Burnout: You know it, you don’t love it, and you’ve probably Googled “how to deal with burnout” at some point in the past 365 days. The cherry on top of the annoying AF cake? Women experienced more burnout than men in 2020 (as if we didn’t have enough going on). Many of us are emotionally fatigued from a crazy year, feeling overworked, and don’t get enough rest or off-time. What’s a girl to do? Since burnout is way too common, I grilled some holistic doctors and health coaches at Parsley Health for all of their best burnout tips. Whether you’re way past the point of exhaustion or you just know your job, schedule, or life feels unsustainable, it’s time to make some changes. Read on to see how seven doctors and health coaches prevent, deal with, and heal burnout.
1. Fit in more movement
“Implement restorative mini-moments throughout your day. When you may not have larger blocks of time available for self-care, take five minutes to breathe deeply (such as the 4-7-8 method or box breathing), stretch, step outside for some sunshine, or to snuggle your pet—it can make a profound difference in the way you feel (and in lowering cortisol levels). Consider setting reminders on your phone or using a time cube to take mini breaks throughout your day (like every 60-90 minutes if your schedule allows).” –Ivy Carson, NP-BC, IFMCP
2. Create boundaries
“Create a physical boundary around work life and home life (this is especially important when working from home!). By establishing a physical boundary or action, you’ll be sending a strong signal to your brain that work is done for the day and you can ‘shut down’ your work brain to transition to your non-work self. For example, practice breath work at the beginning and end of your workday, or make a ritual around both turning on and shutting down your work station. It can be something as simple as listening to the same song to both start and end your day, but whatever it is, a daily ritual will signal to the brain when you should be working and when you should be ‘off.'” –Erica Zellner, MS, CNS, LDN
3. Be mindful of your energy levels
“I call it a body budget: Treat your energy levels the same way you would maintain your bank account. Avoid getting in the habit of spending too much energy without replenishing it. Try to identify the activities, people, and things that bring you energy and make them a regular part of your routine to balance the energy you spend on work, tasks, and even taking care of loved ones. Just being aware of what’s draining your energy versus what’s giving you energy can treat existing burnout or prevent it entirely.” –Tina Ralutz, MS, RDN
4. Do something every day that inspires you
“A lot of the work I do is left brain dominant, so I like to fit in creative work like designing and styling ethnic clothing or jewelry (like clay work). However, it’s not something I do only if I find time—it’s a non-negotiable and my protected time. Just like I show up for work, I also show up for myself every week and every day. My affirmation is to do something every day that inspires you (rather than ‘expires’ you) since inspiration creates energy.” –Nisha Chellam, MD
5. Get restorative sleep
“Ensuring that you are getting restorative sleep will help you prevent and heal from burnout. Not looking at your phone for 30 minutes (or more) before going to bed can help decrease cortisol and allow melatonin to rise for restorative sleep. Also, creating a relaxing environment is really helpful. For example, dimming the lights as it gets closer to bedtime will help with that cortisol and melatonin balance. When we are getting restorative sleep, we feel like we can take on the next day. We’ll also be more focused, feel more optimistic, and choose food and movement that will better support our health.” –Amanda Perrin, MS, RD
6. Be intentional about your productivity
“I love using The Eisenhower Matrix (a productivity method), to help me decide what tasks I should prioritize, plan, delegate and remove from my plate. It can really help to avoid the ‘urgency trap,’ or that feeling like everything is on fire all the time, which so often leads to burnout. This is a great tool if you feel like you’re always spread too thin or feel like you’re busy all the time but not noticing any progress in your goals.” –Erin D’Elia Assenza, Health Coach
7. Lean on the people you trust
“While you can’t always choose your colleagues, you can choose the amount of energy and time you place into cultivating and strengthening bonds with the coworkers that resonate with you and you feel a connection with. Positive thinking is great, but touching base with colleagues on the struggles or hardships with your job is beneficial in decreasing burnout risk.” –Dawn Rene Johnson, DO, IFMCP, MHA
