Burnout recovery starts by recognizing that prolonged exhaustion and chronic stress are not usually fixed by a quiet weekend or working harder. Burnout tends to develop when chronic stress exceeds the capacity available to manage it. And it may begin by feeling disconnected from work, drained, less confident in your ability, or unable to recover during your time off.
Chronic stress recovery requires meaningful changes, personal support, and organizational responsibility, if appropriate. At times, recovery may feel slow, but small steps and consistent adjustments can eventually help to restore energy and emotional health.
This page can help you understand the ins and outs of creating a burnout recovery plan by exploring:
- What burnout is.
- The signs of burnout.
- Steps for creating a sustainable burnout recovery plan.
- Strategies for rebuilding capacity and energy.
- Ways to address workplace contributors.
- When professional support may be appropriate.
What Is Burnout?
Burnout is sometimes used to describe exhaustion related to parenting, caregiving, schooling, or relationships. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), burnout is a work-related characteristic that is the result of chronic occupational stress that has not been successfully managed. In line with WHO’s definition, burnout has three main features:[1]
- Energy depletion or exhaustion.
- Increased distance from work or growing cynicism about work.
- Reduced professional effectiveness.
Burnout is not classified as a medical condition, but its effects can significantly impact:
- Sleep.
- Focus.
- Relationships.
- Health.
- Daily functioning.
Signs That You May Need a Burnout Recovery Plan
Burnout typically develops slowly over time and can impact numerous areas of a person’s life. Moreover, it can impact people differently. Having said that, it tends to have various emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral signs, including:
Emotional Signs
Emotional burnout symptoms may include:
- Feeling drained before the day starts.
- Becoming increasingly cynical about work.
- Feeling detached from work, coworkers, or clients.
- Losing motivation.
- Becoming irritable.
- Feeling trapped or powerless.
- Experiencing dread before work.
Cognitive Signs
Mental fatigue and burnout can cause cognitive symptoms, including:
- Trouble focusing.
- Forgetfulness.
- Trouble starting tasks.
- Reduced creativity.
- Difficulty shifting between tasks.
- Constant thoughts about work during personal time.
Physical and Behavioral Signs
Symptoms of burnout can also include:
- Persistent fatigue.
- Changes in sleep.
- Working longer hours to compensate.
- Withdrawing from others.
- Neglecting meals, movement, or personal care.
- Using alcohol or substances to cope.
New or persistent symptoms should be evaluated by a health care professional before being automatically attributed to burnout.
Creating a Burnout Recovery Plan
A sustainable burnout recovery plan should address personal exhaustion and the conditions that contributed to it. Personal coping skills are important and can support recovery, but they will not compensate for unsafe work environments that consist of chronic understaffing, bullying, or unrealistic expectations. The following steps can help you create an effective plan:
1. Identify the Main Sources of Burnout
Recovering from burnout starts by figuring out which parts of your occupation are contributing the greatest strain. This may look like asking yourself:
- Is my workload consistently realistic?
- Do I understand what is expected of me?
- Can I safely ask for support?
- Am I expected to be available outside of work hours?
- Is the environment safe and respectful?
- Is my commute or schedule limiting opportunities for recovery?
2. Stabilize Your Basic Needs
Chronic stress recovery is often more difficult when basic needs are neglected. A sustainable recovery plan begins with the basics, like:
- A realistic sleep schedule.
- Regular meals.
- Attending medical appointments.
- Seeking help for health symptoms.
- Creating periods of rest or quiet.
You do not need an elaborate daily routine or exercise program to recover from workplace burnout. You can start by simply choosing one or two changes that support recovery and building from there.
3. Create Separation From Work
Sustainable burnout recovery requires periods in which your brain can relax. Work boundaries that support this relaxation may include:
- Turning off nonessential work notifications.
- Removing work email from your personal phone.
- Eating lunch away from your desk.
- Taking scheduled breaks and paid time off.
- Avoiding unnecessary overtime.
- Keeping work materials outside of the bedroom.
For remote workers, the lack of commute can make it more difficult to recognize when work has ended. A closing ritual at the end of the workday, like shutting the work laptop, leaving the workspace, or changing clothes, may help create a clearer transition.
People with long commutes may lose hours that would otherwise be used for rest and recovery. When possible, it may be helpful to look for ways to ease this burden, such as:
- Hybrid work.
- Flexible scheduling.
- Carpooling.
- Public transportation.
4. Reduce the Immediate Workload
Rest can provide temporary relief, but it does not change the unsustainable demands that often cause symptoms of workplace burnout to return. If it feels appropriate, it may be helpful to discuss specific changes with a supervisor or human resources department.
Possible requests may include:
- Adjusted deadlines.
- Temporary workload reduction.
- More training.
- Flexible hours.
- Remote or hybrid work.
- Use of medical leave.
- Workplace accommodations.
- Reassignment of nonessential duties.
Research has shown that approaches that combine both employees’ coping skills and workplace conditions may support burnout recovery more effectively than just coping skills alone.[2]
5. Replace Large Goals With Smaller Decisions
Mental fatigue can make day-to-day responsibilities feel unmanageable, and creating a detailed plan to transform your entire career may increase feelings of overwhelm. It may be helpful to identify the smallest useful next step. This might involve:
- Listing the three most urgent responsibilities.
- Asking which task can be postponed.
- Completing one short administrative task.
- Scheduling a medical or therapy appointment.
- Reviewing available leave or employee benefits.
