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What’s Burnout exactly?
Feeling Burnt out is not entirely by feeling overworked or even feeling overly tired. Burnout is actually recognized as a depression that is caused by life stress equaled by overthinking that creates an inner conflict.
In order to cure it, you have to figure out what’s causing it.
In this article, we will speak about the ‘Burnout syndrome,’ now known for the first time as an official medical condition.
This new condition was described as a syndrome because it is due to having unmanaged persistent pressure.
That pressure can form from a multitude of things possibly by co-workers, not saying “no!” enough (especially when you need really too), or simply from having too much negative self-talk about your job or current point of view in life.
Let’s dive into the symptoms first and then see some straight-forward self-care action steps that’ll surely help you aid your burnout so you can get back to feeling your best.
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First, you have to know the triggers.
What triggers a burnout? Work stress is unfortunate because a lot of us suffer from this pressure on a day to day basis.
So, if burnout seems imminent for you and you are experiencing fatigue, negative self-talk, and often, you have to learn how to rediscover meaning and joy in your career and life by having a plan.
This plan will signify if you are in a state of good mental health that may need treatment or if you simply need to practice more self-care to help ease the symptoms.
The first step in understanding your plan of action and what burnout really is is to analyze what triggers it.
Dr. Maslach and her colleagues described three distinct forms of burnout in their paper The Future of Burnout, which details the following:
- Interpersonal burnout: This is seen as the byproduct of stressful working relationships, environments, market changes, or interpersonal conflicts such as with a supervisor or a co-worker. Market changes can really trigger a burnout just as much as everything else that is interpersonally listed above.
- Individual burnout: Considered the byproduct of factors linked to overly negative self-talk. Negative self-talk can cause stress and havoc on the nervous system and that can trigger burnout. If you are negatively blaming outside circumstances, individual burnout could really be the culprit that’s causing you the stress you are feeling without you being aware of it.
- Organizational burnout: Seen as a difference between the employee and the job. In short, there’s workplace mismatch that’s going on, such as one could be in the wrong industry altogether. You must know that you can’t force nature. If you are in the wrong industry this could be the result of your burnout especially if you are experiencing it all the time.
Recognizable Personal Symptoms to be aware of.
A person with burnout syndrome may feel extremely drained and have distorted and often cynical perceptions of themselves and others during this phase.
You should recognize a few of these symptoms if you fall in one of the categories (listed above) of having work stress/related burnout:
- Physical symptoms: Chronic stress can lead to symptoms such as headaches, intestinal problems, fatigue, body aches, loss of appetite, all due to work-related stress.
- Emotional symptoms: Burnout makes people feel exhausted, incapable of functioning, tired, self-critical, depressed, and sad.
If you have any of these recognizable symptoms above and you have discovered the root of your burnout from the three categories Dr. Maslach and her colleagues outlined, know that there are some powerful self-care ideas that’ll treat your burnout.
You can get back to feeling like you again if you can muster up the energy to change things around.
7 Powerful Self Care Ideas to Treat Your Burnout
1. Recharge your batteries.
It’s incredible how much better your sleep will be if you can stop your thinking, turn off your mind about your worries, and just get some good wholesome rest in.
Many people suffering from burnout, need to prioritize sleep just as much as they prioritize their busiest of tasks.
So no matter how busy you are know that it shouldn’t take away how significant getting a great sleep is for both your body and your mind.
Turn your alarm clock totally off if you can and do yourself a favor and relax on your days off. You must sleep well and enjoy recharging your batteries so that you can recover from all of the other extra stress your body is dealing with during this burnout phase.
2. Find out what excites you and do more of that.
If you aren’t excited about life right now, or if you are feeling a lack of passion, or have lost your motivation altogether? Then your burnout could be signaling something a little deeper for you.
Burnout is inevitable whether your working day is to answer to other people’s demands or simply because you are asked to work on projects that don’t really excite you anymore.
But it could also mean that you have an outgrown your career or your job doesn’t offer you the same satisfaction as it once did.
Evolving in the workplace is inevitable and when this happens you may not be challenged enough as you once were.
Therefore, you must try to figure out what inspires you right now and do something about it today. It’s so important that you keep doing the things that keep you excited. Simply, find out what excites you and do more of it for the sake of your mental health.
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3. Try to be optimistic.
If you think that your burnout is turning you into a terrible and ungrateful person, then now is the time to think about your situation and try to be more positive about it.
Even the busiest of business travelers have the time to write down the most valuable aspects they see about themselves and can easily turn their negative thoughts into more positive powerful ones.
All it comes down to is the narrative that you tell yourself and that is either going to be optimistic or pessimistic.
So for the sake of your self-care, try to erase your negative thoughts and counter them by focusing on gratitude.
It may sound silly but for the sake of your burnout, it’s absolutely necessary that you try to remain positive.
4. Get active.
During a burnout, our nervous system is out of order and the old ‘fight or flight’ response becomes stress-activated. That means that your responses to stress during a burnout may be more volatile and reactive then you really want it to be.
This is because we are actually getting ready for combat when we are triggered and we are generating more adrenaline and cortisol (that is injected into the body and bloodstream) as we make a reactionary response to certain things that are causing us stress.
Such stress hormones are then consumed by the body and only physical exercise and deep respiration can help keep you feeling healthy, calm, and feeling like your natural self.
The easiest way to combat this is to find a quick training routine with a few very basic fitness exercises that you can do comfortably at home or if you are on the road.
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5. Say “no!” and more often.
During your burnout phase, you have to know that every “yes” that you say adds to your workload and stress, and, once again, it eliminates more time, enthusiasm, and creativity for yourself and your most basic needs.
So, the next time you are being asked to take on more than you can handle, think of saying ‘no!’
When you take on so many duties it can compile into feeling overwhelmed. And, if you also have too many ideas and interests that you want to do but lack the time?
Start executing the most important ones first and save the rest for a later date so you can actively handle your life in a more self-loving and organized way.
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6. Create time just for yourself daily.
It is strongly urged that you schedule alone time, solely for you, so that you can alleviate some more stress to think about yourself and your most basic needs. This should be an unwavering time that all your other obligations must fit around. This time slot is that important, so make sure it’s uninterrupted and solely for you and only you and start practicing this for 5 to 10 minutes daily.
7. Answer these questions…
When it comes to feeling burnt-out, sometimes self-care can’t only be the only option in trying to feel better.
So ask yourself these simple questions to see if there’s really more to your burnout. These questions can help you make the permanent changes that you’re looking for…
- Has your sleeping pattern changed?
- Are you pessimistic or optimistic while you’re working?
- Are you dragging yourself to work and finding it difficult to start your job motivated?
- Do you need extra energy in order to be consistently efficient?
- Are you without the energy to be more productive?
- Do you use alcohol and food to feel better after work?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have to speak to a doctor or mental health care provider as these symptoms can often trigger deeper issues, including severe anxiety or depression.
None the less, it is still possible to turn things around but it will take time. Take things one day at a time, and make patience a practice throughout the process.
If you need more self-care ideas, here are 34 other ways to practice self-care daily.
Read also:
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Author: Rebecca
Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am the face behind Everything Abode! I am a lifestyle and wellness writer based out of Vancouver Island. When I’m not writing or exploring mountains and beaches with my furry rescue, I love spending time learning creative ways to manifest a healthy home. Thanks for stopping by!
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