One of the hardest parts of recognizing that you have burnout is that you now have to do something about it.
While we’re writing off our low energy and motivation to just a temporary setback, we’re free to believe we can continue living our lives as they are.
But once we know the real name of the problem, a sudden realization that we won’t be able to go on like this may really scare us.
On the surface, it may look like we’re afraid for our survival. Burnout reduces our ability to work, begging us just to drop everything and walk away.
But we have families, mortgages, and many other responsibilities that depend on us being productive in society.
So, it’s pretty logical to think that we are just afraid we won’t survive in the physical world if we give in to burnout.
But often the roots of this fear go way deeper.
Beyond Physical
In reality, a much stronger (but way less noticeable) fear behind the burnout is the fear of an identity loss.
If your worth was tied to your output for years, then a still, unproductive version of you is a threat to your value, relevance, and self-respect.
Being heroically productive, on the other hand, is your permission for great things. Permission to take space, to think well of yourself, to be loved and respected by others. It’s your protection from being blamed and shamed for something.
The tragedy of the burnout is that we stop enjoying this permission. Something that was valuable and nourishing for us at some point, isn’t fulfilling anymore.
And that’s how we get stuck in a painful loop: old life has lost its purpose and is draining, but we can’t change it because we don’t have any other purpose.
Taking A Break
If we give in to burnout and stop completely, with time we get our energy back. It takes longer than most of us expect – somewhere from 3 to 5 years for full recovery, but it’s possible.
The key thing, though, is what we do during this time. Because if we don’t address the death of the old identity, values, and purpose, we will get back in the cycle. That’s why some people go through multiple burnouts over years.
Taking a break should not be just to regain your energy, but also to re-orient yourself on a deeper level. Burnout is a loss of meaning, so if you don’t find a new one, you will never resolve the problem.
Questions to Ask
Here are some good questions to ask yourself to begin your journey out of burnout:
- Who am I doing all of this for?
- What am I proving to myself and others?
- What did I want to achieve when I started this and why?
- Why do I deserve love and respect?
Burnout is a multifaceted problem that involves physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. To battle it successfully, we have to address all the root issues. If you’re feeling lost and not sure where to begin, have a look at my free Burnout Recovery Roadmap. It outlines all the stages of burnout and the best ways to support yourself at each of them.
