Just as it took time to become burnt out, the
recovery process can also take a while. Below are a few tips you can try to
help along the healing process.
1. Leave the House Every Day
The burnout symptoms and recovery period can make
you feel like turning into a homebody if you aren’t going to work. While you
need to get plenty of rest, it’s just as important to keep in touch with people
and the outside world. Even just going for a walk every day can help improve
your outlook. Light exercise is ideal for beating depression and anxiety so go
for a swim or join a casual team sport.
2. Improve Your Diet
Mental exhaustion can make it difficult to shop and
prepare meals for yourself but eating a poor diet supplemented with alcohol is
a recipe for a longer recovery. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals will make
you feel better and will help with building up your depleted immune system.
There is now evidence that gut health is linked to mental health so eating
foods that are good for your gut could be helpful. Remember to get a little
sunshine each day for some vitamin D.
3. Take Stock of Your Values and Goals
Burnout can be a life-altering time of life. Use it
to assess what changes you could make to your life to improve it. For instance,
sometimes people work long hours but are not necessarily productive during
those hours. Others may have forgotten what they are aiming for in their career
and feel on a treadmill that they can’t get off. You might decide to spend time
with your family and friends rather putting in long hours at the office. Think
about what you want in life.
4. Be Prepared to Talk About It
Things are unlikely to change unless you do
something about it. Burnout rarely goes away of its own accord. Mental health
difficulties don’t have the same stigma they did 10 or so years ago. Don’t be
ashamed to tell work that you are experiencing burnout or mental health
problems. You may want to take some leave or reduce your workload to help with
recovery. Your feedback may encourage your employer to make changes that could
help your current and future colleagues. You may need to rely on your friends
and family more than ever now to get through this challenging time.
5. Practice Positivity and Mindfulness
You may have spent months being cynical and feeling
angry but that doesn’t mean you need to be like this forever. Try to think
positively and envisage a better future for yourself. Surround yourself with
supportive and positive people who can help you maintain a positive outlook on
life. It’s likely that you will need regularly reminding that this state isn’t
permanent and that you will beat it. Mindfulness and meditation has been proven
to help with anxiety, stress and depression and are worth looking into. Talking
therapies, such as counselling or cognitive-behavioural coaching have
considerable research proving they have a very positive effect. They might be
helpful to keep you focussed on practical, positive thought patterns and
activities.
6. Be Patient and Kind to Yourself
If you are suffering from burnout, one of the most important things you can do is to be patient with yourself. Learning how to deal with work burnout takes time. Overcoming burnout can take months before you feel like your old self again.
For further advice & support contact EAP Assist