Burnout Recovery Lessons: Five things I learnt whilst recovering from burnout

When I finally accepted I was burnt out and took time to rest, I vowed to learn everything I could about burnout recovery. Over months of reading, listening, and experimenting, I gathered five essential lessons that not only helped me recover from burnout but also gave me practical tools for burnout prevention in the future. Here are my five key burnout recovery lessons:

• There is no easy fix

• Become your own expert

• Focus on the root cause

• Don’t underestimate the basics

• Acceptance matters.

Lesson 1: No Easy Fix to Burnout: Why Recovery Requires a Multifaceted Approach

The first thing I learnt is that there is no single solution to burnout. My burnout was the result of years of small decisions and actions that built up over time into a monster I could no longer handle. It's easy to tell yourself that if you change one thing about your life everything will be solved. At first I placed a lot of blame on my work environment but the truth is external factors alone don't cause burnout, it's also how you choose to handle them. If your job is causing unmanageable stress making a change will help, but the solution to burnout is usually a multifaceted approach and I would be skeptical of anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.

Lesson 2: Become Your Own Expert in Burnout Recovery

The second lesson is that the advice on this topic is extensive and varied. When I got over my confusion, I decided the only way to see what would work for me was to try things out for myself. I tried everything from meditation, affirmations, anti-burnout diets, supplements, more exercise, less exercise, sleep hygiene, dream logs, new rituals, identifying my core values, yoga, cold water swimming, socialising less, socialising more and a multitude of different morning routines. Not all of these things stuck but I had fun trying them and learnt lots of things about myself on the way. Don't feel bad if someone's wonder solution isn't for you, just chalk it up to experience and try something else. You are in the best position to become an expert on you.

Lesson 3: Focus on the Root Cause of Burnout

My next lesson is to focus on the root cause. Much of the advice on ways to avoid and recover from burnout act more like a sticking plaster than a real solution. If you want to beat burnout you need to spend time getting to know yourself, understand your usual behaviours, coping strategies and what motivates them. There are common behaviours and personality types that can increase your risk of burnout and being aware of these can go a long way to addressing the root cause and building your resilience to burnout.

Lesson 4: Basics Matter: Sleep, Diet, and Exercise in Burnout Recovery

When your mum said that everything would improve after a good night's sleep, she was right. Overcoming burnout involves balancing the microstressors in your life with your capacity to manage them. Your ability to cope with stress significantly improves with adequate sleep, a healthy diet, and some basic exercise. While these fundamentals might not be as thrilling as the newest method to achieve "inbox zero" or a weekend getaway in the wilderness, small changes can be both affordable and simple to implement. Focusing on getting enough sleep has made a significant impact on me, so heed your mum's advice and don't underestimate the power of the basics.

Lesson 5: Acceptance: A Key Step in Burnout Recovery

The final lesson is that recovery requires acceptance; acceptance that you don't need to "have it all," that it's okay to have been wrong, and that you are always enough as you are right now. I am the sum of all my experiences, and I am grateful that this experience has allowed me to move forward into the next stages of my life stronger, wiser, and more resilient than ever.

Want more burnout recovery strategies? Explore the Balancing Bluebells Anti-Burnout Mindset and sign up to my newsletter for monthly tips.

Mairi Joyce

May 2025

www.balancingbluebells.co.uk.