Burn out is real, and in most cases, it’s not something that one could recover from in just one weekend. 

Let’s do a quick self-check. Are you feeling the following? 

• lowered motivation,  

• indifference,  
• cynicism,  
• low productivity but working long hours,  
• weakened immunity,  
• indigestion, and  

• trouble sleeping 

If you said Yes to most of the items above, you are experiencing the symptoms of work burnout. Now that you identified that, what’s next? 

The road to recovery begins with building the right habits and removing the trigger points that put you into that stress cycle. 

Here are a few tips to get you started: 

End the Stress Cycle 

According to the book Burnout by Emily Nagoski PhD amd Amelia Nagoski DMA, one way our body deals with stress is by releasing the hormone epinephrine, the flight or fight hormone. 

This puts us in a state of high blood pressure and high heart rate, which could trap us in a state of emotional stress. 

One way to break out of this cycle is by doing other activities that you enjoy. Doing 20 minutes of moderate exercise, or painting or playing a musical instrument, are ways to tell our brain that we are away from the stress trigger. 

Have a Support Group 

Having someone to talk things out could help break the negative thought patterns. When ranting or unloading, choose someone who could help you process your thoughts, instead of someone who would put more wood into the fire. 

Achieve Work-life Balance 

Set boundaries when it comes to work and avoid overlapping your time for rest/self/family with work life. 

One way to get the equilibrium right on this one is by setting proper expectations for the task at hand and yourself. 

Use facts or details to know if performing the task by the given deadline is feasible or not. This way you can avoid frustrations and stress when things do not go as you hoped. 

Ditch the Stress-food 

We know that junk food may make you feel good (hence comfort food), but they perpetuate your state of burnout. 

Switch processed food and high sugar treats with healthy eats to give your body the nutrients it needs to repair itself. 

With the pointers above, it should be a good start to get you on that road to recovery. There might be a need to evaluate your situation to identify the real root causes of your stress triggers. 

One sure way to achieve the above items is putting yourself in the right work-culture and Team environment.  

Here in TGT, we provide every Team member the means to achieve work-life balance and healthy mental state through our support venues and reward systems.