How to Recover from Feeling Burned Out & Still Pursue Your Goals

Once we get beyond the giddy excitement of new year’s resolutions and setting goals. Then the reality of real life sets in. And it can often feel as if we’ll never reach those goals. And then, we roll around to the end of the year and we wonder what happened to our goals. What adds to the frustration of that is realizing that not only have the winter blues threatening to settle in again, but we’re burned out. That’s why it’s important to be reminded that you can pursue your goals and still learn how to recover from feeling burned out.

What you have to be willing to do is to return to the basics of self care. And soon you’ll discover that not only will you be on the path to recovering from feeling burned out. You’ll discover you have the zest – and energy – to pursue your goals with gusto.

Want to know how to recover from feeling burned out?

Here’s six of my (seemingly simple) (yet powerful) tips.

One – You Need to Watch Your Mouth (and Thoughts)

Want to know one of the causes of feeling burned out? Thinking about feeling burned out. What makes it even worse is complaining about feeling burned out. Constantly. It’s as if you’re taking your overwhelmed, negative thoughts and not only breathing life into them. You’re giving them legs!

So, one of the keys to learning how to recover from feeling burned out is to shift your thoughts. Yes, allow yourself to acknowledge that you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed in the moment, and then shift your thoughts to a solution rather than the problem. (Complaining is ALL about focusing on the problem!)

If this sounds super hard, then prepare yourself by creating some go-to mantras or solutions to repeat to yourself when those thoughts arise. Personally, I like taking pen to paper and brainstorming a list of better thoughts and actions I can take when I think about feeling overwhelmed or burned out.

Two – And Watch What You Put in Your Mouth

There’s nothing like a glass of wine and a good meal at the end of a stressful day. But there’s a big difference between having a nice dinner and numbing your stress with food or liquor. Unfortunately, burnout can cause you to swap out good habits for bad ones, which creates a vicious cycle. On the flip side of that, dieting to extreme often leads to feeling burned out.

Though it sounds like a cliché, if you want to know how to recover from feeling burned out, examine what you put in your mouth. Bad habits of overindulging, lots of processed foods, and numbing with alcohol can exacerbate burnout. And adhering to a strict of fad diet, even one that’s touted as “healthy” can cause you to feel burned out as well.

Your body and mind need to be fueled with good, whole foods. And adequate hydration. That means you need to eat meals that are made of whole foods rather than processed foods. And water over booze, wine, and caffeinated drinks. Of course, I’m not saying cut out all sweets, coffee, or wine. It’s all about moderation.

If you need help with this, consider meal planning as a way to both watch what you eat. And relieve the stress of figuring out what to eat.

Three – Get Enough Shut-Eye

I know you’ve heard it before, but you need to get enough sleep. Yes, I know that when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, experiencing insomnia can be one of the side effects. But I’m going to ask you the hard question: are you really unable to sleep or are you sabotaging your sleep?

Just like winding down at the end of the day with a glass of wine feels like it’s helping, numbing out to some mindless television or internet surfing seems like a great solution to feeling burned out. Like food and alcohol, though, it’s all about moderation. And, to be honest, it’s also about timing.

The blue light emanating from your phone and computer can mess with your circadian rhythms, making it harder for you to fall asleep and leaving you feeling slightly jet-lagged in the mornings. If you want to know how to recover from feeling burned out, then you need to create a bedtime routine that doesn’t include television or internet or your phone within an hour of bedtime.

If you find that you’re going to bed early, but waking up hours before your alarm clock, consider setting a non-negotiable standard for yourself. For me, if I wake up anytime after 4 AM, I just get up for the day. Better yet, create a closed decision loop of “if this happens, then I will do this”. For me, if I wake up long before the alarm, my “then” is to head downstairs to my office and get in some time nourishing myself: stretching, reading, meditation, and/or writing in my journal.

Four – Lighten Up

I’m sure I’m not the only one that finds myself feeling super touchy and as if EVERYTHING is super important. And urgent. And needs to be done right this minute. Especially when I’m feeling burned out and overwhelmed. And then, of course, I get in a cycle of feeling more overwhelmed. And more burned out.

So, if you want to learn how to recover from feeling burned out, you’ve got to lighten up. Remind yourself that not everything is do-or-die. Like gratitude, taking an optimistic and lighter view to life helps minimize stress. And, darling, that’s one of the ways to choose being happy over feeling burned out.

Five – Get a Hobby

Did you know that people who suffer from burnout tend to tie their identities more strongly to their jobs? Yes, even if you love what you do, it’s important to have interests outside of work. Socializing with friends is generally considered a good antidote to the drudgery of a working day, but remember that you need friends outside of work to help with work burn out.

Outside of doing things with friends, remember that hobbies like reading, cooking, and fiber arts (like knitting or cross-stitch) can be super relaxing. Just make sure it’s something you want to do and not something you think you should do.

Six – Get Super Clear on What You Want (and Why)

Sometimes, you feel burned out because you’re spending time on things that aren’t really important to you. That’s why it’s important to dive into what you really want. If that question feels too far out there, begin with defining your roles and go from there.

Once you get clear on things you want, then ask yourself WHY. Why do you want to achieve that goal? Diving into your why of what you do and what goals you want to pursue allows you to truly recover from feeling burned out and overwhelmed.

My dear, life is short. And you deserve to spend your time loving life rather than feeling stressed out and burned out.

While these six tips on how to recover from feeling burned out may seem overly simple, that’s the real beauty of them. Solid, simple, practical actions allow you to truly recover. And better yet, they help you create practical solutions and new habits that enable you to protect yourself from future burnout. And that, my dear, is golden.

When you’re not constantly stressed out, overwhelmed, and burned out, then that precious energy and attention of yours can be put towards pursuing those amazing goals of yours.

If you need a personal plan to help you figure out how to recover from feeling burned out and still pursue your goals, one-on-one coaching can help you create your plan.

Sometimes, you need help figuring out how to apply the best tips in YOUR life. If you’re seeking practical advice from someone that’s been there, one-on-one coaching can be a life saver.

Coaching gives you someone to talk through potential pitfalls and solutions to even the stickiest life challenges.

Do you desperately need support around your crazy-busy life? I am taking a select number of new clients. You can find details about packages and pricing here.

Drop me an email at: debra AT debrasmouse.com and we’ll schedule a call to see if we’re a good fit.