Mental burnout happens to the best of us. It is entirely too easy to get wrapped up in the stressful nature of our daily lives and forget to just breathe and relax. You might find yourself feeling exhausted, impatient, unable to experience joy, and even try to seek out ways to escape from whatever is causing you to burn out. So, what can you do to regain your sanity after mental burnout?
1. Stop and Consider What Is Causing Your Mental Burnout
Before you hit the reset button, you need to push pause. Ask yourself questions on what is causing your mental burnout and why. Also, start thinking about how you are responding to your burnout.
As researchers have found, there are different sub-types of burnouts. When you feel overloaded, you might find yourself needing to vent your emotions, while, if you’re experiencing a lack of personal or professional development, you might psychologically disengage from your situation.
Try keeping a written record of your thoughts and feelings. Note when they happen and what is going on in your life at that time. As you go, read back through previous entries and look for connections. Are there particular events or people who correlate with how you feel? The answer might surprise you.
2. Delegate Responsibilities to Others
Whether your mental burnout is happening at home, school, or work, you might need to consider decreasing your number of responsibilities. Which tasks can you delegate to others, and which are better kept for yourself?
This is a crucial turning point in the road to regaining your sanity. Loosening the reins and not trying to control everything allows you to better control the things that you – and you alone – are responsible for.
For example, if you have a co-worker who is able to take on a few of your tasks, don’t hesitate to ask them for help. You don’t have to explain that you’re dealing with a mental burnout, but politely asking for assistance can help you decrease your feeling of being overloaded.
At home, ask your family members or roommates to help out with chores that are overburdening you. Again, you don’t owe them an explanation, but since they live with you, they might have already noticed that you are feeling burnt out.
3. Focus on One Priority at a Time
Slow down. You do not have to do everything at once or rush to get tasks done. Take your time and focus on one priority before moving on to the next, even if you feel pressured to perform quickly at work. Many employers want to do as much as possible with as few employees as necessary, but this can lead to mental burnout and the quality of work suffering.
Try making a list of all your tasks. Identify which ones are the most important, valuable to accomplish, and which will take the greatest amount of effort. Work on the most pressing task first. Once you complete it, move on to the next task.
4. Get Enough Exercise
This might sound cliche, but getting enough exercise is crucial for your mental health. Exercise actually changes your brain’s chemistry by activating several important chemicals: serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, BDNF, and endorphins.
Endorphins are your “feel good” chemicals that provide you with feelings of happiness and contentment. Dopamine provides a greater sense of reward and motivation, while norepinephrine boosts memory functions. Serotonin is also associated with mood and energy levels, and BDNF is responsible for creating new links between neurons, especially in the hippocampus, which is associated with memory.
5. Allow Yourself to Rest
How many hours do you sleep per night? If you’re struggling with mental burnout, you might not be getting enough quality sleep. Sleeping is our body’s time to restore itself to homeostasis. The more stressed out you are, the less you will likely sleep, thereby depriving your body of the time it needs to reset.
Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night, although anywhere between 7 and 9 hours is healthy for most adults. If need be, set an alarm to wake up by. You can even set the alarm on your clock to alert you when you need to get to bed at night.
If anxiety and stress are keeping you up, try finding a relaxation technique that works for you, such as yoga, meditation, or listening to calming music.
6. Take a Break
Worn out at work? Why not take a vacation? Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to take a break. Allowing yourself time to mentally reset is important if you’re feeling burnt out.
If you’re feeling worn out at home, take a weekend away to do some things you’ve been wanting to do. You have the right to choose whether to include your family or ask that they stay behind so you can have time to yourself.
7. Learn the Art of Saying “No”
Taking on too many tasks can lead to overload. If you’re overburdened, you need to start saying “no” when approached with new tasks. You might think you’ll be seen as a disappointment or incompetent by others, but, much of the time, that might be your own self-judgment speaking.
When you feel ready, start selectively saying “yes” to the tasks you know you can reasonably accomplish.
8. Think More Positively
Mental burnout tends to involve a lot of negative thoughts, especially ones directed at oneself. Studies have found that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are both effective at changing negative thought patterns into more positive (and ultimately realistic) ones.
Learning to think more positively takes time and support from others. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and know that it’s okay to open up to others when you’re not thinking as positively as usual.
Final Thoughts
Recovering from mental burnout won’t happen overnight, but you can start making changes any time. Remember, it is okay to slow down, take a break, and say “no” when others ask you to take on additional responsibilities. Start by saying “yes” to yourself!
Image Source: DepositPhotos
