It’s only Monday, but you’re already 100% done.
You’ve had two coffees, three breakdowns, and you’ve fantasized about deleting your entire life and starting over as a fake heiress in the Swiss Alps. (Just me?)
Last week, we talked about the 8 Hidden Signs of Burnout — and judging by the email responses I received from some of you, let’s just say… we’re all a little fried.
You recognized yourself in those signs of burnout. So now what?
You see the overwhelm. You feel the emotional numbness. You’re starting to wonder if that constant irritability is just your new personality. (Spoiler: it’s not.)
If the signs of burnout are hitting hard and burnout recovery feels impossible, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about what the hell to do now that you know burnout isn’t just a possibility — it’s your current lifestyle.
Step 1: Burnout Recovery Starts With a Pause
If you’re ready to burn it all to the ground, make a 30-day recovery plan with color-coded goals, healing playlists, and a scheduled cry on Friday afternoons – STOP. (There’s a reason this never works!)
Trying to productivity-hack your way out of burnout is like trying to mop your floors while they’re still on fire. You don’t need a plan right now. You need a moment to actually feel what’s happening.
Because you’re not just tired, you’re depleted. And before you try to heal it, you have to admit it’s real.
So, pause.
Step 2: Rest Without Guilt
Rest isn’t earned. It’s essential. Especially to the burnout recovery process.
But if you’re used to being the reliable one — the strong one, the capable one, the one who remembers everyone’s birthday and drinks her coffee lukewarm while solving other people’s problems — then rest can feel… wrong.
Lazy. Selfish. Like failure.
Except it’s not.
Feeling guilty for resting while you’re actively burning out is like feeling bad for going to the ER with a broken leg. You don’t need to justify it. You just need to go.
Start by asking: What does real rest look like for me?
Then go do that — unapologetically.
Step 3: Set One Tiny Boundary (And Don’t Apologize for It)
Let’s be honest: saying “no” can feel harder than achieving world peace.
But boundaries are not rude. They are not selfish. They are not optional.
Try this: Pick one thing you’re not available for this week. Say no. Don’t explain. Don’t over-apologize. Just… no.
Here are a few starter scripts:
- “I’m at capacity right now.”
- “I can’t take that on.”
- “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”
One small “no” can create enough space for your nervous system to exhale. And girl, your nervous system needs a minute. Or five.
Step 4: Focus on Micro-Joys and Mini-Wins
Burnout recovery isn’t about grand gestures or full-life overhauls. It’s about tiny moments of coming back to yourself.
Think:
- Putting on music that makes you dance like no one’s watching.
- Saying no to something and surviving the awkward silence.
- Texting a friend and saying, “I’m not okay. Wanna spiral together?”
These aren’t distractions — they’re reminders that joy still lives here, even if burnout tried to evict it.
Step 5: You’re Not Failing — You’re Fried
Let’s kill the narrative that burnout means you’ve failed.
You haven’t failed. You’ve been over-functioning in an under-supported system. You’ve been praised for your ability to push through, even when it was slowly unraveling you.
You don’t need to be more productive. You need to be more you — rested, connected, grounded, and a little bit spicy.
Where to Go from Here
Start small. Like, painfully small.
- Say no once.
- Rest on purpose.
- Laugh at a funny dog video.
And if you’re still thinking, “Yeah, but I can’t just drop everything,” don’t worry — you don’t have to.
Burnout recovery doesn’t happen in one dramatic act. It happens in the quiet moments when you choose yourself, even when it feels weird.
You’ve done the hard part — you saw the signs.
Now take the next step.
And maybe eat a snack. Burnout recovery is hard work, and your blood sugar is low.
Want to share this with someone who’s currently one group text away from losing it? Forward this their way. We can be burnt out together. Just… from a safe distance. With snacks. And stretchy pants.
