Steps to Burn Recovery
So how do we recover from burnout? Maslach says, “I use an analogy of a canary in a coal mine. The canary is having a hard time surviving because of the toxic fumes. It’s not about fixing the canary to make it more resilient. There are coping strategies to help you to rest, but they don’t change the stressors.”
In other words, it’s not as simple as compiling a self-care list. While there are steps the individual can take, workplace stressors must also be addressed as ineffective coping mechanisms can exacerbate burnout, causing physical and mental health problems.
Accept the burn
The first step to recovering from burnout is to accept it. But that can be easier said than done when we’re determined to keep going.
“There’s denial about burnout, and we can lose knowledge the more burned out we become.”
says Walker. “Watch for early warning signs such as temper tantrums, irritation with colleagues or frustration with small tasks. If you are in a caring profession, you may feel emotionally detached.
“You may feel like your batteries are depleted: I tell customers you’re not the famous battery brand that keeps going, you’re the competitor.”
Eliminate stressors
Try to identify the stress factors in your workplace and remove the “pebbles”.
“Recognizing that there is a problem and something needs to change, assess what is possible to change – what is the low-hanging fruit?” says Walker.
Stress may not be work itself. In her book The Burnout ChallengeMaslach cites the following factors that contribute to the perfect combustion environment:
- Increased workload
- Lack of control
- Inappropriate reward systems
- A toxic community
- Lack of justice
- Opposite values
Work constructively with colleagues and management to address these. Maslach says, “Can you say,”[Let’s] make this better?’ Can you make suggestions and be constructive? Can you say, ‘We don’t need pats on the back all the time, but once in a while let people know they’ve done something good?’”
According to the Mental Health UK survey, 43 per cent of workers cite having a supportive line manager as an effective measure to beat burnout. By law, employers are obliged to identify any risks to your health and must take steps to help prevent or reduce stress in the workplace.
Put boundaries in place
Walker says, “Knowing what your normal time limits are at work — when you start, when you finish — helps your brain know, ‘This is when it normally shuts down.’ There may be days when we have to push the boat out, but you have to know what your normal is.”
Being more disciplined about when we stop and go into work mode, giving an out-of-hours response to email or turning off the work phone can help.
Reevaluate goals
You may need to have some tough conversations with your employer about what is actually achievable, or with yourself, about your career goals. A 2022 review of burnout states: “Expectations that employees have about their work are related to the level of burnout, such that higher expectations and higher goal setting lead to greater effort and thus higher levels of burnout. high rates of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization… This mismatch between expectations and realities can lead to frustration and burnout in workers.”
Walker says: “When someone is close to recovery, we look at what brought them to this place and what we decide to do. [their job] more stable. Often we have to address their attitude to their expectations of what they should do, would like to do, or what they should do.”
Focus on self-care
- Eat healthy and stay hydrated
- Try cardiovascular exercise and yoga
- Turn off the screens
Maslach says, “There are coping strategies: meditation, mindfulness, exercising, getting eight hours of sleep, and being healthier that don’t change stressors, but help you be more relaxed.”
In The Burnout Challenge, Maslach cites Tiffany Shlain’s book 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, which recommends turning off screens one day a week.
When it comes to diet, she writes, “Eating healthier foods during and outside of work and eating regularly are important. This means cutting back on junk food, drinking more water to stay hydrated and not skipping meals.
Other books include Prof Mark Williams and Danny Penman Mindfulness: A practical guide to find peace in a frantic worldwhich has a companion app.
In terms of exercise, a 2015 study showed that cardiovascular training was better than resistance training in reducing psychological distress, while the latter (including yoga and pilates) increased feelings of personal accomplishment. Both were effective in combating stress and emotional exhaustion, with high-intensity interval training (HITT) thought to be superior to moderate intensity.
Remember that taking time off sick or on vacation can be a short-term way to deal with burnout, but it’s not a long-term path to recovery.
Instead, Walker advises focusing on sustainable recharge strategies: “Start establishing some healthy habits. Decide what is the minimum non-negotiable time away from work that you need each week to function stably and give yourself enough time.”
