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Horrible! That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think back to the period when I was at home with a burnout. And I have been at home for a long time… I have been at home in a daze for at least 1 year and it also took me 1 year to regain some strength. Don’t be shocked immediately! Fortunately, it doesn’t take that long for everyone, some people are back on their feet after a few months.
In the end I recovered and if I succeed, you can too! For I was quite far gone; Taking a shower felt like a victory, some days I didn’t even dare to go shopping, I felt intensely sad and unhappy: I wanted my life back so badly. I really had the feeling that things were never going to be okay again. But it turns out: it turned out fine and I now even dare to say that I am happy that this happened to me! Because I learned so much!
Also read: My Journey to Recovery: How I Ultimately Overcame Burnout
I am not the only one in my area who has fallen due to burnout, friends of mine have also experienced the suffering called burnout firsthand. But through my experience, the experiences of my friends and the people I met through Herhealth.nl, I have noticed that we have all done more or less the same things to get back on track at some point.
Below you will find 6 tips to get out of your burnout:
1. Walking
You are probably so tired that you cannot even put one leg in front of the other. And then you are told by others that you should exercise. I remember thinking: “Exercise?! How?!”, but you can probably walk. Every day I dragged myself out the door (at first like a kind of zombie with a sweatsuit and huge bags under my eyes) to go for a walk. Rain or shine, 10 minutes or an hour, I went every day. When you get stronger again, you can start running slowly. Because running has done me and the other ladies I know so much good during this period.
2. Meditation
The restlessness in my head drove me crazy. I couldn’t stop my thoughts, they kept thinking and I really wanted to rest and sleep. At some point I started meditating. Guided mediation via apps on my phone and this helped! These mediation sessions actually calmed me down. Sometimes I had to do the same session three times in a row because I would completely wander off, but in the end it really calmed me down and I even fell asleep.
Also read: How haptotherapy helped me recover from my burnout
3. Acceptance
This sounds so obvious, but it is so very important! Only when you accept that you are ill can you work on your recovery. I remember well how I constantly set new goals: “I have to be better again in 2 months.” or “I definitely have to be back at work in September.” This really doesn’t help, because you are disappointed that your goals have not been achieved and you also put time pressure on yourself (again, strict on yourself).
First accept that you have taken on too much, that this did not happen overnight and that there is nothing you can do about it. Accept that you simply have a burnout and that you will not simply recover from it. You need time to get back to yourself and your body will indicate how much time it needs for this.
4. Be kind to yourself
You have probably been very strict with yourself for a long time, otherwise you would not be in this situation. That’s why now is the time to be kind to yourself. By the way, it is necessary because otherwise you will not get better. Give yourself permission to rest and recover. You really don’t have to feel guilty! You never wanted this either, but you just kept going. Treat yourself to a day in the sauna (I really enjoyed it), give yourself a massage, buy yourself a nice book. It’s time to start taking care of yourself.
Also read: Overcoming Burnout: How to Rebuild Confidence in Your Recovery Journey
5. Learning to feel
Something didn’t go quite right along the way, otherwise you wouldn’t be in this situation. You probably just moved on. Were you a little sick? Don’t whine and just keep going. Did anyone need help? You were there for the other. Did something need to be done at work? You made sure you got to the office nice and early and were the last to leave; sleeping is for wimps. Parties or other social occasions? You were there, no matter how tired you felt. You’re just freaking out.
Your body must have sent out signals. It must have felt very tired, felt nauseous, felt short of breath, had a headache or been sick a lot, but you didn’t listen to that. No, you just carried on. Therefore, learn to feel now. You can do this through mediation or yoga. Listen to your body’s signals. Are you tired? Go to sleep, even if it is during the day. You don’t have to feel guilty, you’re not lazy. Surrender to your body.
6. Take care of yourself
Although I can imagine that it is difficult to even put food on the table, it is extremely important to eat healthy. Your body needs energy. So try to eat a lot of fruit and eat a lot of vegetables with your evening meal. Take care of your body and give it the energy it needs.
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