I don’t know what it is about me, but every time I start anything new, I get burnt out quickly. I love it for the first few weeks or months and then I get sick of it. It is so annoying because I really do like what I am doing, but I never seem to have the motivation after a few months. I realized what I was feeling was burnout. After doing some research and over analyzing my own life, I finally figured out a practical way of how to deal with burnout.
Why are you experiencing burnout?
If you are experiencing burnout in your life, you will most likely fall into one of two categories: either you aren’t enjoying your life or you are enjoying it too much.
You aren’t enjoying what you’re doing
If you fall into this category, I am going to be honest here and tell you that it isn’t fun. It is definitely easier to deal with this burn out over something small like a hobby or sport. But, for those of you burnt out about a job, school or anything more permanent, it becomes a lot harder to get back on your feet and feel 100% about what you are doing.
However, if that is the case, don’t worry. I have one easy solution for you to be able to combat your burnout and keep killing it at life! Keep on reading in the solution steps for the best ways to defeat this burnout.
You are enjoying what you’re doing (probably too much)
While this might sound a little counterintuitive, you can actually experience burnout from something that you are enjoying a little too much. You become so involved and engaged in what you are doing that you overdo it. You overanalyze everything and obsess over the same things every single second. Eventually, that takes a toll on you.
While it started with you enjoying your life so much that you never wanted to stop, now you are sick of what you are doing and are just wishing for something different. Although this type of burnout is easier to deal with, it is just as problematic as the first if you don’t do anything about it.
How to deal with burnout
Alright, so hopefully you have narrowed down what type of burnout you are experiencing. If not, that’s all good too! Many times, you may actually be experiencing both types of burnout anyway. Regardless, keep on reading to learn exactly how to deal with burnout.
You aren’t enjoying what you’re doing
If you think you fall into this category, the best (and easiest) way to deal with your burnout is to find the source. If you are experiencing burnout at school, is there something specific causing this feeling? Is it a certain type of assignment or a specific person that evokes this feeling? Is it just the thought of a too-structured, repetitive day?
Whatever it may be that is causing your burnout, recognize it and then you can work to solve it. And if you aren’t quite sure exactly what it is that causes your burnout, that’s okay too. Because sometimes it is just the entire activity or job or hobby in general.
To combat this burnout, think long and hard back to when you first started the activity. If you are serious about learning how to deal with burnout, sit down with some paper and a pen and write down your answers to these questions.
Questions:
- What was the best thing you remember feeling when you were doing the activity causing your burnout? (answer with a single word or phrase of a feeling/emotion). What event caused this feeling? (answer with as many specific details as you can remember).
- Why did you start this activity in the first place? What made you say yes when deciding? (if you didn’t have a choice in starting, write that down instead)
- When you first started, what is something you thought you would gain from doing this activity? (examples: money, knowledge, experience, friendships, etc.)
Answering these questions can help remind yourself about the “good” of whatever you are trying to learn to love again. Especially if you wrote down your answers, that’s a great resource to use whenever you experience burnout.
Another thing I have recently started doing is writing down my “why” when I start something new. For example, when I started this blog, I wanted to make sure I didn’t hate it after a few months. So, on the first day, I wrote in my journal about why I am doing this. That way, if I ever feel discouraged, I can look back and remember why I need to keep going.
Instead of focusing on everything you hate about what you are doing and your situation, look for the positives. Even something that may seem little or insignificant can make the biggest of differences. I know this sounds easier said than done, but just give it a try. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish with a positive mindset.
You are enjoying what you’re doing
The solution to this type of burnout tends to be slightly easier than the other kind. Just to repeat what I said before, if you are enjoying what you’re doing but still feeling burnt out, you are most likely just overdoing it. In that case, I have one solution for you: rest.
Rest does not have to mean taking a week off of work just to sit and watch Netflix all day. To combat this burnout, rest would be considered doing anything other than what you are burnt out about. If that sounds confusing, think about it this way. If you’re burnt out from school, try going on a hike or reading a book. While you might not typically consider these activities “rest,” they are exactly what you need in a situation like this.
Instead of looking at rest as physically giving your body a break, think about this as a mental rest. These types of activities are a rest for your mind from whatever you are making yourself crazy over. The whole reason you are burnt out is because you aren’t giving yourself a break. So, let yourself think about something else once in a while and you will see a world of a difference.
What I do
In my life, I like to give myself rest time every Saturday. On this day, instead of doing stuff for my blog, or school, or my job, I take some time instead to do my Weekly Refresh. While this does not take the entire day, I am able to give myself a break from everything else for an hour or two.
With busy lifestyles, rest is sometimes not an option and that is completely understandable. Try your hardest to give your mind a break at least once a day if possible. Even a little bit once in a while will help you overcome your burnout.
In both cases…
Remember that burnout is normal and completely okay to feel. The most important thing is to take the necessary steps to keep going and learn to love your life again!
If you need some motivation to overcome your burnout, check out these inspiring (and funny!) letter board quotes!
