Burnout recovery plan
- Phoenix Fortay
- May 27
- 4 min read
Burnout ... Oh how naïve I was!
Like most people, I used to describe burnout as a form of exhaustion. A 'fun' and 'quirky' way of letting people know that you are at the end of your tether. If I had known the actual effects of burnout, I would have taken myself a little bit more seriously. If you have found yourself on this page, It's most likely because you are feeling the effects of burnout, or you have a loved one who is experiencing this awful condition. Regardless ... I am here to tell you, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
To further explain here are common side effects of BURNOUT
Anxiety
Depression
Substance abuse ( If prone )
Hallucinations
Insomnia
Cognitive disabilities
Heart disease ( Long term burnout )
... Just to name a few!
If you haven't gathered by now, Burnout is not simply feeling "Tired". Burnout is working yourself to a point where your brain can no longer function normally. If you found the previous symptoms terrifying, You will be happy to know that Burnout will cripple you within minutes. I remember the exact moment burnout hit me. I was at my 9 - 5 for yet another stressful day after traveling The North Island for 1 and 1/2 weeks on my Burlesque Workshop tour... It was intense! And of course I didn't take a break in between. So there I was, working away. All of a sudden, The floor turned to jelly and my vision started to tunnel, My heart pounding in my chest... And it still hasn't gone away. 3 months later, I still struggle with those symptoms and it has changed my life drastically. Although I have made an amazing amount of progress, I still look back at all the warning signs and think ... Why didn't I listen?
Warning signs of BURNOUT
Anxious or fearful
Waking up tired
Over thinking
Fluctuating moods
Hallucinations
Bad repetitive habits
Short fuse ( Easily angered or saddened )
Continuous flash backs ( Common for people with PTSD)
There is one thing that is harder than working yourself to the state of burnout ... and that's the recovery. Once all your normal abilities are stripped from your life, You are forced to focus on your wellbeing, Which is something most of us avoid. As debilitating as Burnout is, It's the soul's way of forcing us to connect with our emotions, wellbeing and mentality. In the long run, Experiencing burnout creates beautiful people with great connections to our deeper selves... If recovery is executed properly.
Stage one : ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance isn't as easy as it sounds, To simply acknowledge that you are experiencing burnout is not quiet enough. Acceptance is about fully acknowledging the pain. Allow yourself to be fully engulfed in your emotions, Scream! Cry! Laugh! LET IT OUT! Don't be surprised if this is a daily reassurance for a while. It's very difficult to come to terms with how poorly you have treated yourself in the past.
Tips:
Begin journaling.
Sign up for counselling or therapy.
Let your friends and family know.
Minimize your responsibilities
Take time to be alone with just your thoughts.
Stage two : BASICS
When we experience burnout, It's very common to lose most of our cognitive abilities. Personally I found walking even a struggle. Relearning how to drive, read, write can be a struggle because this stage is where anxiety usually takes over. Anxiety causes us to feel a content state of panic and fear, So even the simplest task of getting out of bed in the morning can cause us to feel like the world is ending. So for this step, it is crucial that you have very small goals that you accomplish every day. Brush your teeth, Take a shower, go for a walk... very small steps. Over time you will find yourself being able to cope with larger steps such as 'Going to the supermarket' But in the early stages you mustn't be hard on yourself. You have fallen ill... You need time to recover.
Tips:
Small bits of exposure
Short walks
lessen your caffeine and nicotine intake
Mindfulness (Yoga, Meditation or stretching)
Hygiene
Good food ( Healthy food that will give you energy )
Stage three : FINDING THE ROOT
In most cases, Burnout is actually a symptom of PTSD , To be more specific ... Complex PTSD. So we might begin our Burnout experience under the impression that we simply need to rest. But as time goes on, you might notice that you don't internally feel any different. If this is the case, You will have to come to terms with the idea that something from your past might still be haunting you.
Note: Researchers are coming to the conclusion that burnout is not simply a symptom of exhaustion , But actually a symptom of PTSD or Complex PTSD. If this is 'Jumping the gun' for your situation, Please subscribe so you will be notified when the article "Oh my god ... is this trauma?" is released, To find out more if you may be experiencing symptoms of trauma.
Tips:
Define the problem
Self reflection
Take it back step by step
Talk to someone you trust
express your thoughts through creativity
From here your recovery will look different from everyone else, But you will most likely experience another stage of ACCEPTANCE and REFLECTION. These stages help you to acknowledge the reality of your situation, control anxiety and depression and most importantly, Rewire your brain and exit your survival mode.
Note : " Survival mode '' is something humans naturally experience when in a highly stressful situation, if that event lasted a long enough time or happened during your growth mile stones, Our brains will learn that 'survival mode' is a natural state, This causing Anxiety and depression.
All you need from here is encouragement.
You are a wonderful and passionate human.
Your experiences do not define you.
You have a magical life, And this is simply one of the hurdles to greatness.
You are stronger than you think.
Lead your life with love, You deserve happiness.
With love
Phoenix Fortay xx
SOCIAL MEDIA
@Poenixfortay
@Fortaycoaching
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