Have you recently felt unproductive at work? Have you lost your energy for your tasks or personal life and become more annoyed and impatient than normal? Then, you might wonder how to recover from burnout. Let’s talk about the definition, signs, stages, and ways of burnout recovery.
What Is Burnout?
Burnout is long-term work stress. In 2019, the World Health Organization recognized it as an occupational phenomenon. According to the organization, burnout manifests as feeling drained, mentally pulling away from one’s job, and not being able to get anything done.
The Employee Mental Health Report in 2024 found that 44% of 1,405 U.S. workers feel burned out, 45% feel emotionally drained, and 51% feel “used up” by the end of the workday [1].
7 Burnout Symptoms
Studies on burnout have shown that it can affect mood, performance, and overall health [3]. That’s why it’s important to recognize the signs of burnout and deal with them before they get worse. Here are seven signs to be on the lookout for:
1. You’re Emotionally Exhausted
You used to get excited about your workday. Now, simply thinking about work sucks energy from you. By the time you get home, you’ve got nothing left to offer your family or your friends. That’s emotional exhaustion, a major indicator of burnout.
Does this sound like you? Take the Emotional Intelligence Test to find out more about how you handle emotions. When you’re tired or disconnected, understanding your emotions can help you find your way back.
2. Your Performance and Productivity Have Decreased
You were the one everyone counted on, but now the deadlines are a blur, the work isn’t up to your usual standard, and focusing on anything is a battle. You just can’t seem to keep your attention on anything.
Sound familiar? Even your favorite aspects of the work can become something you fear due to burnout. The tasks that once excited you and gave you a sense of achievement have turned into boring chores that drain your energy. They become things you actively avoid.
3. You Lack Quality Sleep
Your mind and body are always stressed out when you’re burned out. This, in turn, can mess with your sleep and make it harder to get rest. Here are some signs that you aren’t getting quality sleep:
1. Having trouble falling asleep
Burnout-related stress and anxiety can keep your mind racing, making it difficult to relax at night. As a result, you may spend hours lying in bed thinking about work.
2. Inadequate Sleep
Because it may be the cause of restless or disrupted sleep, and also even if you can fall asleep. You may feel like you haven’t slept well, or wake up during the night, leaving you feeling worn out the following day.
3. Getting Up Too Early
You might wake up earlier than usual due to your body’s stress response, even if you haven’t gotten enough sleep.
4. A Rise in Fatigue
When burnout continues, your body finds it hard to bounce back. You might experience persistent fatigue as a result.
4. Your Physical Health Has Worsened
You’re always tired and getting sick, even if you sleep well. The reason is stress that makes your immune system weak, causing more illnesses and things like headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, or back pain [4].
5. You’ve Become More Cynical, Negative and Irritable
In the past, you enjoyed helping clients or colleagues, but now you get irritated when someone asks for help. Even small annoyances can trigger frustration or anger, making you wonder, “Do I have anger issues?”. Burnout may also cause mood shifts, where one minute you’re feeling okay, and the next, you feel overwhelmed or tearful, thinking, “Why do I feel sad for no reason?” [5].
6. You Feel Inadequacy or Self-Doubt
Even with consistent effort, burnout can warp your perception, making you feel perpetually inadequate. You start to believe you’re not accomplishing enough or that you lack the necessary skills. This leads to persistent doubt in your job performance and feeling like a failure.
7. You Became Detached or Distant
Because of burnout, you start to feel disconnected from your work, responsibilities, and even your friends and family. You feel like you’ve checked out even when you’re physically present but mentally and emotionally you’re disengaged, thinking, “I don’t know what to do with my life.”
At work, you feel nothing about the outcomes. You’re going through the motions without feeling excited, sad, or invested in the results.
You start to avoid social situations because you just don’t feel like talking or hanging out. As burnout gets worse, you can pull back even more and prefer to be alone because you just don’t have the energy to engage. For instance, because socializing feels excessive, you skip social gatherings or cancel plans with friends.
What are the Five Stages of Burnout?
