12 Stages of Burnout and How to Recover from It

The line between dedication and exhaustion is incredibly thin. As professionals, we’re often conditioned to push ourselves to the absolute limit, equating relentless, grinding work hours with success. We wear our busy-ness like a badge of honor. But at what point does this very drive push us over the edge?

Adam Grant describes it perfectly: “The core of burnout is emotional exhaustion, feeling so depleted and drained, you just don’t have anything left to give your job.”

Many of us have felt this at some point. You might be deep in it right now, or you might suspect some of your employees are in it.

It’s important to say that while burnout is a systemic issue, recovery is entirely possible. The first step to recovery is diagnosing exactly where you or your employees are today. In this article, I’ll walk you through the 12 stages of burnout. By recognizing these employee burnout signs and understanding the root causes, you can take deliberate action to pull out of this emotional chasm.

12 Stages of Burnout                                

Source: https://www.gabekwakyi.com/essays/warning-signs-of-burnout-the-12-stages-of-burnout

Recognizing and labeling these employee burnout signs is the first step towards changing your current reality.

1. The Compulsion to Prove Oneself: You often feel the need to constantly validate your worth and overextend yourself.
2. Working Harder: You can’t disconnect, often working during off-hours and taking on too many tasks.
3. Neglecting Needs: You often forget basic needs like eating or socializing, prioritizing work over well-being.
4. Displacement of Conflicts: You avoid addressing issues, often attributing problems to "just stress" and becoming defensive.
5. Revision of Values: Work dominates your personal life, overshadowing relationships and interests.
6. Denial of Problems: You blame others and overlook your increasing stress and irritability.
7. Withdrawal: You prefer solitude, avoiding social events with friends and family, and possibly turning to substances for comfort.
8. Odd Behavioral Changes: You act out of character, with noticeable mood swings or impulsive decisions.
9. Depersonalization: You feel detached, viewing achievements as mere tasks.
10. Inner Emptiness: You feel a void, resorting to various means to fill it, signaling a need for help.
11. Depression: You feel constantly drained, hopeless about the future, and struggle with motivation.
12. Burnout Syndrome: You're at a critical point, feeling overwhelmed and possibly experiencing burnout and severe anxiety.

7 Ways to Recover from Burnout and Regain Your Productivity

Did you recognize some of those behaviors within yourself? Can you identify which stage you might be at?

The point of labeling these behaviors is not to add on to the emotional toll, but to recognize what in particular is causing your burnout. 

Anne Helen Petersen, an American writer and journalist, said in her book Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, “With burnout, there’s no catharsis. There’s no finishing the marathon; everything in your life flattens into one long to-do-list.”

Burnout can happen when your work becomes depleted of meaning. When we spend the majority of our waking hours on work, it’s no surprise how defeating it can feel and how burnout leaks into all parts of our life. 

You’re not alone. Burnout is very common, but that doesn’t mean it should be. Here are seven ways you can begin to recover from burnout and regain your productivity and your connection to work.

1. Check In With Yourself

Before diving into your tasks, take a moment to reflect:

• How do you feel about your job right now? 
• Are you dedicating time to projects that resonate with your values? 
• Are you evolving in your role? 
• Gauge your energy levels. Do you feel a connection to your tasks and with your colleagues? 
• If there's one thing you could change to boost your happiness, what would it be? 

Self-awareness is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence and personal growth. Regularly checking in with yourself allows you to align decisions with values and guide career fulfillment.

2. Go Back to What You Can Control

Source: https://pragmaticthinking.com/blog/locus-of-control/

Many feel overwhelmed by trying to achieve a lot with limited resources. The Sphere of Control concept helps you focus on what you can change, boosting resilience and well-being. 

It's especially beneficial for those with marginalized identities or less organizational power.

Sphere of Control in Four Steps:

1. Name the Situation: Identify what's causing your stress or frustration.
2. Outside Your Control: Recognize factors you can't change, like societal issues or others' attitudes.
3. Inside Your Control: Determine what you can control and what you can influence, from mindset shifts to actionable steps.
4. Act: Take one step within your control to regain a sense of agency.

3. Improve Your Energy Levels

Your energy levels impact your emotional state and ability to manage stress. When you feel physically and mentally depleted, coping with challenges and staying resilient becomes harder.  You can better handle stressors and maintain an optimistic mindset when you’re energized and focused.

There are three layers to your energy: 

• Physical layer: How much sleep you're getting, physical activity you’re doing, and what you're eating and drinking.
• Emotional layer: How emotionally stable you feel such as, calm, anxious, angry, etc.
• Mental layer: Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. Your mental energy is only achievable if you have the physical and emotional energy. It's having the stamina to lead.

