How did you overcome your burnout?

Question

Hi!

I recently started feeling close to burning out (or something like that).

I've read a couple of articles on the topic, but I'm curious about the real-life advice and techniques that you've used to prevent and overcome your burnout.

Kolton · Accepted Answer

What helps me avoid it altogether is trying to do what I love every day (apart from work). Getting in a routine, making sure my eating / gut health is dialed in, as well as some form of physical activity + stretching for proper brain function / blood flow (and sunlight as always). Reading non-business books (at least 10-20 pages daily) as a productive way to 'escape' is also great.

A routine with aspects of all of these has me working at maximum happiness / productivity ratio every day and its the best use of my time, which makes me comfortable knowing that everything I do is positively contributing to the overall mission (a flywheel of sorts)

I may be against the grain here as the common advice is to completely stop, but I find if it is something that I truly need to stop doing to let my mental health recover, my gut feeling is that I shouldn't be involved with it regardless

Ste · Answer

Stepping back mentally.

Doing something else to distract yourself (exercise, nature walks, vacations) only works if you're not thinking about what you should be doing.

Give yourself space - this will only benefit your product or what you're working on. It works counter-intuitively because you often might feel guilty for not working 24/7. But in fact, it's the best thing you can do to gain some perspective.
Also, remember you're still at it, doing great, even if you take some time for yourself. Remembering that always helps me.

Anna Mandziuk 🇺🇦 · Answer

@stelian_dobrescu1 Thank you for these encouraging words, Steph! I'm definitely a person who tries to distract myself with anything, but then continues panicking inside about how much stuff is left to do 😰

Anna Mandziuk 🇺🇦 · Answer

@m_kamrani Oof, you got me, my brain is constantly thinking of various bad scenarios and consequences🙃

Anna Mandziuk 🇺🇦 · Answer

@rushikesh_kavathekar It's true! The more I try to live with this exhaustion in the background, the more I feel like my productivity is perishing...

Mohsen Kamrani · Answer

@anna_mandziuk I totally understand what you mean, just gotta be careful! You're a lot more than your goals.

Mohsen Kamrani · Answer

Hi Anna! Please take it seriously.

Just stop, take a break and don't think about any consequences your mind has made up!

I have experienced it first hand and if you push yourself beyond your limit you'll break and the least can happen is that you'll loose your productivity for way longer than what would happen if you had taken a break.

Hope you keep well and know it happens to all of us.

Mario Camús 🤓 · Answer

Hey Anna! 👋🏼

At the beginning of last year I found my ideal and beloved job (or that's what I thought). Several months after I began experiencing burnout.

I had such a bad time wondering what to do... I really liked that job but it was burning me out.

My decision? I quit.

I learned a lot and met super interesting and top people, but in the mid-long run it wasn't worth it...

This being said I am not encouraging you to quit hahah, but not everything is about money or recognition, mental health is also important!

Btw, if you are an entrepreneur, my advice/experience won't be quite helpful to you, but you can try other things like mindfulness, exercising and getting out of your bubble work as much as possible meeting with friends, family, etc.

I hope you overcome that burnout soon, and if you need someone to talk to, count on me :)

Rushikesh Kavathekar · Answer

Yes, Nobody likes to talk about it a decade ago. Even our previous generation doesn't talk about Burnout in their jobs. But, we really want to talk about it as it affects our work productivity negatively. 
Personally, I like to differentiate burnout into two sets:
1) High: Long working hours and a lot of failures in the current stage- In this phase, I meet my friends who are with me from my childhood and who know me from the real core and plan a trip with them.
2) Low: Maybe It just feels like exhaustion, in this case, I just talk with my professors and teachers from my graduate school.

WJ · Answer

@kmkmkm  "...is trying to do what I love every day (apart from work)". Great. Helps to keep the distance.

Anna Mandziuk 🇺🇦 · Answer

@mariocamus Thank you so much, Mario, for telling your story! It helps to feel less alone in the problem🥰

I hope that nowadays you're doing something that causes only positive emotions:)

Anna Mandziuk 🇺🇦 · Answer

@kmkmkm Thanks, Kolton, such a wise breakdown! I especially relate to the last sentence. I feel like often people can harm themselves by being in not-so-good situations because they feel like it's a good opportunity, great for future etc.

How did you overcome your burnout?

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