By Stages of burnout recovery are necessary to know when you find yourself in the middle of a burnout. It makes even more sense when you are done reading the preceding article on the ways to recover from burnout.
If you are here, you already know what burnout is. If you are someone who has stumbled upon this piece of information, welcome to your introduction to corporate life!
This article will cover the stages involved in burnout recovery. Burnout is a natural reaction to occupational stress that one experiences in one’s life.
Read on to learn how to recover from burnout and the different stages.
Why Is Burnout Recovery Necessary?
- 95% of workers in the US opine that they must work in an organization that respects the boundary between work and non-work time.
- At least 14% of employees in office work described their workplace as ‘toxic.’
Do we need to address this question? If you’re asking this, you must have a poor guide to corporate life. Something that has overworking as priority.
Burnout is a serious issue that can lead to several physical and mental repercussions. is a mental health concern, as individuals experiencing it can show symptoms of serious distress. Burnout is also known as depressive anxiety syndrome which qualifies it for a professional treatment.
The statement is put in this way because the populace does not consider an issue serious enough for professional consultation.
The stages of burnout recovery, listed below, are consulted with a mental health expert. And research from top psychologists’ blogs and theses.
7 Stages of Burnout Recovery
The stages of burnout recovery mainly are 7 in number, through which you learn to cope with the stress and mitigate its triggers as you go. Read on to find the burnout recovery plan:
1. Acknowledging you’re burnt out
The first of the stages of burnout recovery is accepting that you are on fire. This step is the most important part of recovery, as acceptance acknowledges that you need help. Experiencing burnout is nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty about.
Burnout is a reminder that you must prioritize your mental and emotional health while performing your duties. When you are tired after trekking, your body goes through temporary stress. But if you have been climbing Everest without proper equipment or breaks to sustain that trek. You are bound to experience frostbite and hypothermic shock!
Burnout is the ‘frostbite’ of occupational stress. Thus, resting while working hard during your working hours is best. When you see the signs of burnout (tiredness, lack of energy and motivation, among others.)
2. Distancing from stressors
Once you have admitted experiencing burnout, you can proceed to the next step of burnout recovery. The second most important step is removing the stressors pushing you towards burnout.
You note things in this second step from the stages of burnout recovery. Also, people, situations, or habits that are causing you distress. This list will help you prioritize your way of setting boundaries to protect your peace. You must also keep track of things that are making you lose your energy.
For example, if you see that your habit of doing things at the last minute has been going on for a long time, try delegating tasks. You can also divide your time per the workload to have a smooth routine.
Something I have recently started following is the Pomodoro method while I work. This time management technique helps me properly utilize my time during work and ensure that I am completing my work healthily.
Here, you work for 25 minutes and take 5-minute breaks. Once you finish 3-4 cycles, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
Re-evaluation of commitments helps shift your focus to the important things. This can also help you understand what is working for you and how you can do the things that bring you joy.
3. Focusing on self-care
This comes in at the third position for all the right reasons. When prioritizing mental and physical health, you ensure you are in the right mind frame. Prioritization of mental health is essential for better handling of your symptoms.
Self-care does not have a limitation to taking a day off or having a spa day. Self-care is used in everyday activities to help keep you sane. Getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in physical activities help improve overall health.
These are all important parts of self-care that can promote your overall well-being. Apart from that, you will also see an effect on the burnout symptoms you are experiencing.
4. Reassessing priorities and goals
Reassessing priorities and goals is an important part of the stages of burnout recovery. This is because when you are set on overall well-being, you have sorted through the hindrances stopping you from recovering.
Naturally, the next step is reassessing your goals and the priorities that need your energy. Burnout usually occurs due to emotional as well as occupational stress. The emotional stress comes from the built-up resentment if you are not where you want to be. This can occur when you initially started with a different plan, but during your experience of burnout, you are somewhere else.
Your goals and professional aspirations might not align with the current situation, facilitating your burnout. However, your road to recovery will set the course straight for you. During this stage of recovery, you need to see where your interest lies. When you are doing something that is to your liking, you are more likely to enjoy the process, in comparison to something that you dread doing.
Once you’ve figured out your interests and aspirations, you can either set new goals or re-adjust the current ones to fit your goals.
5. Setting boundaries
Setting boundaries is the next stage that follows in the stages of burnout recovery. No, it is not just applicable to your social life. Professional boundaries are also necessary.
One of the major reasons why people face burnout is *not* having boundaries. Suppose you are invested in knowing about psychology and other trends. In that case, you’d know how popular blogs somewhat similar to the one you’re reading emphasize the importance of boundaries in the workspace.
When you do not have boundaries, you will be under excess workload, sorting priorities that aren’t yours to do. Once you learn to say no, you can implement your boundaries and prevent future burnout.
Moreover, once you have set a limit, you are more likely to prevent burnout than without one. For instance, you set a strict work-life boundary where you will not take on more work than you should. You are not just establishing a strict work-life balance but also declaring your limits.
This isn’t something bad, contrary to popular corporate belief! Asserting your limits is important to maintain a proper work-life balance because it lets you practice your expertise in the best way. Efficiency isn’t in doing all the extra work you can and having no regard for your rest.
6. Seeking support
Seeking support is an important part of recovery, no matter what you are going through. The recovery process relies on the support you can garner. It may be someone you know or a professional whose support is crucial for you.
When we bottle our emotions, we let things build up for a long time. This pushes us towards an emotional burnout where we can no longer interact to the best of our abilities. Apart from physically being able to take a certain workload, there’s also the emotional bandwidth to handle that pressure.
When we do not have proper support, we tend to run out of the ability to motivate ourselves. Emotional assistance is an important part of preventing burnout. Be it your family, friends, or professional counselors, you need people who can give you that boost of motivation.
Your support system will also help you see another perspective on your struggles.
7. Making gradual changes
The last of the seven stages of burnout recovery is no less important. Just how you are not burnt out after just one day or week of doing hard work. You cannot just make changes in one day. These changes will not be effective in the long run if you rush through them. It is also necessary for you to see whether there are results from these changes – this requires time.
While recovering from the burnout, you need to remember that small victories on the way need a celebration of their own. For example, if you successfully set up a boundary and practice it, then woohoo! That calls for a pat on the back.
Ripping the band-aid will not be helpful in this case; you need to slowly bring in the changes. That is important to reduce the likelihood of burnout in the future.
Conclusion
Thus, this was all about the seven stages of burnout recovery and how you can navigate through them. This article highlights how these stages help us overcome burnout and continue our professional and personal growth.
In addition, the article also highlights the need for proper consultation with a mental health expert, along with a healthy lifestyle that respects your own needs and limitations. When you follow this hack to corporate life, you will not just lower your burnout recovery time. You will also prevent it in the future!
Have any more hacks for a smoother recovery from burnout? Let us know in the comments below.
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