Job burnout builds up gradually, and you might experience it in five stages:
1. Honeymoon Phase
The honeymoon phase often occurs when we change jobs or take on new challenges in the old workplace. At this point, we are still full of energy and optimism and feel the need to show our best. It is characterized by unawareness that something is wrong. At this stage, it is just some dissatisfaction or concern that doesn’t raise suspicion.
The most common symptoms of burnout in the early stages are:
- Desire to readily take on responsibility
- Stable energy level
- Constant vigilance and a sense that something is wrong, but ignoring it
- Desire to prove yourself and go beyond your own capabilities
- Increased energy, as if you are on an adrenaline rush
2. Onset of Stress
The second stage of burnout has more obvious symptoms. It usually begins with the realization that some days are harder than others. Employees usually struggle to focus during these difficult days and worry about incomplete tasks. Their physical and mental health starts to suffer as a result of all of this, and things only get worse with time.
The following are a few of the most typical signs of stage two:
- Anxiety
- Difficulty making decisions
- Changes in appetite
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- Raised heart rate and headaches
- Lack of sleep
- Irritability
- Trouble focusing
- Even small tasks seem like too much
3. Chronic Stress
If you are constantly under stress, you will gradually move into the stage of chronic stress. It will rob you of the ability to concentrate, which will seriously reduce your productivity and performance. In turn, you will begin to feel powerless and unworthy, losing control over everything you do. You will also feel pressured to complete daily tasks to the point where you feel like you need to escape from your obligations. All of this can lead to feelings of incompetence.
Some of the symptoms of the chronic stress phase are:
- Anger or aggressive behavior
- Apathy
- Exhaustion
- Increased caffeine consumption
- Resentment
- Social isolation
4. Burnout
This happens when all of these symptoms start to happen too often and are even accepted as normal. These symptoms could, however, result in mental and physical issues that lower quality of life if they continue for an extended length of time.
The following are some of the most typical signs of the burnout stage:
- Feeling empty
- A pessimistic outlook on work and life
- Physical symptoms like headaches and low immunity
- Lack of self-confidence
- Complete neglect of personal needs
- The desire to quit your job or withdraw from friends/family
5. Habitual Burnout
In the final stage, job burnout becomes part of your daily life, affecting your health. You might experience chronic headaches, depression, or constant fatigue and feel it impossible to overcome burnout. Habitual burnout usually requires medical help because it is difficult to cope with alone.
The main symptoms of habitual burnout include:
- Chronic sadness
- Depression
- Chronic physical and mental fatigue
How Long Does It Take to Recover from Burnout?
Research from 2021 shows that most people with short-term stress bounce back within a few months, usually around 3 months [5]. However, in severe burnout cases, it can take over a year to recover. Some studies have found that people with severe burnout still haven’t fully recovered even after 4 years [6].
It depends on how long you’ve been experiencing chronic workplace stress, how well you take care of your physical and mental health, and the lifestyle changes you make. With self-care, time management, professional help, and regular breaks from stressors, burnout recovery can happen faster.
6 Ways to Beat Burnout
It may take time, but taking small steps each day can help you get back your energy:
- Admit that there is a problem, and it needs to be solved. You can also listen to yourself and try to understand what exactly the problem might be: an unfavorable atmosphere and relationships with colleagues, excessive workload and insufficient dedication, high demands that you make on yourself.
- Maintain a work-life balance. Pay attention to whether you have other significant areas, an activity you enjoy, whether you get enough sleep and physical activity, and how things are with nutrition. The sphere of communication is also important.
- Pay attention to what is within your direct control at work. Switch to rest mode–take short breaks with a change of activity, and do not neglect your lunch break.
- Try stress reduction relaxation techniques and choose those that suit you. To relax, consider deep breathing, mindfulness, or massage. Also, to your environment to reduce stress.
- Make small changes to your environment: To help you feel less stressed and more at ease, think about changing something around you. Your first steps might be to rearrange your workspace or get away from people or situations that drain you.
- Choose healthy eating, and improve sleep: Good sleep is key for the recovery process, helping you recharge. Finally, balanced meals give you the energy to take on the day without relying on caffeine or junk food, which can make burnout worse [7].
