How to Recover from Professional Burnout
Originally posted 9/30/22
In last week's blog post, we discussed ways to avoid professional burnout as a business owner. You can check that out here. Today, I want to talk about how to recover from burnout. The recovery steps are much like the prevention steps, but now that you're in it, it will take a little time to get back to normal, not the old normal, but a decidedly new normal.
I recently shared how I had to return to a regular job for now. Part of the reason was that I had lost the motivation and creativity to continue growing my businesses. I realize now that part of that was marketing and professional burnout. So, as I write this blog post, I am in burnout recovery as we speak.
In my research for this blog post, I found several articles that gave great information on the steps to recover from burnout. The article I landed on is from Betterup.com. Dr. Eatough, Ph.D., authored “How to Recover from Burnout and Love Your Life Again.” I mean, how could you not be interested in that article title? At least it caught my attention. I love everything she says about this topic. As we covered the signs of burnout in last week's post, I will skip past that. I want to focus on what we must do to get back on our feet.
To start, Dr. Eatough has 14 tips on how to recover from burnout. Let's go over these quickly.
Track your stress levels
In this tip, she is specifically talking about sleep trackers. Check out her article about that here.
Identify your stressors
Knowing what triggers your stress will greatly assist you in adjusting your day or life to avoid or mitigate those stressors.
Create a habit of journaling
There is a boatload of research that shows the benefits of daily journaling. I love Jen Williamson's quote: “Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.” – Jen Williamson.
Seek professional help from a coach or therapist
In today's society seeking help from a therapist or coach is encouraged and celebrated. Don’t be ashamed if you need more help.
Build a support network
She suggests that having several people with whom it is safe to share your struggles will help you recover, eliminating the “go it alone” process when you need solidarity and support.
Get enough exercise
This tip is in almost every self-development list I have seen. Taking care of your body does more than make you look good; it makes you feel good too.
Speak Up for yourself
Dr. Eatough suggests that sharing your situation with your manager and/or boss may result in a reduced workload, which could work toward your burnout recovery.
Learn stress management techniques
In her article, she stresses that everyone deals with stress differently. She suggests that you might try techniques you haven’t previously like mindful breathing, intuitive eating, or cardio.
Create work-life balance
This one is a biggie. I have written about work-life balance before. You can check that blog post out here. She suggests that one of the very possible causes of burnout is having an out-of-whack work-life balance.
Do Things You Enjoy
This is one of my favorite tips. In recovering from burnout, one of the most important things you can do is participate in activities you enjoy. That can be simply reading a book with a good cup of coffee for half an hour or having lunch with a friend. Find a couple of things that maybe you haven’t done in a while but bring you so much joy, and do those.
Create a healthy sleep schedule
She mentioned heal trackers earlier in this list, and those were specifically about sleep. If you aren’t aware of the importance of sleep in your life, do a quick google search, and you will be drowning in articles and research. The bottom line is if you aren’t sleeping well or on a fairly regular routine, it will have a massive impact on your physical and mental health.
Follow a healthy diet
We saw this tip to prevent burnout. Well, it works on coming back from burnout as well. Your health will have the biggest impact on your burnout recovery.
Practice mindfulness and meditation
Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last 5-10 years, you have heard about the claims and benefits of mindfulness and meditation. As a self-employed wife and mother, meditation has been a Godsend. 2-5 minutes of counting and paying attention to my inhale and exhale breaths can put the brakes on the speeding train of everyday life. Mindfulness is another practice that can help you stay focused on the now and not spend too much energy or time thinking about what if, what will, or what's coming.
Set boundaries
I don’t have a problem saying no to the things that push me past my limits, but some struggle. It's vital to set boundaries for yourself. This gives you space to manage your day and work without allowing others to run roughshod all over you. They can only do that with your permission. So learn to say no, or not right now. Take control of your time, or others will.
So, now you have the 14 steps to start your burnout recovery. But asking yourself, “How long will it take?” is really up to you. Her article continues with more information to help you recognize your current situation and the next steps you need to take to move forward. I will list her “Stages of Recovery,” but I can’t encourage you enough to take some time to read her entire article. If you are suffering from burnout - it will be incredibly helpful.
Stage1: Admit the Problem
Stage 2: Take a Break
Stage 3: Focus on Well Being
Stage 4: Reflect on Personal Values
Stage 5: Explore New Opportunities
Stage 6: Make a Change
In addition to these steps, she outlines three ways to recover from burnout.
To prevent this post from being any longer, I will leave that to you to read later.
I hope all this and part one helped you. Taking care of ourselves is so important no matter what your stage of life. Thank you for spending time with me again. I look forward to seeing you next week for a new post.
Till Next Time-
Jennifer Cooper
JKC Mobile Notary