6. Address Perfectionism and Self-Criticism
Personal patterns can add another layer of pressure to workplace conditions. You may feel responsible for preventing every mistake, helping every coworker, responding immediately, or filling employment gaps, which can lead to burnout, activating a painful cycle. This cycle might look like:
- Exhaustion reducing concentration.
- Work taking longer.
- Criticizing yourself for falling behind.
- Working additional hours.
- Recovery time decreasing.
- Exhaustion becoming worse.
Self-compassion means recognizing your limits without using shame as motivation.
7. Use Coping Skills That Fit Your Needs
Different coping skills can help when you’re experiencing different states of stress. Not every coping skill works for every nervous-system state. So it may be helpful to experiment with different approaches and see what feels beneficial to you. The following are some coping skills that could work for you:
| Coping skills for heightened activation (anxiety or restlessness) | Coping skills for shutdown (numbness or disconnection) |
| Slower breathing | Taking a shower |
| Walking | Calling someone supportive |
| Stretching | Eating something simple |
| Reducing caffeine | Listening to energizing music |
| Writing down unfinished tasks | Completing one small task |
8. Reconnect With Life Outside of Work
Workplace burnout can slowly begin to narrow your identity until work feels like the only part of your life. Recovery involves making room for experiences that are not work-related. This might include:
- Spending time with friends.
- Returning to a hobby.
- Making art or music.
- Cooking.
- Spending time outdoors.
- Caring for a pet.
- Participating in a community event.
- Resting without multitasking.
It’s important to find activities that are not evaluated through achievement and that do not add pressure to your day-to-day life.
9. Strengthen Support and Resilience
Resilience is helpful, but it should not be used to shift all responsibility onto the employee. Research shows that resilience may be associated with fewer burnout symptoms, but even highly resilient employees can experience significant burnout when organizational conditions are unhealthy.[3]
Resilience involves recognizing when circumstances have been harmful or stressful and then accessing support and recovering. Support may come from:
- A friend.
- A coworker.
- A supervisor.
- A therapist.
- A physician.
- A support group.
- An employee assistance program.
- A family member.
- A career counselor.
10. Consider the Environment
Some workplaces respond to clear requests and temporary accommodations, while others remain harmful despite attempts to address the problem. It may be helpful to consider the environment by asking yourself:
- Has management taken concerns seriously?
- Are workload changes temporary or permanent?
- Do I feel safe?
- Can I use leave without retaliation?
- Is the role compatible with my health and values?
Leaving a job is not always an option due to financial responsibilities, caregiving, insurance, and the job market. However, it may be helpful to start creating options by:
- Documenting concerns.
- Reviewing finances.
- Exploring accommodations.
- Consulting an employment professional.
How Long Does Burnout Recovery Take?
The amount of time it takes to recover from burnout is unique to each individual. Some people tend to notice improvements within several weeks after meaningful changes are made, while other people may need months to notice any progress.
Recovery can also depend on a number of factors. These include:
- How severe the exhaustion has become.
- How long symptoms have been present.
- Physical health.
- Sleep.
- Available social support.
- Co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Work environment.
- Access to medical or mental health care.
It’s important to acknowledge that healing is rarely linear and there may be days when you feel more capable and ones when you become depleted again after a demanding week. This is why it is important to look for gradual signs of stress recovery, such as better sleep, less dread, clearer thinking, and improved patience.
How to Prevent Burnout From Returning
Burnout prevention involves noticing early warning signs before complete exhaustion develops. Becoming aware of your warning signs is a good first step. This may look like acknowledging if you start:
- Working through breaks.
- Thinking about work throughout the night.
- Withdrawing from supportive people.
- Becoming increasingly cynical.
- Using substances more often.
- Losing patience more quickly.
- Avoiding tasks because they feel impossible.
- Feeling unable to enjoy time away from work.
You may consider scheduling a weekly check-in with yourself by considering what felt draining, what felt restorative, and if additional support is needed.
Burnout prevention also requires employees to prioritize realistic workloads, clear expectations, adequate staffing, bullying prevention, and meaningful access to rest.
When to Seek Professional Support
Consider reaching out for professional support if you:
- Cannot recover during time away.
- Experience ongoing anxiety and depression.
- Struggle to eat or sleep.
- Are unable to complete basic responsibilities.
- Use alcohol or substances to cope.
- Feel emotionally numb or hopeless.
- Engage in self-harm.
- Have thoughts of suicide.
Call or text 988 if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or need immediate crisis support. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department when there is an urgent risk of harm.
Create a Burnout Recovery Plan With Mission Connection
At Mission Connection, we help those experiencing workplace burnout, chronic stress, and related mental health challenges. Our individualized programs can help you understand your symptoms and triggers, build healthier coping skills, set boundaries, and address patterns that contribute to burnout.
We create a structured care plan for every patient that consists of evidence-based therapies and medication management when appropriate. We offer several options for effective outpatient treatment, including in-person programs at our locations in California, Virginia, and Washington, virtual telehealth, and a hybrid program that combines in-person and virtual care.
Mission Connection is Joint Commission-accredited. We also accept most major insurance providers, so that your recovery is not hindered due to financial issues.
Reach out to us online or call us at 866-833-1822 to find out how we can support your long-term recovery.
References
- World Health Organization. (2019, May 28). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: international classification of diseases. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
- Pijpker, R. et al. (2020). Combined interventions to reduce burnout complaints and promote return to work: a systematic review of effectiveness and mediators of change. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010055
- Cohen, C. et al. (2023). Workplace interventions to improve well-being and reduce burnout for nurses, physicians, and allied healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 13(6), e071203. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-071203