If you find it challenging to stick to routines or building a new habit feels like something impossible, the Breeze app has got you covered. With its Personalized Routines, tracking your consistency and — most importantly — staying consistent is much easier. For instance, you can now track how much physical exercise you do weekly and increase your active time gradually.
How to Cope with Burnout When You Still Have to Work?
Sometimes, you just can’t take a break from work, even when you’re dealing with burnout. So, you have to find ways to manage it while still working:
- Prioritize your tasks: To make work more manageable, first identify the most critical tasks. Then, prioritize those. Instead of aiming for perfection in everything, focus on completing the essential parts. This will prevent you from feeling overloaded.
- Practice taking breaks to work out: Stretch or walk around to reset. According to a 2019 study, physical activity can help reduce stress and protect against it [8].
- Delegate when possible: Don’t hesitate to ask for help. When possible, assign tasks to team members who are capable of taking over.
- Keep in touch: Ask friends or coworkers for support if you’re feeling isolated. Keeping up social ties can help cope with burnout.
Emily Mendez, M.S., Ed.S, explained how a person can cope with burnout while still working.
The first step is to recognize that you are burned out. Once you identify how you feel, you can then take steps to reduce burnout. Ask for help from coworkers, your boss, or others. Let them know exactly what you need. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries. Turn down requests for overtime if you feel overwhelmed and need extra time to recharge. Finally, if you have trouble setting limits or asking for help, consider therapy. A therapist can help you make positive changes to lower the amount of work stress you are experiencing.
Final Thoughts
You can recover from burnout and achieve work-life balance if you put your emotional well-being and self-care first, establish healthy boundaries, and seek support from a mental health professional when necessary.
Here, the Breeze app comes in handy. This all-in-one toolkit allows you to learn more about what influences your mood using a mood tracker, play relaxation games after busy days and take science-backed tests on personal growth, self-exploration, and more.
FAQ
1. How long do you need off for burnout?
Most people with short-term stress recover within a few months, usually around 3 months. However, in severe burnout cases, recovery can take over a year. Some people with severe burnout haven’t fully recovered even after several years.
2. What is the last stage of burnout?
Habitual Burnout is the last stage of burnout. You become so emotionally and physically worn out that it becomes a normal part of your life. This stage often requires professional intervention to recover.
3. Can you still work with burnout?
We asked Emily Mendez, M.S., Ed.S, if you still can work with burnout.
Yes, you can still work with burnout, and many people have no choice but to do so. However, it can affect your work performance and mental well-being. You can address burnout while working in many ways. For one, set clear limits on your work vs. personal time. Prioritize sleep; don’t sacrifice it to work more. Communicate with your boss on what things you need.
4. How do I know if I’m burnt out?
To understand if you’re burnt out, look for persistent exhaustion, even after rest. Notice increased cynicism or detachment from work and a decline in productivity. If you frequently feel drained, negative about work, struggle to concentrate, or experience physical symptoms, burnout is likely.
Sources
- Matt Gonzales. Here’s How Bad Burnout Has Become at Work. April 2024.
- World Health Organization. Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International. Classification of Diseases. May 2019.
- Sergio Edú-Valsania, Ana Laguía, Juan A Moriano. Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement. February 2022.
- Salvagioni DAJ, Melanda FN, Mesas AE, González AD, Gabani FL, Andrade SM. Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. October 2017.
- Arno van Dam. A clinical perspective on burnout: diagnosis, classification, and treatment of clinical burnout. April 2021.
- Vita Ligaya Dalgaard. Cognitive impairments and recovery in patients with work-related stress complaints – four years later. April 2021.
- Bo S, Fadda M, Fedele D, Pellegrini M, Ghigo E, Pellegrini N. A Critical Review on the Role of Food and Nutrition in the Energy Balance. April 2020.
- Schultchen D, Reichenberger J, Mittl T, Weh TRM, Smyth JM, Blechert J, Pollatos O. Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating. January 2019.
Was this article helpful?
