How to Overcome Burnout + Free Journal Printable

If you’ve followed Department of Adulting for awhile, you probably noticed I took a sudden break over the past month. The truth is, I felt super burnt out about the blog. I needed to give myself a little time and space from it. While you may or may not have a blog, I’m guessing you’ve also felt burnout before.

In this post, I’ll talk a little about my experience with burnout. I’ll then talk about the causes and effects of burnout. Next, I discuss strategies that experts (and I!) recommend to combat burnout. At the end, I provide a free printable you can use to track your daily mental health. It will also help you identify strategies that help (and harm) your feelings of burnout.

My Experience with Burnout

From May 2023 to January 2024, I spent about 20-40 hours a week on the blog. That was on top of my regular job. Of course I was writing posts. But I was also designing Pinterest pins, posting them on Pinterest, participating daily in blogging Facebook groups, writing guest posts, troubleshooting technical problems with my website, and so much more. Don’t get me wrong, I love (most of) the work.

However, spending my nights and weekends on this passion project was bound to catch up to me. Plus, it’s hard spending so much time on something that hasn’t come with any financial return. It’s easier to prioritize blogging over, say, doing yoga or scrolling through Instagram when there’s a bit of moolah behind it.

So all that time spent on blogging caught up with me during a very busy (and joyful!) time in my life. This winter, I’ve been training for the Boston Marathon, a highly competitive marathon that’s very difficult to get accepted into and that I’m honored to be running in. That training has involved running 40 miles every week for 20 weeks.

I also started a second job as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington. Andrew and I got engaged and started planning a wedding. AND we are trying to buy a house. Needless to say, something needed to take a backseat and the blog was that something.

Taking a break has been a huge relief. I even debated whether I should come back! But I love this blog. So little by little, I’ve worked back into writing.

Causes of Burnout

Experiencing burnout is super common, especially in our fast-paced modern lives. A survey of desk-bound workers found that 40% of workers reported feeling burnt out. Other research studies find that between 30-90% of people surveyed report feeling emotional distress, a loss of energy and motivation, and other common symptoms of burnout.

For many people, chronic work-related stress brings about feelings of burnout. For example, little work-life balance is a risk factor for burnout. Likewise, high job demands and a work environment that offers little social support or personal development can promote burnout. Longitudinal studies have found, for example, that healthcare workers commonly experience burnout, particular during residency, which is an especially stressful period with higher workloads for many training doctors. In contrast, job satisfaction, a supportive working environment, and a balanced work and personal life can mitigate burnout syndrome.

People also experience burnout because of difficulties in their personal lives. For example, caring for loved ones can take a huge toll on caregivers. Receiving little social support from loved ones can also lead to feelings of burnout. 

Broadly, you can think of 6 big causes of burnout, as outlined in the Areas of Worklife model. This model was developed by researchers and informed by a number of relevant studies and clinical experience. In particular, workload, a perceived lack of control, mismatch between work and reward, lack of community, lack of perceived fair treatment, and a mismatch in values can lead to feelings of burnout.

While these causes are often applied to work, they can apply to other areas of life too. For me, workload and low rewards played big roles in my blogging burnout. However, I’ve experienced the other facets of burnout in other jobs.

Effects of Burnout

The World Health Organization now recognizes burnout syndrome as an official diagnosis. This is, in part, because burnout can have a significant effect on your general health. For example, burnout can lead to emotional exhaustion, chronic fatigue, chronic stress, and psychological distress. Indeed, researchers have linked burnout with mental health problems such as depressive symptoms and anxiety disorder. 

In the short- and long-term, stress and mental disorders can wreak havoc on your physical health. For example, they can lead to sleep problems and chronic inflammation. This, in turn, can increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases and other health conditions.

Burnout Types

If you’re interested in assessing your level of burnout, you can use the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). There are different versions of the MBI for social workers, health care workers, students, educators, and for general use. The MBI asks about different dimensions of burnout including exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy to determine your level of burnout. Unfortunately, these tests cost money to take.

You might talk with HR at your company to see whether the MBI could be made available to employees. Alternatively, if paying for this inventory is out of your budget, you can self-reflect on your burnout experience. My guess is that you have a pretty good sense of your level of burnout, even without using scientifically validated burnout measures.

My Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Burnout

We’ve discussed the causes and effects of burnout. However, what can you do to address burnout? Personally, I wouldn’t say I’m out of the woods with my blog  burnout. However, I’m getting there. Plus, I’ve experienced burnout in other areas of my life, like marathon training and getting my PhD. I have found a variety of strategies useful for combatting burnout and recovering from it when I get into the burnout stage.

Some of them may be useful for you during your periods of burnout. Not all of the tips will be relevant for all types of burnout. For examples, some will only be applicable to the workplace or, alternatively, to hobbies, side hustles, and personal activities. 

Schedule Manageable Amounts of Daily Time to Work on Your Goals

The first trick I’ve found useful for preventing and dealing with burnout is scheduling strict and manageable amounts of time to work on the thing that’s burning me out. In my experience, burnout has often come from working too much on something I love, rather than from doing something I don’t love. By limiting the time I spend on that thing, I can work steadily towards my goals while also giving myself space to recover and do other things I love.

It’s a little like working out. If we don’t give ourselves enough recovery time, our bodies can degenerate after a workout rather than becoming stronger. Likewise, if we work out too hard for too long, we can experience injury rather than progress.

In a similar way, we can make the most sustainable and consistent progress towards our goals by scheduling consistent and manageable amounts of time to work towards those goals daily. Once I started experiencing burnout with the blog, I made a goal to work on the blog for 30 minutes a day. That 30 minutes helped me make consistent progress while still being manageable for my time and mental health.

Likewise, while pursuing my PhD, I kept consistent and strict work hours, limiting myself to 8-hour days from 8am-4pm. I found that I made faster and more consistent progress than students who worked endless hours but were rarely very productive during that time because they were exhausted and burnt out.

Consider a Raise, Promotion, or Lateral Move

For many people, burnout results because they are bored at work, not fulfilled, and/or do not feel they are paid enough. Towards that end, once you start feeling burnout, consider whether there are projects, work tasks, or committees that you could take on that would add more interest and meaning to your day.

Run those tasks by your boss to try and get their buy-in and support. Also consider talking with your boss about a promotion or raise if that is of interest. You can check out my guide on asking for a promotion for tips!

If, however, you get little support from management or do not have opportunities to increase the meaning in your work day, perhaps it’s time to consider a lateral move within your company or changing jobs entirely.

Integrate Restorative Exercises Into Your Daily Routine

For many of us, our brains are frantically occupied for much of the day. Work, family, social media, and more mean that our attention is largely focused outward. As a result, we may have little time or space to let our brains rest and turn inward. However, giving ourselves that time is super important.

It’s during those restful moments that we are creative and can recharge. Plus, if your brain has ever raced with anxiety-provoking and unproductive thoughts, you probably need this time to let your brain settle and be in the moment.

There are many great activities that can give you and your brain that time and space to recharge. In particular, I love walks and yoga. Both can allow you to focus on your body and the present. This is especially the case if you pick a yoga routine that is slower and more restorative, sometimes called yin yoga. Likewise, meditation can help train your brain to be less reactive and more relaxed. For some people, jogging can do the trick. For others, listening to music while lying in bed or sitting on the couch or a park bench might be helpful.

Whatever it is, find an activity that lets you relax, turn inward, and quiet your brain. Giving yourself that time may be just what you need to recharge and prevent burnout.

Practice Gratitude

Researchers find that regularly practicing gratitude reduces feelings of burnout, including among health professionals. Consequently, you might consider a daily gratitude practice where you say or write down 3 (or more!) things you are grateful for.

Consider getting a friend or family member involved and sharing the things you are grateful for with one another. Not only will having a partner keep you accountable, hearing about the things they are grateful for may magnify your own feelings of gratitude.

Limit the Screens

Similar to the strategy above, you may find that limiting your screens helps with your feelings of burnout. Researchers find that spending time on social media can have a big negative effect on users’ mental health. Technology also blurs work/life boundaries in ways that make us feel constantly “on.” As a result, your feelings of burnout may result or be worsened by technology.

If you can, try implementing “no screen” rules during certain parts of the day. For example, you might have no screens at mealtimes or during one of the relaxing activities noted above. Or you could make a rule for yourself where if you feel overwhelmed, you step away from your screens for a 10-minute walk, stretch, or meditation.

Get Plenty of Sleep

If you’re anything like me, you become a cranky toddler after a night of little to no sleep. It’s hard to enjoy anything, even the things you love, when you’re short on sleep. Plus, science shows that our decision-making skills massively deteriorate when we have little sleep. In fact, people who have been up for 24 hours straight have a similar level of impairment to people who are drunk!

