs. What needs of yours aren’t being met? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating three meals a day? Are you spending time with loved ones or going outside or engaging in other activities that bring you joy? The goal here is to identify the things you struggle to make time for when you’re burnt out. Maybe you’re eating all your meals, but you haven’t spoken to your best friend in a month. These things vary from person to person, but one thing rings true: You can’t beat burnout if you don’t meet your needs.
3. Set Short-Term Goals
Now that you’ve got a handle on both your needs and the burnout preventing you from meeting them, it’s time to take action and make some changes in your life. In the short-term, you want to focus your goals on meeting the most immediate of your needs. Let’s say you’ve been bringing work from your job home with you and staying up late to do it. You’re losing sleep. What changes to your day, or to your week, might you make in order to get to bed early? You’re missing meals because you don’t spend enough time at home. You might consider meal prepping, or if you don’t have time for it, making plans ahead of time to order take-out or purchase pre-cooked meals. Short-term goals aim to alleviate the impact of burnout on your health and wellbeing.
4. Set Long-Term Goals
Meal prepping and routine setting are great ways to improve your quality of life in the short-term, but root cause of your burnout will likely require more than a tupperware to solve. If the responsibilities and conditions of your job are making you miserable, your long-term burnout goal might be to find a new job. If you’re feeling unfulfilled in your relationships, your goal might be to find a new social circle. If the amount of stress and exhaustion you are under feels insurmountable and the changes you are making aren’t working, you might seek the aid of a doctor or therapist. Burnout has consequences for your health, and setting long-term goals can stop it at its source.
5. Ask for Help
Ask for help. Ask for help! Ask for help!! This one is last on the list but should be first in your heart. If you’re feeling tired, sad, anxious, or overwhelmed, you’re not alone! Don’t be afraid to ask for support from the people around you. These people include family, friends, and partners, but also coworkers and teammates and community members. Seek the people who love you, who work with you, and who know you. Everyone feels burnt out at some point or another. How would you respond if your friend felt burnt out and asked for support? You’d ask how you could help. Trust that the people in your life feel that way about you, too. Community support can help you meet short-term needs and long-term goals.
6. Take it One Day At a Time
It might feel bad right now, but you will get through this. You deserve to feel good! Just take it one day at a time and, with care and intention, you can say goodbye to your burnout and hello to the next day, and the next, and the next.