It’s Time to Bounce Back: How to Deal With Burnout

 Riya Mital

Does nothing seem to be going your way? Do you feel tired all the time? Like all you want to do is curl up in bed and do nothing? Like lately your productivity has been tanking? Don’t worry! We have all been there. Chances are, you are experiencing some form of burnout—a very relatable (and frustrating) problem. So how do you get out of the funk? Here are a couple ways!

✨ Start small

You do not need to do it all at once. A common mistake people make is trying to just do everything all at once—whether they simply just want to get it over with or whether they want to force themselves into routine again. Start off small by incorporating things you used to do…slowly. For example, if you usually workout for an hour and haven’t been able to lately, try doing a quick 20 minute workout to ease yourself back into it. If you have an assignment due, do it in bite-sized pieces which will feel much more manageable. 

☕️ Push and Reward

This next tip is a great system for getting things done. The “push” comes from literally pushing yourself for a limited amount of time or getting a task done. If you’re feeling burnt out, it’s going to take more time than usual and be annoying, but that’s the push of the system.

“Reward” comes from giving yourself a little treat after—this can come in many forms: watching an episode of a show, eating a treat (i.e. doing things that bring you joy). This will give you positive reinforcement and motivate you to get more tasks done later on.

🌄 Rejuvenate 

This goes hand in hand with your reward. How you reward yourself is very important. Of course, if you feel very tired, sometimes laying in bed and doing nothing can be just the thing you need.

However, if this doesn’t seem to be working, you might need something different. Try doing something a bit more active. I love to just go for a walk outside as that’s one of my favorite ways to relax without feeling lethargic after. This will help you clear your mind and hopefully get more work done after rather than just laying in bed.

📖 Find an Escape

This one is something that can be incorporated in everyday life. Now, this doesn’t mean literally pack up and leave when you’re feeling stressed. This means to find a hobby that takes your mind off stress in your life. It could be a range of things like playing a sport, drawing, etc. Having a hobby that you set aside some time for will help you find peace and get you out of your funk.

📝 Take preventative measures

This last step is more geared towards how to prevent yourself from burning out often. Along with finding a hobby to take your mind off it, here are a few ways to prevent burnout.

• Have designated ‘do-nothing days’ (or even allot time in your agenda specifically to relax). Set aside these days to do things you like, relax, and recharge so that you can continue working without feeling so tired all the time.
• Reach out to your loved ones! Sometimes in the craziness of our lives, we forget to talk to the people who matter to us. Try doing intermittent check-ins with people you like to talk to. This will help you not only get your mind off things, but also give you an energy boost.
• Incorporate healthy practices in your daily life instead of only when you experience burnout. Burnout can be prevented if you take small steps everyday to do so. Make sure to set aside even five minutes for yourself a day in order to stop yourself from completely running out of gas.

Burnout can be inevitable, but that does not make it impossible to tackle. For anyone experiencing burnout, know that it is okay and you will make it out of this funk.