How to Get Back to Your Best after a Burnout
Since you’re reading this, you might have already encountered the problem of burnout at work. It’s a full emotional and physical exhaustion caused by a heavy workload, stress at work, issues with organising workflow, and many other things.
Here are typical symptoms and ways to avoid such a harmful condition. However, if you’ve already fallen into this pit, we’re here to share some recovery tips with you!
So, how to get back to being productive after burnout?
1. Take a Break from Work
If you have encountered burnout at work, the best thing to do is take a break. Step away and let yourself relax. Better ask for a vacation and recharge for at least one week. If you don’t have such an opportunity, ask your team leader for a couple of days off.
If you continue working through stress, your productivity will certainly suffer, if not disappear altogether.
2. Deal with Causes
Think of what has caused your burnout:
- Tight deadlines?
- Too much responsibility?
- Lack of recognition of your results?
- Issues in communication with colleagues?
- Low salary and a handful of tasks?
Create a list and negotiate on each of them with your team leader or colleagues. Maybe you need more people in the department or more flexible working conditions. Finally, everyone will win after implementing improvements, even the business will.
3. Schedule Self-Care Activities
Prioritise them in your to-do list. Commonly, busy people neglect simple self-care rules such as having lunch on time, going for a walk at least once per day or even taking a sick leave!
4. Build New Habits
We don’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel, just rebuild your old ones after burnout. Design your habits consciously and make them fit your needs. For example, some people feel better if they wake up earlier. The author of this article has allowed herself to shift the working day from 9 to 10 AM and has more time to sleep, which has made her happier! :)
To make ideas become habits:
- Create a list of them and place it in a prominent place. You can use sticky notes or an app you use daily.
- Mention everything you want to change in your life and specifically in the everyday schedule.
- Record the days you successfully performed this new activity or followed your new schedule. It could look like this:
— ‘Drink tea instead of coffee before work’ — Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri.
— ‘Don’t be shy when asking for extending tight deadlines’ — Tue, Wed, Thu.
If you use a spreadsheet, just specify this information or mark cells with your favourite colour. Seeing your progress motivates commitment to keep going. - Repeat everything listed for at least five days. Then all activities will feel more natural for you, and you will feel happier!
5. Set Realistic Goals
In many cases, burnout at work can be caused by setting unachievable goals. Talk to your manager to define a new schedule and deadlines for future tasks.
If you have KPIs, negotiate on lowering them a bit to make the final objective feasible. If your current KPI is, for example, attracting 30 new customers per month, ask for only 20 of them. This will cut all overtime hours and cause less stress.
6. Start with a Single Task for a Day
After burnout, it’s crucial to join the stream of productive work and not fall into the abyss of the vicious circle from which you’ve just left. Don’t take on more than you can do. Start small — one medium-sized task per day is enough. Focus on quality, not quantity!
After a couple of days, if feeling comfortable, add more items to your list. It is important not to overexert yourself, otherwise you will quickly find yourself out of the game again.
7. Work in Short Time Frames
Working in ‘non-stop mode’ is a major contributor to burnout. You turn on the computer in the morning and find yourself not getting up from the chair for another 5 hours. Sound familiar? Of course, everyone has moments of inspiration and fall into the flow. However, not all reasons for such working habits are so positive.
Perfectionism, an overwhelming workload and constant deadlines “for yesterday” are the biggest causes of burnout.
The secret is simple — work in short bursts. The Pomodoro Technique is a great tool for those who need help managing their time!
8. Remove Distractions
We know that’s extremely hard, as everyone has their phones nearby! If you can’t put it in another room, at least turn notifications off.
To distance yourself from other people at home or in the office, listen to calm ambient music through your headphones. Some people prefer listening to the sounds of nature while working. Tune in to what suits you. ;)
Basic steps to find your focus:
- Minimise the number of browser windows.
- Plan specific time slots for email checks.
- Communicate the best time for others to reach you.
9. Connect Team Members
The most common mistake of people who are suffering from burnout is to retreat from the outer world. You treat it as a personal issue. You may think it’s embarrassing to talk about it with others.
This is only an illusion. We are all people and most of us have already come across at least one burnout. You’re not alone! No one will blame you if you seek support from your environment. On the contrary, vocalizing your concerns can help solve them and prevent others from suffering in the same way. This way, your boss will have a better understanding of your performance and can help create meaningful solutions. Colleagues may support you emotionally, and possibly help to cope with deadlines and workloads. For this, a team is needed. You do not need to feel alone in a difficult moment!
10. Know Your Burnout Causes and Symptoms
Analyze which events caused your burnout and recognise how your body responds to it. In the future, coming across similar issues will let you know that it’s time to take action and prioritise more rest.
These might be loss of appetite, migraines, inability to focus on work, sleeping problems, etc. They don’t emerge without a reason, so be careful and know what to beware of! Track your feelings every day and if you recognize some signs of burnout, ask for a vacation!
Extra Tips
All in all, we hope that you will be able to avoid burnout at work and can rekindle your love with your profession. To achieve this mutual happiness, follow these tips:
- Sleep at least 7–8 hours per day.
- Drink more water and eat food full of vitamins.
- Take enough breaks during your working day and use tools for measuring time.
- Frequently step into nature and enjoy some fresh air.
- Mix your working activities with physical exercises.
- Try meditation or yoga to relax!
