10 Strategies to Beat Burnout
The warning tales of burnout are everywhere.
We hear about the rising star with pressures mounting and demands increasing who collapses at work due to exhaustion.
Or the over-deliverer (yes, that’s a word…) letting the growing expectations of perfection lead to multiple colossal mistakes and eventual firing.
Or I’m sure we’ve all heard an example of the fearless leader who, after years of overworking, suffers one too many panic attacks and turns in her notice choosing a different life selling tchotchkes on the Maui beachfront.
These are catastrophic consequences of burnout presenting themselves in very public ways.
With these as our examples, a self-diagnosis of “burnout” is rare.
You’ve never had a publicly displayed mental breakdown. You figure you’re probably just a little stressed. Or need a little more sleep. Or you’re just getting older. This is all…normal.
Externally, you’re functioning at your A-game.
But internally, you’re a wreck.
That’s how burnout is sneaky. Leading you to be amidst the throws of burnout without even realizing it.
Functioning Burnout
It starts with thinking you’re getting sick.
A little scratch in the back of your throat.
A little fatigue.
A little brain fog.
But it lasts for weeks and months. Just lingering.
You convince yourself you just need to be a little healthier. Grab some new vitamins. Fit in a few more workouts. Eat a few more fruits and vegetables. You make some small changes and think you should be at the peak of health.
But now you’re snapping at loved ones.
Catching a case of the blues you can’t quite shake.
Feeling less inspired by things that used to fill your cup.
So you think it must just be your hormones out of whack and set out looking for a different remedy.
This cycle continues on as you search for an explanation of what’s “wrong” with you. Desperately hunting for a fix.
This, my friends, is textbook burnout.
When You Realize It’s Burnout
First comes the denial.
When you give it a name: “Burnout”, that comes with a lot of baggage.
You picture those public meltdowns, still in disbelief that you could be experiencing the same.
How could this be you? You who’s still successfully running through the motions each day. Successfully doing all the “right” things.
Then comes the hopelessness.
If you really are experiencing burnout, you might have to change. It can feel scary or unrealistic to consider approaching things any differently than you’ve already been doing. Because what you’ve been doing has brought you external success.
Does that mean this is just how life is? That you just have to buck up and keep pushing through?
The Truth About Burnout
I’ve gone through all of these stages. A couple of times.
As I’ve struggled through my own phases of burnout, there are some important realizations I’ve learned.
Burnout isn’t about the number of hours.
You can burn out without working overtime. The number of hours doesn’t matter. It’s about the thoughts and emotions and energy you have during those hours.
Do you feel resentful? Or anxious? Or unfulfilled?
When you spend endless hours on something you love, burnout doesn’t creep in.
But if you spend enough focused hours on something that drains you and leaves you feeling nothing but stress with no upside…that’s where burnout thrives.
Burnout is about losing control, not just about working hard.
Working hard when you feel like you’re making progress can be exhilarating. It may leave you exhausted, but it’s that good exhausted. That exhaustion that causes you to sleep like a baby and wake up ready to do it again!
Burnout sneaks in when you feel like you no longer have control of the outcomes of your hard work. You’re just on the hamster wheel, unable to see how to get off.
Burnout isn’t overwhelm.
You’re not burned out because you have too much to do.
You’re burned out because the things you have on your to-do list aren’t meaningful to you.
Even if you did get them all done, something would still feel like it’s missing.
That’s where burnout breeds.
10 Strategies to Beat Burnout
There’s no pill to cure it. And if you’ve experienced it once, chances are, it’s going to creep in again.
There is no one sized fits all fix. And what worked for you before, may not work the next time.
But you can find a strategy that works for you to ease you out of your burnout.
#1. Take A Vacation
From my experience, a vacation is not a burnout cure.
But, it can be a good reset. If, and only if, you can mentally check out from the real world long enough to gain some new perspective.
A vacation is not helpful if you spend the whole time stressing and worrying about what might be falling apart at home:
The household chores piling up.
Hundreds of emails clogging your inbox.
Irritated coworkers making snide comments at your audacity to take some time away.
Try a 3-day weekend. It’s short enough that nothing can possibly go that wrong during a quick getaway.
Or go the exact opposite. Take an extended vacation. It can take days to be able to fully mentally check out for a vacation. Give yourself long enough to get past the initial stress and anxiety.
The goal of a vacation is to take a pause. A reset. Give yourself some space to reflect on what you want your life to look like so you can mentally prepare for some change.
#2. Give Yourself a Win
Slogging away with nothing to show for it can be draining, to say the least.
You’re marching headstrong towards a large end goal. But it’s taking longer than expected. Or it isn’t exactly what you thought it might be.
Find a way to give yourself a small win. A win that can be proof that the work you’ve put in wasn’t for nothing.
There is nothing too big or small that you could consider here.
It could be a tangible win like using some of the money from a raise or bonus to buy back some time by outsourcing a task you dread. Or treat yourself to some self-care like a massage or that new pair of shoes you’ve been eying. These can be symbols of your wins.
Or your win could be less tangible. Write down 10 things you’re grateful for in your life. Or 5 lessons you’ve learned that might just be your roadmap out of the burnout. Write it down for easy reference and reminders.
