Work-related burnout is a serious problem that can have a major impact on your health, wellbeing, and career.

Are you feeling run down and burned out? Are you struggling to find the motivation to do your work? If so, you’re not alone. A growing number of people are experiencing burnout from work. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to recover from burnout and get your life back on track. In this post, we’ll discuss four tips to recover from burnout.

Keep reading to learn more.

Ways to recover from work-related burnout

According to research, increasing engagement at work is an important initiative for preventing or recovering from job burnout.

I’m sure you’re probably shocked that this is even being suggested. But hear me out.

If you’ve read my post on the Signs, Causes and Prevention of burnout from work, you’d remember that burnout causes a psychological syndrome which is characterized by reduced professional/personal accomplishment, being emotionally exhausted, and depersonalization (feeling detached from yourself).

Based on this theory, increasing engagement will create a “better fit” between you and your job. Additionally, it gives the individual a sense of control.

In fact, engagement creates a state of high energy instead of the low energy caused by exhaustion, it creates involvement rather than depersonalization and the feeling of efficacy rather than that of reduced accomplishment.

This shows the importance of promoting engagement. We all like to solve problems and may feel increasingly frustrated if we are constrained.

This theory also highlights a very crucial fact. Burnout is not only caused by the stressful work situation but also the individual’s response to that environment.

Regardless, perceiving burnout as a risk may cause you to make suboptimal decisions that actually increase the possibility of burnout.

The recovery process from burnout varies depending on the severity of your symptoms and how long you were in the cycle of work-related depression or anxiety.

Strategy	Examples	Benefits
Social Support/Resources	* Guidance from supervisors * Support from colleagues * Family support	*Provide emotional support and direct assistance *Reduce social isolation. *May change your perceptions support * Provide encouragement and optimism
Relaxation techniques	* Meditation * Warm baths * Positive interests and hobbies	* Manage stress * Achieve calmness
Health improvement	* Exercise * Adequate nutrition * Personal wellness	* Improves physical health and concentration * Better mental health and coping
Self-analysis	* Adjust your personal expectations * Identify internal stressors * Articulate your values and aspirations * Improve understanding of yourself and your personality * Assess your needs and motivates	* Take initiatives to prevent/recover from burnout * Decide if you’re a right fit for the job
Changes in work pattern	* Decrease total number of hours worked * Slow down when necessary instead of doing more * Taking regular breaks * Avoiding overtime * Improving work-life balance	* Decrease stress * Prevent overworking
Coping abilities	* Establishing goals * Changing your perception of the role (including strategies to prevent self-blame) * Venting * Improve time management * Enhanced conflict resolution	* Improve response to stressful situations

If you already suffer from burnout from work, you may benefit from the following tips:

1. Social support to recover from burnout

Doing online research on burnout and related topics can be helpful especially if you need additional support. Reading about other people’s experiences may also help you realize that you are not alone.

Depending on the level of confidentiality in your company, tell them about your problems and receive emotional support from them until you feel better.

Getting support from colleagues and supervisors will provide direct assistance and minimize social isolation.

Additionally, you could try joining a support group or following one online to receive advice and encouragement from others who are experiencing the same challenges as you.

Counselling services can provide support for all kinds of issues, including coping with burnout.

Actually, support groups are useful in giving individuals the opportunity to connect with others who are experiencing similar problems and to share their experiences and find solutions together.

"Burnout is not about giving too much of yourself, it's about trying to give what you do not possess." - Unknown

2. Relaxation techniques to recover from burnout

It can be easy to forget to take care of yourself. But regularly practicing mindfulness and taking warm baths can help reduce stress levels and prevent burnout from work.

It also helps in recovering from burnout by allowing you to focus on important tasks at hand while tuning out distractions and negative thoughts.

When you feel that burnout is creeping up on you, try taking a break and engage in your personal interests such as volunteering painting or writing.

Doing so will do tons of good for your personal wellness and improve your emotional defenses.

3. Health improvement to recover from burnout

Burnout from work is worsened by lack of sleep. People who get six hours or less of sleep per night will likely have more symptoms of burnout.

