10 Tips and Strategies to Help You Recover from Burnout

by Naturally Yours

As mentioned in my previous article regarding Mental exhaustion and burn out, mental exhaustion is a tiredness kind of, but mental instead of your muscles.

If constant stress is causing you feel helpless and disillusioned, you might be on the road to burnout.

So now as we are aware of the causes and symptoms, what next??

You need to relieve this burnout by some practices including mindful thinking and making environmental changes all around.

The right strategy for dealing with mental exhaustion depends on the reason causing it.

1. Taking good self-care

Your utmost priority should be “ME”.

Eating a healthy diet, having a healthy lifestyle, plenty of sound sleep and keeping yourself hydrated can help improve your resilience power.

These might help in prevention of the onset or reduce the severity of mental tiredness.

Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises activates body’s relaxation response.

Even though exercise may be the last thing you feel like doing, it helps in powerful reduction for stress and burnout.

Minimize intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates, caffeine and nicotine. Consume a diet rich in healthy salads, omega 3 rich nuts, seeds and fish.

2. Take time-off

If mental exhaustion seems inevitable, try taking a complete break from work.

Plan a vacation or, use your sick leaves. Use the time away to recharge your batteries and pursue other methods of recovery.

3. Improve work environment

Increasing work load at office or work place is very customary. It increases fatigue too.

Making slight changes in work place, or taking some time off or getting required help from colleagues can be of a great help. It is always wise choosing workplaces that prioritize well-being and work balance.

Be more sociable with your co-workers. Treating your co-workers as friends can buffer you from job burnout.

For instance, Try having meals with colleagues during lunch breaks, or schedule social events together after work.

Having friends to chat and joke with during the day can relieve stress.

4. Getting adequate mental support

People facing depression or anxiety require proper medical and mental treatment.

It is next to impossible for them to think that they are out of the condition, thus delaying treatment and increasing exhaustion further.

5. Changing medications

Consulting a doctor is mandatory before starting on any anti-depressants.

These medicines can cause mental and physical fatigue too. Many people taking those medicines can end up overeating too.

6. Getting adequate therapy

You should always visit a therapist or a medical practitioner to throw out all your feelings and get adequate treatment to deal with stress.

A mindful counselling session can always invoke positive lifestyle and thus reduce the impact of stress.

7. Turn to other people

Social and emotional contact is natures antidote to stress and depression.

Thus, sharing your feelings clearly with a good and trustworthy listener is one of the healthiest ways to calm your nervous system.

Many times, the person whom you talk to is not able to “fix” your stress, but if he or she is a good listener, it can work magic.

Reach out to the people who are closer to you. They can be your family, friends or even colleagues.

Don’t be in a false thinking that if you open up, you might create burden on others. In fact, those people will be flattered thinking that you trust them so much and further increase your bond.

8. Keep negativity away

Stay away from negative people as they will only drag down your mood and outlook.

Connect with people or a community group which are personally meaningful to you.

You can even look out for any religious or support groups which can give you a place to talk to like-minded people about dealing with stress.

9. Find new friends

If you do not feel comfortable sharing with your current companions or friends, it is never too late to build up a new friend network and expand your socializing.

Having friends to chat and joke with during the day can help relieve stress and can get you through a rough day.

10. Find balance in your life

If you dislike your current work or job, look for satisfaction elsewhere in your life- It can be your friends, family, hobbies, recreational activity or any voluntary work.

For instance, if you are a cleanliness freak, spend time cleaning your messy drawers or cupboards whenever you feel low.

Do not over extend yourself. Learn saying ‘NO’ to requests on your time.

Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Stay away from your laptop and phone for some time.

The final word

Always remember, mental exhaustion is treatable. There are a variety of resources available to help ease your symptoms and cope with stress.

If a person feels mentally exhausted, they might struggle to devise and implement a strategy to reduce the burnout.

With adequate self-care, support from loved ones and medication, a person can recover from mental exhaustion.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sneha Jain, Dietician

Sneha is a Post graduate with specialization in Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a university topper and holds 5+ years of experience in Apollo hospitals, VLCC, slimsutra and first cry fit-kids . She has successfully counselled clients all over India for weight loss, weight gain, diabetes, hypertension, PCOD, hypothyroid, Pregnancy and lactation and growth charts for children. She has her own diet consultation e-clinic (diet_diariez)

She believes in customized diets and eating local and seasonal foods. Her counselling not only involves diet planning, but also lifestyle modification and stress relief strategies.