An endless day-to-day grind can feel like an unwinnable race that leaves you physically drained, emotionally detached and mentally scattered. Sound familiar? When exhaustion becomes your baseline, that should be an urgent signal to reset.
Making intentional changes focused on overall well-being can help restore your energy, reclaim focus and build resilience against stress. Keep reading for simple, actionable steps so you can fix burnout naturally, once and for all.
How to Recognize Burnout
Recognizing the subtle cues your body gives you can help pinpoint areas where small but meaningful changes can make a big difference. Burnout may look different for different people, but common signs are often physical, mental or emotional.
- Physically: Tension, feelings of tiredness, or lack of motivation.
- Emotionally: Burnout may manifest as irritability, moodiness, or detachment from yourself and your environment – in more severe cases, one may experience intense feelings of hopelessness.
- Mentally: You might notice a reduction in focus, making everyday tasks feel difficult or even impossible.
If you’re experiencing these feelings, don’t despair. Simple adjustments to different lifestyle factors may be all you need to consider before you regain your balance. Reach out to friends and family for support along the way, seek professional medical help when needed.
Nourish Your Body for Resilience
Your body requires consistent energy and can thrive with a nutrient-dense, balanced diet. Thoughtful nutrition is an essential part of physical resilience and quick recovery.
Principles inspired by the Weston A Price and Paleo diet systems emphasize high-quality protein and fat from grass-fed or pastured animal sources, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and properly prepared ancestral carbohydrates.
Sometimes you might need an extra boost, even with a healthy balanced diet. This is where adaptogens come in. Adaptogens are plant-based compounds that help your body restore balance, for example:
- Shilajit: Supports mitochondrial function and promotes healthy hormone balance to combat fatigue and support energy levels bringing more vitality, endurance and focus.
- Rhodiola: An herb known for its ability to improve focus and reduce stress-induced burnout, featured in Choq’s Action 2.0.
- Holy basil: Revered in Ayurvedic medicine for promoting healthy cortisol (a stress hormone), stimulating the nervous system, and combating stress-induced fatigue.
Restoration Through Exercise and Mindfulness
When burnout takes over, your body and mind crave rest and active restoration. Combining gentle exercise with mindfulness practices creates a powerful antidote against chronic stress, which often amplifies the mental chatter that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and distracted.
While you might feel too drained for a vigorous workout, gentle physical activity can be remarkably restorative. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Light resistance training
- Stretching
- A short 10-15 minute walk
Daily movement can improve your mood, increase circulation, aid healthy digestion, and clear your mind. The key is to choose nourishing activities that stimulate an endorphin release of your body’s “feel-good” hormones, like dopamine, to provide a physical and emotional uplift.
If independent mindfulness practices and exercise routines feel intimidating, apps and guided videos can help to provide structure. Online resources can support your journey with a number of style options and time commitments as low as five minutes.
Connect with Nature
Nature is a powerful tool for combating burnout, offering a combination of physical, mental and emotional benefits. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reiterates that exposure to natural environments lowers cortisol and decreases heart rate. Known as the biophilia hypothesis, this phenomenon promotes healing and relaxation and can be activated by spending as little as 20 minutes outdoors.
You could combine physical activity with time in nature by taking your low-exertion cardio outside in the woods or a local park. If you’re looking for a no-movement way to unwind, reading a book in a park, sitting by a pond, or enjoying your morning coffee on a balcony surrounded by plants are easy ways to incorporate time in nature into your regular routine. By making time for nature, you tap into its healing power and create space for renewal.
Set Boundaries to Reclaim Balance
While all these techniques are effective at preparing your body and building your mental resilience for burnout, they ultimately do not address the source of the problem. Burnout often occurs in the absence of boundaries, explains Dr. Susan Biali Haas, MD, causing you to feel like your responsibilities are endless and your time to recharge is nonexistent.
Most importantly, learning to say no is a non-negotiable. Though admittedly challenging, especially when you’re accustomed to overcommitting for fear of letting others down, this is essential for maintaining your emotional and mental health.
Work is one of the most common areas where boundaries are too easily blurred – whether it’s taking on extra tasks or skipping breaks. Get started by setting boundaries with yourself. Here’s a simple step-by-step to try that will help protect your personal time:
- Create phone-free zones and times.
- Step outside for a walk to signal the end of your workday.
- Communicate these boundaries to your colleagues and avoid answering messages or even looking at your phone outside during device-free times.
Building a healthy work/life balance may also lead to improved sleep hygiene, which is the backbone of physical and mental recovery. Adopting a consistent, post-work routine acts as a signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
Activities like light stretching, journaling or reading a book can help to transition to a restful state. Also, avoid using screens and engaging in heavy exercise for up to three hours before sleeping, explains an article in Neurolaunch, to prevent stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol from interfering with your ability to wind down.
Get that Essential R&R
Burnout is not an insurmountable obstacle, but overcoming it does require intentional effort. Taking the first step is often the hardest, but each positive choice compounds.
Begin with small, manageable changes and track your habits, mood and energy levels to develop the right schedule and practices for you. These are not acts of indulgence; they are essential steps to reclaim balance and energy, which set the stage for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The contents of this article, made available via Choq, are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. The content presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or dietary changes. Reliance on any information provided by this article is solely at your own risk.