That time can be spent doing activities such as yoga, mindfulness, or socializing, but she also mentions being outdoors and spending one day a month getting away from our usual environments.
Seek professional support
In extreme cases of burnout, seek a therapist. Evidence shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective in reducing burnout: a 2019 study of 60 nurses who experienced burnout showed that CBT—a problem-focused talking therapy that gives people tools to coping with current situations and negative thinking patterns—had an impact on feelings of negativity surrounding both work and individual performance.
Strategy for overcoming burnout
Take back control
There is no hard and fast rule for how long it will take to get over burnout. Some people recover within three months and others may take years. But evidence shows that those who accepted that they were ultimately in control of their lives recovered successfully.
A 2015 Finnish study of 12 people who attended a post-burn rehabilitation course, titled My Well-being in My Hands, noted that, “The whole process of self-recovery represents a shift in clients’ perceptions from denial of their burnout symptoms in realizing that they are ultimately responsible for their own physical and mental well-being.”
Make changes in your lifestyle
According to Walker, changes we can make to create that “buffer zone” like reading, exercising, and getting away from workplace and online stress are a key part of a burnout recovery strategy. “We are bombarded with emails with expectations to respond immediately and also with visual stimuli, advertising and social media. It takes mental toll. Our buffer zone has been taken away from us.
“Even watching cat videos on X [social media] it’s charging us in a way that offline activities don’t. It’s designed to give us dopamine hits from short attention spans, so it can be hard to settle into a deep attention task like reading.”
Be careful that relaxation strategies such as socializing – which can be helpful – do not degenerate into negative habits such as self-medicating with alcohol or drugs to cope.
Prioritize quality sleep
Maslach says, “The notion of that eight-hour workday, eight-hour personal time, eight-hour sleep — which is how the 24 should be divided — is really how we as human beings function.”
A study by Mental Health UK found that 64 per cent of working adults felt that poor sleep was a contributing factor to burnout. A 2021 study found that burn nurses also suffered from daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality.
Make sure you rest before bed. Walker says: “If your mind is overactive and you haven’t turned it off, it will be difficult to sleep. I call it the always-on brain. Build in at least 10-15 minutes before bed where you’ll regroup and maybe make a note of what’s running through your head, such as worries or priorities for the day ahead.
Activities you enjoy
“Some people might want to go to the gym, ride a bike or take up a hobby, or just spend time with family,” Walker says. In a report by Mental Health UK, 71 percent of people cited having a supportive social network as helping prevent burnout.
Learn stress management techniques
Walker suggests, “Take mental time. Whatever works for you, like reading offline material including newspapers or just closing your eyes, is fine. You can have regular practices like mindfulness that help you immerse yourself in another world for a period of time.” A 2023 study showed that diaphragmatic breathing — taking four deep breaths per minute — can improve negative reactions to stress.
If you missed your trip, be aware that you may have also missed a key stress management technique. IN The Burnout ChallengeMaslach discusses the lack of separation we have when working from home and quotes Jerry Useem’s article The psychological benefits of commutingk. If you work from home or do so part-time, try to replicate the effect of commuting by walking or meditating before and after work.
How to avoid future burnout
In extreme circumstances, some people with burnout may choose to quit their jobs. Ideally, you won’t need to use the nuclear option.
If you do, then the key to avoiding burnout in a new workplace is to make sure there is a match between your values and theirs. Walker says, “Ask reasonable questions about the culture and specific examples like, ‘What is the company’s approach to helping employees have a work-life balance?’
Find a company that takes burnout prevention seriously. A survey last year by the Executive Development Network found that 86 percent of employees would leave a job if it didn’t support their well-being.
If you have experienced burnout and decide to stay at your job, then be aware of the triggers that lead to it last time. “You may feel like you’ve recovered and you’re back to normal, but you start putting yourself under the same load and you go down again,” Walker says.
Remember that it can be a two-way street between the employee and the employer. A 2020 study examined how employees can contribute to reducing the risks of burnout. Among them were: seeking energizing tasks; socializing with colleagues; reducing work-home conflict – particularly important with the rise of hybrid and flexible working.
No one wants to get stuck in a repetitive burnout cycle, but with cooperation, on both sides, it can be avoided.
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