#3 Do Something Easy
Forget “do the worst first.” Go for the easy stuff.
Look at your list of tasks or projects and pick whichever one calls to you. It doesn’t matter if it’s the most urgent or the most important. Its only requirement is that it will feel easy and not forced.
Staying in easy motion can clear the brain fog or prevent burnout from leading to buffering and avoidance.
Clarity comes from taking action. You can find some momentum to reignite the spark that energized you in the first place. Or pay attention to the task you chose and why it felt so easy compared to the rest.
#4 Make Time for Rest
Be gentle with yourself. This is not the time to push for more and more.
Ask yourself what you need, just like you would a best friend going through a hard time. Then give yourself that gift.
You do not need permission to rest. You do not need to do “just one more thing” to earn it.
Rest can look like many things. It could be a spa day or a long bath. You could cut out of work early for some sunshine and a walk with your dog. Or you could reschedule other plans in lieu of an evening lounging on the couch.
You get to decide what you need that will reduce the mental load you’re feeling.
#5 Get Clear With What You Want
Now we’re getting to the tough stuff… The strategies that require a little extra life reflection.
Look at where you are now. Your job. Your house. Your relationships. How you’re spending your time. How you feel most days. Is this all truly what you want?
Is the “currency” you’re paying with burnout worth what you currently have?
If the answer is yes, your burnout solution will be focused on finding what you can do to continue down your current path with a little more ease.
Keep the job but find a way to work a few less hours.
Pick back up that journaling habit to find some gratitude for what you have.
Look for a way to find an extra hour each week that’s just for you.
If what you have is not worth the burnout currency… some pieces of life might need to change. Look to where you can reduce the pressure causing the burnout.
Consider a new career.
Evaluate expenses to reverse some lifestyle creep.
Rethink the time commitments you previously said “yes” to.
This strategy is not an afternoon activity… It’s best over a few days or week of self-reflection to be realistic and honest with yourself about what you really want in life.
#6 Say ‘No’ To Yourself
We’ll keep this one short and sweet. You are the CEO of your life. You are in control of the demands and expectations you put on yourself.
Where do you need to tell yourself ‘no’? You just aren’t going to be able to do that thing today. You need a personal day. You need permission to turn something in late.
Be a good boss and listen to your best employee when they’re telling you it’s too much.
#7 Be Skeptical of ASAPs
When everything is a high priority, nothing is.
If everything gets labeled as ASAP, it devalues any other request with that label. The stress and urgency of too many false ASAPs can lead to burnout trying to keep up.
Are you the culprit of the false ASAPs? Be mindful of your ASAP requests and question whether that label is necessary or if you can give yourselves and others a little more breathing room.
When someone else comes to you with an ASAP, push back. Ask questions. Look for pieces that are urgent and others pieces where the deadline could be pushed.
This is also a great area to lean into your weekly planning practice where you can approach your day with a clear head and avoid unfocused fire drills.
#8 Think Differently
Another strategy that’s not a quick afternoon fix… Watch how you’re thinking.
The stories that you tell yourself become your reality. Not every thought you have is worth listening to. Or even believing.
In the book Soundtracks by Jon Acuff, he recommends the practice of thinking: “Everything is always working out for me.”
Go through every day trying to find evidence to show this thought as true.
Did that meeting get canceled, giving you an extra hour to wrap up the marketing plan early?
Did you catch and fix a glaring typo right before the big presentation?
Did you get the last cinnamon roll at your favorite bakery?
Everything is clearly always working out for you.
As the evidence piles, you’ll get more confidence your path out of burnout is possible. It will work out. It always does.
#9 Consider Anything Can Change
If you’ve decided some things need to change to get you on the other side of burnout, be open to what’s on the table for change.
Rethink your non-negotiables.
Sometimes, we hold onto certain beliefs or commitments out of habit or fear of the unknown. Challenge those assumptions and spend some time imagining anything and everything being different. It could be:
Your daily routine
Your career path
Your relationships
Nothing is off-limits.
Think outside the box. Think of small tweaks or radical shifts. Anything can change if you’re willing to envision a different future and take action to make it a reality.
#10 Ask For Help
Asking for help feels like showing weakness.
You are conditioned to believe you should be able to do it all. So when reality hits and you can’t, you feel weak.
But when burnout takes over, it’s time to call in some backup.
Asking for help is a sign of courage and self-awareness. It takes strength to acknowledge when you're struggling and to take action to get yourself out of it.
If you decide not to call in backup and ask for help in certain areas, that means you are consciously choosing where your time goes. Which means you can un-choose as well to decide where your life might need to shift to get yourself out of burnout.
Conclusion
Burnout is not just public meltdowns and mid-life crises.
Burnout can creep into your life unnoticed.
Recognizing burnout can be a challenge when you’re conditioned to believe stress and fatigue are an acceptable part of the daily grind. It can be easy to dismiss the warning signs.
Stay mindful of the symptoms of burnout so you can catch it earlier and be proactive with deploying a strategy to solve it.
Burnout may be sneaky, but it’s not unbeatable.
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About Me
Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a former workaholic turned time-management expert. I help women stressed out in their 9-5 get more done, in less time, so they can get back in the driver’s seat and start living a life they love.
