Some days, it feels like just existing takes more energy than you have. You find yourself moving through the motions with even small tasks feeling impossible.
When energy is low and motivation is hard to find, it’s important to focus on practical ways to take care of yourself. The following steps provide actionable strategies to recover from burnout:
1. Treat Yourself Like You Are Sick
The first step to recovering from burnout is to surrender. To accept the fact that you have very little energy to do anything, and you find yourself crying over minor inconveniences. The only way to do that is to acknowledge that your body is not functioning the way it “should” and you can’t do the things you normally can. In a way, you are sick.
If your burnout manifests itself as sickness, then accept the fact that you are sick. And if your burnout doesn’t manifest as sickness, think of yourself as if you were sick. By doing this, you give yourself the space and time to rest and rejuvenate.
2. Reduce Your Daily Tasks
Do not push yourself to work harder, be more productive, and do better. Actually, that’s about the worst thing you can do. In fact, I urge you to cut your to-do list in half. Remove every unnecesary things, and delegate everything you can. This should leave you with the bare necessities. The things you absolutely have to do, and that have to be done specifally done by you.
When you are getting things done, don’t pressure yourself to do them perfectly. During this difficult time in your life, remember that, done is better than perfect.
3. Fix Your Sleep Schedule
Chances are, one of the reasons why you are burned out is that you are not getting enough sleep. Which means that your sleep schedule is fucked.
Start by prioritising getting 9 hours of sleep every night. From there, work out what time you will need to go to sleep based on when you need to wake up. Then go to bed at least 30 minutes before you are supposed to be asleep. If you have the privilege to, please don’t set an alarm. Allow your body to wake up naturally.
Sleep is the backbone of your existence, and with it, you start becoming a shell of yourself. You need sleep to function. Stop telling yourself that sleep is for the weak or that you’ll sleep when you are dead.
4. Tend to the Basics
Before you start optimizing everything in your life. Make sure all the basics are taken care of. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, are adequately hydrated, eating enough, and, more than that, that your meals are nutritious.
5. Rethink Your Life
The fact that you are burned out means that something in your life is not working. Maybe your job is sucking the soul out of your life. Or you have a lot on your plate, and you have been trying to do it all by your lonesome self. Or you have made your job your entire life, and that is starting to eat away at your sanity.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. So, if you don’t change anything in your life, you will find yourself here again in a few months. If you don’t want that to happen, you need to investigate why you are burned out, then solve that problem.
Here are journal prompts to help with this step:
- What responsibilities or tasks drain me the most right now?
- Where in my life do I feel like I have no control?
- What have I been trying to do alone that I could ask for help with?
- Which commitments bring me energy, and which take it away?
- How does my work or routine impact my mental and physical health?
- What have I been ignoring about my own needs or limits?
- If I could remove or reduce one source of stress immediately, what would it be?
- When do I feel most alive or calm, and can I do more of that?
- Am I using work, productivity, or busyness as a way to avoid something else?
- What boundaries do I need to set to protect my time, energy, and well-being?
6. Start a Hobby
You need a hobby, a real one. A real hobby is one you won’t monetize. It is not performative. And it is something you deeply enjoy. Partaking in hobbies that genuinely bring you joy will make your life feel more fulfilling. And that will protect you from burnout.
7. Take Care of Yourself
Taking care of yourself isn’t something you do once and forget. It’s a habit, a commitment, and a way of living that protects your energy and your sanity. Making self-care part of your everyday life will help prevent burnout in the future.
Small, consistent acts of care become a foundation you can build on, and over time, they create a life where exhaustion doesn’t take over. Here are 10 self-care habits that changed my life.
Learning how to recover from burnout doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t require drastic changes. Start small, notice what actually helps, and make self-care a regular part of your life. Over time, these habits become the foundation that keeps burnout from taking over again.
And remember to rest, rest, rest.
Thank you so much for reading.
If you want to elevate your relationship with yourself, get my book: No Bullsh*t Guide to Self-love, here.
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