How to Cure Your Burnout

What is Burnout?

Even if you’re uncertain of the definition of the word, you’ve probably experienced the effects. 

Burnout is the feeling of complete emotional and physical exhaustion that often occurs after periods of elongated stress. Typically, burnout is associated with your career or in a professional environment. 

According to the World Health Organisation, burnout is a syndrome resulting from workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It’s characterised by three dimensions: 

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion 
• increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job 
• reduced professional efficacy (World Health Organisation, 2019).

Common symptoms of burnout: 

• Feeling tired all the time
• Feeling helpless and lost 
• Immense loneliness 
• Imposter syndrome
• Low self-esteem  
• Feeling overwhelmed by tasks that usually would be simple 
• Being cynical when you’re normally fairly optimistic

Burnout is alarming common these days. Despite some sceptics disregarding the phenomenon as a symptom of ‘snowflake’ syndrome, burnout has been around for as long as we’ve been working (we just have a name for the feeling now). 

So if you’re feeling overworked, here are our top tips on how to heal your singed soul: 

1. Identify your stressors 
1. Knowing what is causing the problem is the first step to curing your burnout. Get in tune with yourself. Pay attention to incidents that occur that trigger these symptoms of burnout, and avoid them where possible. Seet yourself some healthy boundaries to preserve your mental well-being. 
2. Make new positive habits 
1. Meditation and journaling are two of the best mindful techniques to soothe your psyche 
3. Up your nootropic dosage 
1. There's some good evidence to suggest that supplementing your diet with nootropics can combat the causes of feeling burnt out. Melatonin can improve your sleep. More sleep = less exhausted = less burnout. Guayusa (found in Peak Rise) is the best alternative to caffeine. It's all the mood and brain-boosting goodness of caffeine, but without the sharp crash afterwards that leaves you feeling worse than before. L-theanine is a great alternative to self-medicating with alcohol or THC, as it's a natural amino acid that stimulates feelings of relaxation. My favourite is Ashwagandha (also found in Peak Rise) which is clinically proven to alleviate depression and anxiety.  So don’t be afraid of supplementing your brain to give it a boost in its fight against burnout. 
4. Use your network 
1. Getting support when you’re feeling low is one of the best ways to lift yourself. Confide in a friend, family member or colleague. Feeling burnt out can be a heavy feeling to carry, so share the weight with someone you trust. Failing that, seek professional support in the form of career counselling, life coaching or even therapy. There’s no shame in asking for help, it's incredibly brave. 
5. Get the balance right 
1. The illusive concept of a perfect work-life balance seems almost out of reach, but it can be done. Cultivating a balance between your professional life and personal life can be crucial in combating burnout. Incorporate small non-work activities into your everyday routine. This could be a tech-free lunch break where you limit your screen time and go for a walk in your local park, or maybe it's setting aside time in the evening to cook a proper meal for yourself that you’re excited to try the recipe out. Look after yourself first, and your career will flourish.