How to Recover from Burn-out Syndrome - 3 Simple Tips.
You may be wondering what is difference between burn out in younger people than in the over 50s? What difference does it make- burn out is always burn out no matter our age isn’t it?
The answer is a simple No - our age has nothing to do with burn-out. Anyone of any age can suffer from burn-out syndrome. To recover from burnout we need to look at the causes. Often, the causes and nature of burn-out to the 50+ is quite different to that of the younger set.
To recover from anything metal or physical. We must not look at the symptoms only and hope they will go way. Dealing with just the symptoms is a sure way for the problem to return. We need to take time and look a bit deeper, to the root causes. If you are a gardener you know the weeds just pop up all by themselves. If you cut them down without taking out the roots, the problem will reoccur. It is the same with dealing with burn-out. We need to get to the root of the problem and heal that, then the symptoms -the top part - will automatically disappear to never to return.
In this post, I am not dealing with how to find the root causes, that is for another day, or if you wish to book an appointment for mentoring- we can get to the bottom of it together. But in the meantime, below are some tips to how to approach the burn- out you are experiencing. Keep reading because in this post, I will expand on the three "R's” and share I apply them in my life, and you can to yours.
The Three "R” Recognize, Reverse, Resilience Approach
Recognize
Watch for the warning signs of burnout. Be self-aware. Negative, toxic thoughts will burn you out, wear you down, making you feel dry as a dessert. The best I can, I try to slow down and listen to my thoughts as if they are words speaking out loud. I stop and repeat my thoughts out loud to myself to determine if they are helpful or toxic. There’s something about listening back your own words that makes you realise their true content. If they are toxic thoughts I ignore them (one of my past blog posts goes into details about this). I do not give them fuel by going over them or even considering their meaning.
If I am struggling with this, I listen to positive affirmations, usually from YouTube, to help me focus on positive thoughts. I also try to recognise the sort of words, that I speak to others. I determine if they are negative or toxic and choose the more positive ones. When you are hurting pouring out your heart and hurt to a counsellor, coach or friend is much needed. However, what I am talking about here, is the normal everyday thoughts and conversations that I may have that brings me down and make me feel burnt out.
Recognise within yourself, any alienation you feel from work-related activities or at home. If you are experiencing burnout, you may view your job or home life as increasingly stressful and frustrating. You even may grow cynical about your working/living conditions and with people. Recognise when you begin to feel emotional distance and begin to feel numb about life in general. Recognise any physical symptoms like chronic stress that may lead to physical symptoms, like headaches and stomach-aches or intestinal issues. Admit when you are emotionally exhausted when you are feeling drained, unable to cope with lack of energy. Recognise your reduced performance and stop pushing yourself. Burnout mainly affects everyday tasks. When once the tasks were pleasurable and doable- now they are insurmountable as mountains! Individuals with burnout feel negative about the simplest of tasks, having much difficulty concentrating. If you are creative, then that will slowly drain away as well.
Reverse.
Reverse the damage by seeking support and managing stress- this is what we are doing here now. This can be done without help or support, but I can tell you, it’s the more painful and slower way to go. Having someone else perspective is helpful and help you to see things that you have not picked up on yet. If you feel you would like further support through counselling or coaching, please contact me. Details of How to get in touch with me is found in the top menu on my home page.
Resilience
The dictionary definition or resilience is as follows- the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness.
Resilience is the key in gaining confidence in yourself by learning to recognize and appreciate your own resilience. You say ‘Oh but I have no resilience at alI! - I say- Nonsense! You are more resilient than you know and its matter of uncovering it, strengthening it while gaining more resilience to live a life without burn -out.
Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health. Learn something new every day about yourself and how to deal with burnout. The internet is awash with wonderful information with all things to do with mental health. Take time out every 45 mins-60 mins to give your mind a rest and make your body move.
I offer Mindfulness Solution-based therapy that helps with developing personal resilience. Sometimes people who are working through tough situations just need to be reminded of how strong they really are. This therapy focuses on your strengths instead of your weaknesses by reminding you to think of and appreciate how you cope with your difficulties, by asking questions like “How have I managed to prevent things from becoming worse?”
Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It is a particular inner strength that we all have to some measure.
Celebrate Your Achievements!
Be mindful of your accomplishments. If you are like me, as a perfectionist we can be very hard on ourselves. To help me with this, I keep a daily record of the tasks that I have done because I sometimes have the feeling that I have not accomplished a lot. So, it is a reminder to me of exactly what I did do. I also am mindful how resilient I was to any challenge I faced in the day. I also write down what I did and record my strengths and how I overcame the channelled what I felt. Give your self a pat on the back and treat yourself to something special!
Thank you for visiting me here and being part of the community Moon Rose Mindfulness is a community of courageously learning to create an independent, meaningful, and healthy lifestyle. If this post was helpful to you, I would love to hear from you.
Feel free to contact me if you need support or share any thoughts you may have. I look forward to your next visit here and remember. Your Best Life is Yet to Come!
