What to Do About Burnout

Burnout is a serious condition that can get worse if left alone. However, conversely, it’s hard to handle burnout because it’s hard to determine if you are suffering from burnout. (Although, two years into the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s pretty likely that you’re suffering from burnout, even if you may not know it yet.)

Burnout can be an insidious situation that can grow worse and worse until you aren’t even aware of how bad it’s become. Burnout tends to crop up as signs of depression, irritability, listlessness, feelings of worthlessness, and an increasing lack of patience.

Luckily, if you know – or suspect – that you’re dealing with burnout, there are ways to try and get your life back on track.

What to Do About Burnout?

Keep in mind the following factors to ensure that you can have a positive handle on your burnout and nip it in the bud as quickly as possible.

Recognize That You’re Suffering From Burnout

This may seem obvious, but the first step of handling your burnout is to recognize that you’re suffering from your burnout. Check out our list of burnout signs/symptoms and see if any of them match up with how you’re feeling. From there, use that comparison to see how likely it is that you’re dealing with burnout.

Find What Is Causing the Burnout

In many burnout cases, there is usually an underlying cause or source that is highlighting your feelings of burnout. For many, work is a cause of distress and burnout, so examine your life to see if particular sources are at root of your feelings of burnout.

Make Changes

Once you’ve determined what is most likely causing your burnout, you’ll have a much better idea about what you can change to make it all more manageable. Do what you can to lighten your load or otherwise lessen what you have to do to keep you from being overwhelmed – getting a handle on your priorities can lessen your stress and give you some relaxing breathing room.

Set Boundaries

Overextending yourself or working beyond your means is one of the quickest ways to find yourself feeling burnout. As such, knowing your limits and refusing to strain yourself beyond them is a great way to avoid burnout. Be firm with yourself about what you can and can’t do and be equally firm about setting limits regarding how much time you can commit to others’ needs in place of your own.

Talk to People/Consider Therapy

Knowing that you’re experiencing burnout and having ideas for how to feel more relaxed and in control are all well and good, but it can help to unload your burdens onto others as well. If you’re not sure where to start, reaching out to others whom you trust.

Takeaway

Burnout can be hard to get a handle on, and it can be even harder to recognize as a problem. However, once you realize that it’s not just you, you can try the tactics mentioned in this blog and start getting your feelings of burnout under control.