10 Steps to Overcome Burnout

Özgün Ünver Author

Here are 10 "tips" to guide you when paving a stronger way to prevent burnout from ever happening to you.

Every time I'm asked to give "some tips and tricks" to prevent burnout, I roll my eyes and answer in the exact same way:

"If it was that easy, nobody would get burned out and go through such a misery. Burnout prevention and recovery require a complete overhaul of our thought patterns, societal beliefs, and dysfunctional work habits. A paradigm change, if you will. So, no, I can't give you tips and tricks to prevent burnout."

Yet, I like a good challenge and I decided to compile 10 "tips" for you to pave a stronger way to prevent burnout from ever happening to you. Here they are:

1. Develop your self-awareness. Your body sensations, feelings, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, patterns... In short, know thyself, in body and mind.

2. Accept yourself the way you are. Accept your flaws, imperfections, shortcomings, gifts, virtues, talents, and challenges.

3. Be compassionate with yourself. Self-compassion comes from accepting yourself for the "human" that you are.

4. Take good care of your body. Have good quality and sufficient food, water, sleep, and exercise/movement. Those are the foundation you build everything upon.

5. Rest, rest, rest. Physical, mental, emotional, creative, sensory, social, and spiritual rest are so important. Resting is self-care.

6. Don't believe everything you think. Learn the difference between the facts and your thoughts. Understand that you can decide to change your beliefs.

7. Set boundaries, with yourself and with others. Self-preservation comes before everything else.

8. Increase your capacity to withstand stress. Overwhelm is NOT normal and there are ways to come down from that constant fight/flight.

9. Put things into perspective. The thing that you're losing sleep over, will that really matter in ten years?

10. Live your purpose. Don't trap yourself in "should"s. Don't get stuck in the plans and decisions you made in the past. You get wiser as you evolve, take advantage of it.


Let me know if this list helps you understand why I keep talking about "paradigm change" :)

Categories: Burnout, Mindset, Self-compassion