How to Prevent Burnout

Burnout is when someone experiences emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion due to chronic stress or frustration. The stress can be induced by:  

• Work (Employees/Employers)  

• School/College (Students) 

• Parenting (Caregivers)  

• Relationships (Romantic/Friendships/Family)  

What are the signs of being burnt out? 

 Emotional 

• Everyday feels like a bad day 

• Dreading going into work/school 

• Taking frustration out on others 

• Increased negative thinking/outlook 

• Detaching from relationships/interests 

• Doubting yourself often 

Physical  

• Change in sleeping and/or eating habits 

• Frequent headaches/body aches 

• Feeling tired often 

• Getting sick more easily/frequently 

Mental/Behavioral 

• Isolating from others 

• Procrastination 

• Using substances to cope 

• Skipping/avoiding responsibilities 

How can I prevent burnout?  

• Learning how to feel your feelings → acknowledging that you’re burnt out and recognizing that you’d like to experience a change in your life. Gentle reminder: it’s okay to cry.  

• Learning how to manage or release your feelings → some ways to start: you can talk it out with someone you trust, write how you’re feeling in a journal or on your phone/device, draw how you’re feeling nonjudgmentally, go on a walk outside, or another gentle reminder: If you feel safe and comfortable to express your feelings through tears, it’s still okay to cry.  

• Creating and applying boundaries → check out this blog for some inspiration on how to and the Ways we Already Set Boundaries

• Taking time off → if you have some, please use your vacation days! Intentionally planning time off for vacations whether that’s to fly to a different area code or staying put at your home to catch up on some self-care, you are worthy of rest and reclaiming your time. “Time off” can also be related to your personal “me-time” when it comes to relationships and constantly being around others. It’s not selfish to want time for yourself to replenish and recharge.  

• Creating a self-care plan → this can look like setting goals, creating routines and taking it one-step at a time, holding yourself accountable by believing in your needs, and/or scheduling time for yourself.  

• Listening to your breath and making time to breathe → making some time to pay attention to your breath, whether you spend twenty minutes or less than a minute, can make a difference in your daily life. Maybe you can try it out now?  

Try this quick breathing exercise  

Whatever position you’re in--sitting, lying down, or standing up, relax your shoulders and let your body fall into a comfortable position, now pause and pay attention to your breath. Notice how it’s falling and landing. If you feel comfortable, feel free to close your eyes.  

Now we’ll take three deep breaths. You can choose to place your hand on your belly if you’d like to feel how your breath can move through your body.  

In through your nose, out through your mouth.  

In through your nose, out through your mouth.  

In through your nose, out through your mouth.  

Look at you! You just did a breathing exercise. Thank you for taking the time to slow down for a moment (@ you to you).