We all go through periods of feeling exhausted. It’s normal and it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Life is full of unexpected curveballs, stressful situations, and exhausting schedules. Burnout is a lot of things; it’s tired, it’s lost motivation, and it’s never wanting to do anything again. It’s an overwhelming lack of energy and desire to do anything. Burnout is the progressive outcome of stress. Stress is not an illness but a natural way in which the body responds to vital and intense stimulation that requires more than usual effort. Burnout results when this stimulation becomes too much to handle. Burnout can come from work, school, or even relationships. Even if you don’t have any alarming symptoms, it is possible for you to be affected by it. We all have moments like this, but for someone in a situation where the ‘burnout’ can’t let go, they need a plan to help see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The positive is that burnout doesn’t have to last forever. But if you don’t take steps to address it and treat it now, it can only get worse and leave you feeling at a very low point. These 5 tips help you jumpstart your road to burnout recovery to help you get back on track and feel free from the burden of burnout.
Make sure you are nourishing your body.
When you feel overwhelmed it can feel like nothing is in your control and it becomes easy to lose track of any healthy habits you’ve formed. However, it is critical that you look after yourself even when you feel stressed and unmotivated. Your body needs to be nourished in order to function at its best. Nourishing your body means eating real foods. This includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It also means avoiding processed foods, sugar, and salt as much as possible. One way that food affects your body is by causing inflammation — this occurs when your immune system releases chemicals in response to an injury or infection, which is why people get rashes after getting sunburned or develop inflammation when they have a cold or the flu.Inflammation can also happen when your body has been exposed to stressful situations. Inflammation can negatively affect your gut, your joints, and even important organs like your heart and lungs. Fighting inflammation and nourishing your body also means hydrating yourself with essential fluids throughout the day.
Purple tea nourishes your mind and body, relieves you of stress and anxiety, and eliminates inflammation thanks to the powerful antioxidants found in the purple tea plant. Switching to water and purple tea throughout the day instead of juice, soda, or coffee helps you cut back on overconsuming sugar and caffeine that overexcites your mind and body and can worsen feelings of stress and anxiety. If you have been eating poorly or not taking care of yourself because of burnout, this is a good time to make changes. You need all the energy you can get to heal!
Be patient as you recover.
Be patient with yourself as you recover from burnout. It’s going to take some time for you to feel like your normal self again, so don’t rush it or blame yourself for feeling bad. Give your mind and body time to heal. You may need time off from work or school in order to rest and recharge your batteries. If there’s no way around taking a sick day or two, do it! You’ll be able to get back on track faster if you take care of yourself during this time rather than trying to push through it at work. During this time off make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying active. Also, make sure that you are enjoying yourself outside of work and daily responsibilities. Meet up with friends and family. See how they’re doing — and vice versa! Communicate how you are feeling and how those people closest to you can support you on your journey to recovery.
It’s important to try to get back into a routine that works for you — don’t just default back to old habits. Instead, create new routines that will help you feel balanced and happy again while still fitting into your busy schedule if possible. For example, consider making time for regular exercise or meditation sessions each day or week so that they become part of your life again instead of something that falls by the wayside. You also don’t want to over exert yourself either. Take baby steps until you feel comfortable and confident in your daily habits. If getting out of bed seems like too much effort in the morning, put on some music as soon as possible after waking up so that your mood improves, or take more breaks during the day if things feel overwhelming. Remember, your recovery is not a race, it’s self-paced, so be kind to yourself.
Try a different approach to exercise.
If you’ve been working out at the gym every day for the past few months, consider switching things up by going for a walk outside or doing another activity that doesn’t require machines or weights such as yoga or Pilates classes where you focus on slower, more calm and centered physical and mental activity. Even when dealing with burnout you still need to move your body every day in some way—even if it’s just walking around your house or doing jumping jacks while watching TV. Physical activity helps clear out the brain’s waste products and stimulates new connections between neurons in our brains—key components in recovery from burnout.
Exercise is great for helping us stay healthy and feel better about ourselves, but if we overdo it or push ourselves too hard, we can end up feeling worse than ever before. If you have been exercising regularly but feel like your energy levels have dropped off or that exercise isn’t doing much good anymore, try taking things easy for a while until they improve again naturally instead of pushing yourself too much or doing more intense workouts than usual (e.g., running marathons). When we’re feeling less motivated, moving our bodies can help improve our moods and provide the clarity we so badly need. Stay hydrated during your activity time with a bottle of purple tea. It gives you energy and focus to help power through your workout.
Get enough sleep.
It seems like common sense, but getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do to recover from burnout. A lack of sleep will make you feel more stressed out and more likely to experience anxiety and depression. If you’re having trouble sleeping at night because your mind won’t stop racing or because of physical pain caused by stress (like headaches), try taking a hot bath before bedtime or doing some relaxation exercises such as deep breathing or meditation before bedtime. Another great recommendation is to have some purple tea before bedtime to calm and center your mind, and also avoid powering on any electronic devices at least an hour before settling down for the night.
Sleep is critical for your health and well-being because it helps your body recover from the stresses of daily life. Getting enough sleep could help you recover faster because your mind and body get more opportunities to restore and recover. If you know you aren’t getting enough sleep at night, make it a priority to get into bed at least an hour or two earlier each night.
Set reasonable, daily goals.
Setting small goals is one of the best ways to help yourself recover from burnout because it allows you to focus on one thing at a time — which may seem impossible when you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs doing. As long as these goals are realistic and achievable in a short time frame (no more than a few hours), they’ll help keep your spirits up while helping you get back into the swing of things at work. Instead of focusing on the big picture (i.e., becoming “more productive”), focus on achieving small but meaningful goals each day. For example, instead of trying to complete all your work before the end of the day or week, try setting daily goals like “making one phone call” or “reading one email.” Keep a journal or notes app on your phone to keep daily progress reports for yourself with your small, achievable goals. Also make note of what you’re proud to have accomplished for the day and what you look forward to accomplishing on the next day.
Recovery doesn’t happen overnight — it takes time and effort over an extended period of time (at least several months). Be patient with yourself as you recover from burnout; don’t expect immediate results or changes in your mood or energy level right away.
If you are experiencing burnout, don’t wait until the problem worsens to get help. Don’t let it get the best of you and make all aspects of your life an uphill battle. Remember–no one is alone in dealing with these issues, nor should they feel bad for feeling this way. It is completely normal. Making small lifestyle changes that favor a more balanced life can help prevent this from happening again in the future. Stay active, make time for rest, and nourish your body each day. Small changes in the right direction can make big improvements in your day-to-day life. Give yourself MORE with Purpose purple tea. Purple tea gives you more energy, and more concentration, and helps relieve stress and anxiety, everything you need on your journey to recovering from burnout.