Navigating and Preventing Burnout: Strategies for Sustainable Passion
The first time I knew I was burnt out, I was a senior in college. After two demanding weeks leading sorority recruitment as my chapter’s vice president: membership, the lack of sleep, living off of Zaxby’s birthday cake milkshakes and banana Laffy Taffy, and high stress led to my body revolting in the form of shingles.
The thing is: this wasn’t the first time I experienced burnout. It’s just the first time I continued to push until my body literally shut down.
Burnout is more than just a buzzword – it’s your body reaching a state where you’ve done too much for too long that it’s no longer sustainable.
And the reality is that in passion work, burnout is accepted as just “part of the job.”
Except that prolonged burnout isn’t just bad for your health – it can also lead to an early exit from the work you deeply love.
If you’re already burnt out, take one of these five strategies for a test drive:
1. Start with neutrality
The first time I found myself truly burnt out as a middle school teacher, I felt something unexpected: shame.
I loved teaching! How could I possibly be burnt out? I loved the work I was doing. I loved the kids!
The problem? Guilt and shame are emotionally draining – making burnout worse.
It’s not your fault you’re burnt out, and it doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job. It just… is. Starting from a place of neutrality allows us to get curious about what led to burnout, which helps us prevent it in the future.
2. Take a day
If you’ve truly hit burnout, take a full day for yourself to actually rest. Don’t use the day to catch up on work or errands.
Instead, take care of yourself: sleep. Eat nourishing food. Watch shows you love. Read a new book. Have a good cry.
Burnout manifests in your body, and if you ignore it, you will get physically ill. Rest when you need it.
3. Tackle something small
One symptom of burnout is feeling so overwhelmed that you can’t get anything done.
When you’re in this state, our goal is to do SOMETHING.
Start by making a quick brain dump of everything you need to do, and then highlight 1-3 tasks that are quick wins (you can do them in 15 minutes or less with little prep or mental energy).
Tackling a few small tasks helps you build momentum to get moving again.
4. Prioritize your needs in one small way
Burnout is a sign that you need to start putting you first. It’s time to start being selfish. Why? Because when you take care of yourself, you can better take care of everyone else around you.
In the midst of burnout, though, this can feel overwhelming. So take care of you in small ways:
Set an alarm to leave on time one day a week. Take email off of your phone. Eat lunch outside for the Vitamin D. Eat an actual lunch. We often underestimate how big of an impact small acts of self care can have.
5. Schedule burnout prevention
Once you’re back in no-burnout-land, revisit that curiosity:
What conditions led to your burnout? How can you lessen your mental or emotional load so that you avoid burnout (or burning out as quickly)?
Then, plan for it:
Quit the overcommitments you don’t love. Schedule a day off when you know there’s going to be a particularly tough week. Proactively plan your week or month to include time for you.
The bottom line is that burnout might be normalized, but that doesn’t mean it has to be your normal.
*****
Jen Manly helps people avoid burnout through her action-oriented approach to purposeful productivity and empowered boundaries. With a focus on making work sustainable, she empowers audiences to take back their time and energy to do more of what they love without compromising their impact.