If you find yourself incessantly trapped with the feeling of helplessness, stress or exhaustion, you may be on the way to a complete burnout. This article will help you know how you can regain control over your life, feel stress free and relaxed in all situations. 

What is a burnout?

A state of burnout occurs due to prolonged stress. This stress could be a result of excessive work-load, strained relationships, overwhelming demands, in-ability to say no or unreasonably high expectations from self. Ignoring these early signs can severely impact your happiness. If the stress continues for a period that is beyond the capacity of your mind and body, the burnout will sap all the energy, leaving you drained. 

Why is it important to reduce burnout?

Burnout can arise in any personal, professional, social or spiritual aspect of your life. Being overwhelmed in a single aspect will have implications on other aspects too. Some of the common impacts of burnout are:

• Feeling of hopelessness, unhappy state of mind, resentment or cynicism
• Negative impact on your performance, productivity and efficiency
• Negative thoughts clouding your mind prohibiting you to move forward
• Low self-esteem, self-doubt  
• Procrastination and lethargy

Apart from these implications, burnouts can also result in long-term consequences to your physical health, making you more susceptible to illnesses.

Here’s how you can identify yourself early on the road of a complete burnout -

It is vital for your mental, physical and emotional health to eliminate the effects of burnout at an early stage. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to know if you are on the verge of a complete burnout:

1. Do I feel overwhelmed with all the responsibilities?
2. Do I want to withdraw my efforts for work, family or friends?
3. Am I exhausted every night?
4. Am I isolating myself from my colleagues, family or friends?
5. Do I doubt my ability or have developed a negative outlook in life?
6. Do I need to push myself into doing small tasks?
7. Do I feel valued?

Answering these questions ‘honestly’ will help you understand your state. 

Most of us experience bad days! However, if the bad days turn into bad weeks or bad months, it is time to take control of your life. Taking control of your life is the key to get rid of burnouts effectively. 

Complete burnout does not take place overnight. It is a result of a series of smaller burnouts that most of us easily ignore. However, if you identify triggers for the early signs, you will prevent the stage of a complete burnout.

Here are a few ways through which you can continue your life with zest and abundant energy:

To get rid of burnouts, use the 3 A’s approach:

Accept – Being over-worked is not a badge of honour you should carry. Accept your boundaries and give yourself time to rejuvenate. Understanding and fulfilling your needs will not only help you do more, but do better! Learn to say no to extra responsibilities, don’t be a people pleaser and prioritize your work.

Alter – Redress the damage that has been caused already. Focus on your mental wellbeing, exercise regularly, talk to your family and friends, take time out for your hobbies or seek help from a professional. 

Adapt – Once you have healed yourself from the past stress, start anew to build resilience and inner strength. Acknowledge and appreciate your efforts, pat your back, be grateful for little joys and comforts of life, smile often, maintain a healthy diet, hydrate yourself, breathe consciously and witness the magic. Focus on the present and identify how you can change your routine, habits and patterns.

Surround yourself with positive company:

Limit your contact with negative people – You may often find yourself trapped among people who are unhappy with your success or pull you down. Remember, negative people are like parasites that will feed on your energy so long as you let them do it. They have the power to drain you emotionally. Working on your personal development consistently will build unshakeable self-belief that will keep you safe from the negative energy.

Reach out to those who inspire you – Don’t hesitate from seeking help. Whether it is your boss, a speaker, a coach, a friend or a family member, reach out to them and seek feedback that can aid your growth. 

Join a cause – Associate yourself with community service, help someone around you – could be from your family, friends or colleagues. This will significantly boost your relationships self-confidence.

Re-evaluate your perspective:

Build your self-worth – When you associate your self-worth with the appreciation you receive from outside, you become fragile to non-acknowledgement and criticism. Focus on building inner-strength by learning new skills. 

Maintain work-life balance – With responsibilities at work and for your family, do not forget to give yourself the time you deserve. The ‘Me-time’ can be used to detach yourself from the daily hustle, make you feel content and release stress. Follow a pre-bed or post-wake up routine to remind yourself of how amazing you are! 

Nourish your mind, body and soul – Find activities that nourish your well-being. Read good books, indulge in positive self-talk, recite affirmations loudly, engage in physical activities like a walk, yoga or regulate your sleep time. 

To minimize burnout and maximize productivity, follow these steps and become stress-resistant!