How to Deal with Burnout

Tips for Finding Some Balance in Your Life

We’ve all had moments when even the smallest task feels overwhelming. Stress can be a serious energy drainer, both mentally and physically. When it gets really bad, burnout can kick in, and it becomes really difficult to keep moving forward.

The truth is, if you live in this world, you’ve more than likely experienced some kind of burnout. On a day to day basis, the stress can get so bad that you start to feel at the end of your rope far too often. Over time, those feelings build up, and the burnout can get really tough to overcome.

The effects are pretty big, from depression to fatigue and even high blood pressure. All of it interferes with living a healthy lifestyle. In the past few years, I’ve seen so many of my clients fall off track with their diet and exercise plans because of burnout.

I experienced some pretty serious burnout this past year. A lot of it was work related, and in the end I think I was just taking on too much. But I saw it impact almost every area of my life.

So how did I deal with it? That’s what I want to share with you today…

5 Strategies for Dealing with Burnout

1. Take Some Time to Yourself

I realize this one sounds pretty obvious, but as obvious as it might be, it’s also the thing that you’re probably not doing. I learned pretty quickly that one of the biggest reasons for my burnout was all the demands from everyone in my life. Even just interacting with people can contribute to burnout if you’re already stressed.

So make sure you take some quiet time away from everyone, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. Ideally, something closer to an hour is going to be a lot more effective, and make sure you’re not working during that time.

2. Power Down Your Devices

This was a tough lesson for me to learn, but as helpful as technology can be, it also contributes to burnout by never giving you a break. Smartphones are probably the worst offenders for this. So if you’re going to take some down time and successfully beat burnout, give yourself some kind of break from technology every day.

3. Take a Walk, Go for a Run – Just Get Moving!

Exercise is one of the best ways to beat stress and deal with burnout. What physical activity actually does is strengthen your body’s ability to deal with stress, almost creating a protective barrier. It also boosts your immune system and helps you concentrate when you need to, so the effects can be pretty far-reaching.

All exercise is great, but cardio is especially helpful when it comes to burnout. For something a little different, try my 20 Minute Cardio Workout here.

4. Get Outside and Connect with Nature

If there’s an ideal place to get some exercise, it’s outdoors. The research is pretty clear on this – being around nature is a great way to beat stress, improve your mood, and avoid getting burned out.

This one can actually be pretty challenging at first, because you really have to commit to it. If you live in a city like me, you may have to make a bit of an effort to escape. But it’s worth it. I found the best approach was to combine this with the first 3 points – turn off the devices, take some you-time, and leave the busy city life for a walk or run. Just breathing a little fresh air can help you deal with the burnout!

5. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This last point stands on its own, but sleep can have a huge impact on your ability to handle stress and whether or not you can overcome burnout. The regular sleep recommendations apply – aim for 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night, and try to get on some kind of schedule if you can.

The great thing about sleep is that it also keeps your diet and exercise routines on track. And this is true of all of these tips – their effects extend beyond burnout and help improve pretty much every area of your life. For some tips on how to improve your sleep, take a look at my article on How to Sleep Better.

Whatever You Do, Start Taking Burnout Seriously…

Whatever you do, just start taking your own stress and burnout more seriously. Trust me, it can get pretty bad. Taking a preventative approach is the best way to do it, and these tips are a good starting point.

You can also check out my article on How to Handle Stress here.

Have any questions or feedback about How to Deal with Burnout? Please leave a comment below…