How to Recover from Burnout: 3 steps from a Depression Therapist

Burnout. The word you hope you will never have to say. Inevitably though, you will likely find yourself experiencing at least some of the signs of burnout at one point or another. There are many things that can lead to burnout. What can you do to get out of it? There are three other areas of burnout recovery that I’ll talk about today.

• Processing emotions

• Finding areas of support

• Engaging in rejuvenating activities

The great thing about learning how to recover from burnout is that you can apply it to almost anything! You don’t have to be experiencing full-blown burnout in order to benefit from the steps in how to deal with burnout. These are skills and habits that can benefit everyone, at any time. (They are especially helpful if you’re considering therapy for depression.) Even better, they can be used not only to recover from burnout, but also to prevent it. 

You may have noticed that I already gave a Step 1 in my previous article on recovering from burnout. In that post, I talk about doing a daily check-in to see where you’re feeling most depleted and joyful. Starting with that is often helpful because it doesn’t require a lot of time or energy. Feel free to start wherever it makes sense for you. If the steps below feel too overwhelming to consider, start there instead.

How to recover from burnout Step 1: Find a way to feel your feelings

I haven’t met anyone who relishes feeling all the emotions. Being resentful, disappointed, and irritated sucks. The point is not to say, “Oooo, I can’t wait to dive into my disappointment tonight!” Rather, the goal is to understand that if you don’t process your emotions, they will come out in unpleasant ways. 

So how do you feel your feelings? When burnout strikes - or if you can, before burnout strikes - here are some ways to process your emotions:

• Journaling

• Dancing

• Crying

• Making art or collages

• Creative or contemplative writing

There are any number of things that are uncovered or become more clear when you take time to feel your feelings. A common theme that comes up within burnout is the difficulty in determining your limits. I’ve talked about this in relation to a simple first step of burnout recovery: a daily reflection. Asking yourself when you’re the most worn out and when you’re the happiest can yield a wealth of information. It might also prove confusing to sift through without dedicated time and space to discern. Who can you talk to about what you’re feeling? This brings us to the next step in burnout recovery.

How to recover from burnout Step 2: Areas of support

Part of burnout is overextending yourself. If you’re burning the candle at both ends, it’s likely that you are not getting the support you need. Recovering from burnout requires that you tap into an existing support network, or create new places to get support. Where can you take the tough questions? Who can you talk with about the things you’re wrestling with? Where do you talk about the things that keep you up at night? 

These areas of support could be:

• Spiritual community

• Friends, a partner

• Therapist

• Colleagues

• Supervisor

Your areas of support are likely fluid, and may take some time to revise occasionally. You have likely already found people you trust in your life. Maybe part of your burnout recovery strategy is to seek out the people you used to spend more time with. It could also be helpful to consider adding new areas of support. Has your supervisor changed? Did one of your closest colleagues move away?

Especially for Highly Sensitive people, therapy and spiritual connections can work really well for burnout recovery. HSPs are well-suited for therapy. It’s a place they can process their complex inner lives, without being hurried and with plenty of space. HSPs tend to find solace and meaning in anything spiritual. Spiritual communities can be both a balm for burnout and a place for connection and support.

How to recover from burnout Step 3: Prioritize activities that rejuvenate

It sounds obvious, but when you’re burned out, these are often the first to go. It’s not just as simple as saying yup, I’ll start my daily yoga routine again! Give yourself some understanding that burnout happens, and that it may take some time to get out of it. You can think of these activities as part of the opposite of burnout.

Again, start with that very first step of burnout recovery, asking yourself where you find joy. What do you love to do? What nourishes you when you are depleted? What gives you energy? Simply keeping the question top of mind will start the ball rolling.

When you’re answering these questions, keep in mind that there’s a difference between distracting yourself and rejuvenating yourself. Things like watching tv can be relaxing, but doing something where you are engaged and getting energy is what we are looking for.

Once you start thinking about all the things you love to do, it’s easier to notice ways to carve out and protect the time to actually do them. You might start or get back into:

• Reading

• Biking

• Having dinner with friends

• Playing with children

• Playing frisbee or the guitar

• Meditating 

• Writing or painting

• Yoga

• Hot baths

Take a minute to thank yourself for giving thought and energy to recovering from burnout. You’re on your way to getting your life back.

About the Author

I’m a therapist who loves helping people recover from burnout.

After receiving my Masters in Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work, I worked in adult outpatient community mental health and as a medical social worker with hospice.

I opened Bronwyn Shiffer Psychotherapy in Madison, WI in part because I listened to my own burnout. I offer telehealth therapy throughout Wisconsin and online therapy in Massachusetts. In addition to depression counseling, I also provide therapy for anxiety and HSP therapy.