Beating Burnout: What Happens When You Finally Stop Running on Empty?
I’ve known I was feeling tired for a long time, but one of the biggest aspects of stopping work and beginning my “future life” has been dealing with burnout.
I’d define burnout as when you’ve given absolutely everything you have to running on empty for too long, leaving you utterly exhausted, emotionally drained, and completely checked out from the things you normally care about.
It’s not until you stop that you realise just how hard you had been running.
Busy, Burnout and Modern Society
I think it’s a symptom of modern society that we glorify “busy” and normalise high-levels of stress.
Most of us are familiar with taking a break, or going on holiday, and after two or three days you get ill. I think that’s because you’ve given your body permission to stop, and it finally tells you just how knackered you were!
Now, imagine that scenario, times ten, when you step away from work for a prolonged period and let your body know that it doesn’t have to run that hard ever again!
And now that I’ve stopped, and I can see the problem from the outside, I’m very much reminded of the “This is fine” meme.
According to the annual Burnout Report published by Mental Health UK, a staggering 91% of adults reported experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure and stress.
I can tell you firsthand that burnout isn’t just a mental state; it has a massive physical, systemic toll on your body. I think true burnout hides deep in your bones, and no amount of short breaks or “early nights” easily fixes it.
That’s just one of the reasons I didn’t do anything even vaguely “work-like” (even things I enjoy, like writing this blog) for six months after stepping away. I wanted to resist the urge to go back to familiar activities, and instead focus on resting.
The Cure For Burnout
One of the best resources I have found for tackling burnout is the book The Cure For Burnout: Build Better Habits, Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life by Emily Ballesteros.
In the book, Ballesteros outlines five areas in which you can build healthy habits.
- Mindset
- Personal care
- Time management
- Boundaries
- Stress management
The book is aimed at those who are suffering burnout and yet still need to keep going (which is most of us), and Ballesteros offers clear and simple tools to help you find greater balance, energy and fulfilment in both your personal and professional life.
I actually went on to do Emily’s Burnout Bootcamp course, which elaborates and reinforces the ideas in her book. If you’re tired of waking up tired, or dreading the day ahead of you, then I’d highly recommend this course.
Conclusion
Burnout is something that a huge number of us are now dealing with. It’s more than needing a break. I believe it’s a negative symptom of modern society.
Overcoming burnout doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly isn’t about finding a quick fix so you can jump back into the meat grinder. I think it’s about fundamentally changing your relationship with how you live, work and manage boundaries around your own energy.
I’m a lifelong high achiever, so when I started my “future life”, stepping away and giving myself the good grace to simply exist for six plus months was one of the most challenging but rewarding things I’ve ever done.
So, if you are reading this and nodding along because you feel that deep, bone-weary exhaustion right now, then please know you don’t have to wait for a major life event or transition to start reclaiming yourself.
I’d recommend starting small, setting a boundary and looking after your personal care. Give your body permission to stop running. Trust me, your future self will thank you for it!
As always, I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts. Do feel free to get in touch.
