Burnout & How To Beat It

There have been big changes for me (Sam) in the past year, and I’ll be honest: it’s got a bit much.

In the past 18 Months I have:

• Got through the last stages of pregnancy, pain and worry included
• Gone through a difficult birth
• Recovered from a C-section
• Returned to work at 4.5 months postpartum
• Outgrew the one bed flat we live in
• Navigated a complicated family bereavement
• Bought my first house (which was delayed by the Land Registry and I nearly missed the stamp duty deadline)
• Finally moved house (removals are packing as I write this!)
• Spent 10 months constantly learning how to be a mum
• Dealt with a family dose of norovirus last month
• Have caught every cough, cold and sniffle known to man
• Returned to the gym
• Designed a new complete package for runners of all abilities
• Made some big changes to Wisbey Osteopathy that required admin time

I have done this on very little sleep (thank you, Primrose!), while currently taking no medication for my fibromyalgia (0/10 would not recommend) and being the primary life organiser of my family while we continue to find ways to support and manage Harry’s ADHD.

An added layer is that, when you have a baby or move house, or really go through any major life change – people like to share their opinions. I am always open to being given advice, because I recognise that I do not know everything. I also recognise that I’m not always in the right mindset to receive that advice, particularly if the advice comes from a place of thinly-veiled judgement. This is where a polite “thank you, I will take that into consideration” has saved many from my hormonal wrath.

When you add all of this together, pain, sleep deprivation, several life events and a fiance that seems to have forgotten where the bin is, it is a recipe for burnout. I’m sure many of you can relate to this so I’ve drawn on my own experience to share a few tips on how to weather the storms that are particularly bumpy, and seemingly neverending.

What Does Burnout Look Like?

1. Decreased Performance – Struggling to concentrate, make decisions, or focus on tasks, reduced productivity and making more mistakes, feeling ineffective or like you’re not accomplishing anything, despite effort and scrolling on your phone or social media with no purpose more than usual.
   
2. Social Withdrawal – Isolating from friends, family, or colleagues, lack of interest in social activities you previously enjoyed, avoiding interactions and feeling disconnected from others while also not wanting to share your woes.
   
3. Increased Frustration or Irritability – Becoming easily frustrated or annoyed, often over small issues, loss of patience with tasks or people.
   
4. Self-Doubt or Negative Self-Talk – Feelings of incompetence, failure, or worthlessness, difficulty accepting praise or feeling like you’re never good enough.
   
5. Changes in Sleep and Eating Habits – Trouble sleeping or sleeping excessively, Changes in appetite, either eating too much or not enough.

What Does Burnout Feel Like?

1. Constant Exhaustion – You wake up tired, no matter how much you sleep, even small tasks feel overwhelming, your body feels heavy, sluggish, or achy.
   
2. Emotional Numbness or Detachment – You feel emotionally drained, like you’re running on autopilot, it’s hard to feel excitement or joy, even for things you once loved, you may feel detached from work, relationships, or responsibilities— almost like you’re just going through the motions.
   
3. Overwhelm & Helplessness – Everything feels like too much, even simple decisions, you feel like you can’t keep up, no matter how hard you try, a sense of helplessness, like you’re trapped with no way out.
   
4. Irritability & Frustration – Small things that didn’t used to bother you now feel unbearable, you snap at people or feel annoyed by things that normally wouldn’t phase you, there’s a low-level anger or resentment toward work, people, or even yourself.
   
5. Lack of Motivation – The things that used to excite or inspire you feel meaningless, you struggle to care about your work, hobbies, or goals, you procrastinate more because everything feels like a chore.
   
6. Brain Fog & Lack of Focus – You have trouble concentrating or remembering things, simple tasks feel confusing or overwhelming, decision-making becomes harder, and you second-guess yourself more.
   
7. Physical Symptoms – Headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, frequent colds or feeling sick often, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much but never feeling rested.
   
8. Apathy & Hopelessness – You start to question if anything really matters, a feeling of emptiness or loss of purpose, it seems impossible to see a way forward or a way to make things better, you have a sense of dread or anxiety about work or responsibilities.

How To Get Through Burnout

• Recognise The Signs – The faster you can see you’re heading for burnout, the quicker you can do something about it.
  
• Be Proactive – It’s all well and good knowing your cup is empty, but you are the only one who can start the process of getting yourself back out of that hole and finding ways to fill your cup back up.
  
• Support – This is the biggest one for me. Having a few people you can turn to for completely non-judgemental support in whatever you need. My fiance and my mum are my go-to’s, but I’m very lucky to have a handful of super close friends that are by my side in a heartbeat if I needed them, as I would be for them.
  
• Set Boundaries – I wrote a whole blog about this which you can read here. Learning to say “no”, only taking on what you can manage and sticking to designated work hours is imperative to finding space to breathe. Be prepared to upset people when you start saying “no”, but your supporters will understand and stick by you!
  
• Prioritise Rest & Recovery – Take a real break, step away from work, even if it’s just for a short period. Improve your sleep habits as much as possible, aiming for 8 hours for men, 9 hours for women (more when menstruating). Give yourself permission to do nothing because rest isn’t lazy – it’s necessary. I enjoy a calming bit of crochet, so feel free to pick up a little quiet hobby if that’s your thing.
  
• Take Care of Your Body – Introduce more exercise if you feel able, even a short walk can help reset your mind. Eat nourishing foods and avoid excessive caffeine or sugar. I’m a nightmare for reaching for the can of Monster after a few nights of poor sleep and busy days, I know better than this. Hydration is key! Fatigue, feelings of nausea and dizziness can be worsened by dehydration.
  
• Reduce Stressors – Easier said than done in most cases, but if you tackle the stuff that is within your control, or delegate jobs for other people to do then it’ll alleviate some of the burden from your shoulders. If it is outside of your control then acknowledge it’s causing you distress, accept that you currently cannot change it, and try to focus on what you can change or something that can distract you.
  
• Seek Professional Help if Needed – If burnout is severe, therapy or coaching can help you navigate recovery. While going through my NLP training I was able to unpack a lot of things that were weighing heavily on me. Sometimes, changing jobs or environments may be necessary for the sake of your health.

How Do I Prevent Burnout in the Future?

• Don’t ignore the warning signs
• Maintain a manageable workload for the majority of the time
• Continue to practice self-care habits, even when you feel better

Remember that burnout isn’t something that you “push through”, it’s a sign that something needs to change, and it needs to change fast. The key is not just to recover but to create a lifestyle where burnout doesn’t become a cycle. Start small, be kind to yourself, and prioritise your wellbeing.

Not-so-fun Fact: Burnout is more common in people with ADHD and autism due to the challenges and demands of navigating a world not designed for neurodiversity. Despite these hurdles, burnout management for our neurodiverse people isn’t out of reach, it just takes more patience and resilience.

We help many of our patients work through burnout. Sometimes through physical treatments such as massage and dry needling to relieve physical tension, osteopathy and sports therapy to treat injuries that could be affecting work or exercise performance, and NLP for emotional burdens that are weighing on you. Sometimes just having a chat with us during treatment can be helpful as we are an unbiased, non-judgemental, confidential sounding board for many of our valued patients. It’s all part of the service!