All of this to say that if you are feeling burnt out and having trouble thinking, you may need to take the very advice you would give a grumpy toddler—take a nap. Or, better yet, work on getting better, more consistent sleep. Most of us need 7-9 hours to operate well.

If you are struggling to get good sleep, check out my tips on sleeping well. These tips helped me overcome my persistent troubles with insomnia.

Fuel Yourself Well

Just as little sleep can turn us into tantrum-y toddlers, having a poor diet or not eating enough can put us into a hangry spiral. If we skimp on meals, we may find that our attention and energy levels dip dramatically. This can make us feel like we’re burnt out when really we just need to eat more.

Being dehydrated and not getting enough protein, iron, and other essential vitamins and minerals can have similarly negative effects on our energy and focus in the short- and long-term. If you’re struggling with energy and focus, try auditing your diet. Are you getting enough calories, protein, and nutrients for your size and activity level? If not, consider changes you can make to improve your diet.

If you are vegetarian, vegan, or experience dietary intolerances, you may be especially at risk of nutrient deficiencies. Indeed, we don’t absorb protein as well from plants compared to animal sources. Likewise, some nutrients, like iron, are better absorbed in combination with other nutrients like Vitamin C. Consequently, you may consider nutrient testing if you struggle with energy, attention, or other persistent health struggles.

Go to Therapy

Going to therapy consistently can also massively help with burnout. A therapist can teach you how to manage difficult feelings, identify what you enjoy and don’t, reflect on things that are giving you anxiety, and more. With the help of a therapist, you may be better able to identify the root causes of burnout and how to address them. Plus, the process of discussing your burnout with another person often does wonders to alleviate those feelings.

If you do not have a health care plan that covers therapy, speaking with a close friend or family member can also help. However, tell your confidante at the outset whether you want them to listen or strategize a solution with you so that you get what you want from the interaction rather than feeling even more frustrated.

Start a Journaling Practice

Many people find that a regular journaling practice can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Similar to a gratitude practice, journaling can help put your feelings into perspective, give you new ways to approach old problems, and reduce feelings of emotional instability. Journaling is especially effective if you get into a habit of writing daily pages. You can write about anything that comes to mind or is taking up a lot of mental space, or you can find daily writing prompts that are specific to burnout. You can find one such example here.

Take a Break

If you’ve tried the strategies above and they haven’t helped enough or if you are feeling depleted, it’s okay and, indeed, important to take a break. A break can help give you space and perspective to decide whether you truly enjoy the activity that’s burning you out and should continue it long-term. There’s a good chance you’ll want to return to the activity after a break. You may even come back with new ideas and energy that supercharge your experience. However, you may decide that that activity no longer fits with your life, and that’s okay too.

Either way, I recommend setting a time when you will reevaluate whether you want to come back to that particular activity. When I took a break from the blog, I initially decided to take a one-week break. After that week, I assessed my feelings and decided that I needed more time, so I gave myself one month until I reassessed my feelings again.

Without a timeline, you may find that a lot of time passes and life has decided for you whether you continue that activity or not. By setting a timeline, you’ll allow yourself to stay in the driver’s seat about your decisions, rather than letting time pass you by.

Printable Burnout Tracking Worksheet

The best way to beat burnout is to catch it early. Once you start noticing your motivation and energy dipping, you can start setting boundaries on your time and engaging in more self-care activities if you haven’t started already. Tracking your mood and activities that make you feel better/worse is one way of catching that burnout early and helping to ensure you’re focusing on cup-filling activities.

Towards that end, I’ve provided a free printable worksheet you can use to track your moods and activities. You can also use it as a jumping off point for a journaling entry or daily practice.

Final Thoughts on Burnout

Experiencing burnout is super common. As frustrating and demoralizing as it can be to experience burnout, it’s also often a sign that you have been working very hard for a long time. Acknowledge your effort and know that you can take a break without giving up on yourself and your passions. If anything, allowing yourself to take a break can show your confidence that you’ll continue with your passion in the long-term.

I hope you have found these tips useful. Do you have other strategies you use to combat burnout? Let me know in the comments! And if you used the printout, let me know what you think.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider liking, subscribing, or sharing with others. It’s always a big help! Interested in related content? Check out my posts on setting boundaries, the link between eating disorders and mental health, and the best foods for balancing your hormones.