In fact, if you are not physically well-rested, you are more likely to be fatigued all the time and even have tiredness that isn’t relieved by sleep.

Research suggests that people who do not exercise are more likely to suffer from stress-related burnout than those who engage in physical activities.

Engaging in physical activities such as jogging, yoga or pilates can help you recover from work-related fatigue and reduce stress at the same time.

Plus, I don’t think I even need to get started on the importance of a healthy diet and adequate nutrition.

Related: Why is a healthy physical condition important?

4. Self-analysis to recover from job burnout

The more you worry about your own problems, the more likely it is that you will suffer from burnout.

You may find it difficult to not stress yourself over work but recognizing and stopping negative thoughts can help reduce job-related stress.

Conversely, having positive thinking patterns can also help prevent burnout.

Additionally, Adjusting your expectations, identifying internal stressors, articulating your values and aspirations, and improving your understanding of yourself, your personality, your needs, and the reasons for your decisions will help you take the appropriate initiatives to prevent burnout.

Some persons or even organizations may have the erroneous perception that more stress equals greater productivity.

5. Changing work patterns to recover from burnout

Burnout from work is often caused by overworking. So, try to limit the number of hours you work, take regular breaks and try to establish work-life balance.

You may want to consider setting a cap on how many hours you can work per day or per week, especially if you are already exhausted.

This is important, because many persons start to work and do more in the initial stages of burnout.

6. Coping abilities to recover from burnout

This involves strategies to change your response to stressful situation. These include: having a clear idea of your values, establishing goals, changing your perception of your role (this includes strategies to prevent self-blame), venting, time management strategies, and conflict resolution training.

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."- Williams James

Questions to ask yourself when recovering from burnout

When recovering from burnout you should ask yourself these questions:

• What are the things I can change about my work?
• What are the things I can’t change about my work?
• How can I better cope with the aspects of my work that I can’t change?
• What steps can I take to improve my overall wellbeing?
• How much your desire to feel worthy at work leads to higher personal expectations and unhealthy habits?
• How have previous experiences shaped your current attitude and behaviors?
• Is this the right type of job for me?
• Is it aligned or conflict with my personality, values, goals?
• Am I satisfied with the amount of skills I’m using?
• Is the reward sufficient or am I feeling devalued due to poor salary and benefits? Do I have any positive connections with anyone at work?
• Am I respected at work?
• Is the workplace fair?

Get the right kind of support for job burnout

It is important to look for professional help if you suffer from burnout. You may try seeing a counselor or therapist who can help you improve your coping skills and problem-solving abilities so that it will be easier for you to prevent future feelings of burnout at work.

Health and wellness coaches and healthcare professionals can encourage you and provide you with the resources you need to minimize the chances of burnout.

If you feel that your burnout symptoms are becoming severe, consult a doctor immediately for the sake of your wellbeing and to avoid any additional complications.

The doctor can help determine if the stress or fatigue is due to an underlying medical condition.

Final words on tips to recover from burnout

Burnout is a very real problem for many professionals. But, it doesn’t have to be the end of your career.

These simple tips will help to recover and get back on track.

Comment below if you’ve experienced burnout and what worked or didn’t work for you in getting past it. We want to hear from you.

Related topics

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In order to be successful, it is important to be productive. However, being productive is not always easy.

There are many things you can do to increase your personal productivity.

In this post, we will discuss some of the best tips for becoming more productive.

We will also provide helpful resources that can assist you in achieving success. Read more

What are the stages of job burnout?

Burnout is something that can happen in any stage of your career. You may be tempted to ignore the signs, but it’s important to address burnout as soon as possible.

This post will outline the four stages of job burnout and tips for overcoming each stage.

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References

World Health Organization (2019) Burn-out an ‘occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases.

Maslach C, Leiter MP. New insights into burnout and health care: Strategies for improving civility and alleviating burnout.

Maslach, Christina & Goldberg, Julie. (1998). Prevention of burnout: New perspectives. Applied and Preventive Psychology.

Med Teach. 2017 Feb;39(2):160-163.