Here are a few tips to improve each of your energy layers.

• Physical: How would you rate your physical health on a scale of 1 to 10? Do you exercise or eat healthy foods? What do you need to do to optimize your sleep? After checking in with yourself, experiment with small tweaks you can make to your routine. ‍
• Emotional: Do you find it hard to keep emotionally balanced? If so, what helps you feel more balanced? Is it meditation? Gratitude journaling? Deep breathing? Or listening to your favorite songs? Choose one that works for you.
• ‍Mental: Identify what's distracting you the most right now. Consider examining your work environment. Are you distracted by social media? Noises around you? Messy desk? Write down one distraction you want to eliminate this week.

Pro Tip: Changing behaviors and routines require consistency. How are you going to remember to stick with it? Setting an alarm? Blocking time on calendar? Writing it on a sticky note? Use one method that works for you, and be consistent.

4. Set Boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries is essential for work-life balance and productivity. Research from the University of Illinois indicates that those with greater boundary control over their work and personal lives were better at creating a stress buffer, protecting them from negative rumination.

Managing boundaries can be challenging, especially for people with multiple responsibilities and complex interpersonal dynamics.

4 Tips to Set Boundaries and Make Them Work:

• Saying No: Learning to say no without feeling guilty is essential. Saying no can help focus and prioritize tasks. People respect others who are able to say no. 
• Resetting Expectations: Sometimes, you need to reset expectations you previously set, especially if they cause stress or conflict. 
• Blocking Breaks on Your Calendar: Taking breaks is crucial for mental well-being and productivity. Research by Microsoft found that back-to-back meetings can decrease focus and engagement. I recommend blocking time in your calendar for breaks.
• Setting Personal Boundaries: As a manager, it's essential to prioritize your own needs and well-being. Give yourself permission, choose your boundaries, and communicate these boundaries to your team.

5. Use Quick De-stress Techniques

When we’re in the thick of a stressful day, our bodies often enter a state of "fight or flight." Cortisol spikes and breathing becomes shallow. When this happens, you can’t simply think your way out of burnout. You have to physically calm your nervous system first.

Here are 4 simple, science-backed ways you can consciously hack your nervous system and destress in under 5 minutes:

• Cyclic Physiological Sighing: Take two deep inhales through your nose to completely fill your lungs, followed by a long, full exhale out of your mouth. Doing this for just a few minutes relaxes you and improves your mood.
• Box Breathing: Calm your nervous system by inhaling through your nose for a count of 4, holding for 4, exhaling for 4, and holding again for 4.
• Physical Stimulation: You can activate your vagus nerve (which controls your body's relaxation response) by giving yourself a quick neck massage or doing simple chair stretches, like reaching for the ceiling and bending to your side.
• Visualization: Close your eyes, place your hands over your chest, and focus on a single positive word. Visualize that word as a color, and imagine inhaling its healing energy to soothe your worries.

6. Delegate Tasks

Delegating can be uncomfortable and challenging. Maybe you don't want to burden your team members, feel like you're doing mundane tasks, or believe it's just faster to do it yourself. 

However, delegating tasks comes with more pros than cons. When you delegate, you have more capacity to focus on high-impact tasks, help your team members grow, build trust among the team, and increase overall productivity. 

But delegating can be tricky for some people. How do you delegate while making sure you feel confident letting go?

We have a simple delegation framework to help you through:

Elevate’s Delegation Matrix:

• WHAT: Define the task clearly. For example, planning and leading a values exercise with the team. Specify the desired outcome, success criteria, and any timelines or constraints.
• WHY: Explain the purpose of the task and its broader context. Also, explain why you chose that specific individual for the job. For example, “The reason I trust you to lead this important exercise with the team is because I feel like we’re getting a bit detached from what is important to us and you’re a very thoughtful facilitator.”
• HOW: Discuss the method of accomplishing the task, milestones, resource allocation, and reprioritization. The level of direction depends on the delegate's seniority or comfort-level with the task.
• CHECKS: Ensure clarity by having the delegatee summarize the task. Design check-ins and feedback mechanisms. Address any questions or concerns.

7. Seek Support and Connection

You don’t have to walk alone. Seeking support and connecting with others is a sign of strength and self-awareness. Here’s how to effectively seek support:

• Reach Out to Your Network: Connect with family, friends, or colleagues. Share your feelings and experiences with them. Sometimes, just talking about it can provide relief and a fresh perspective. They can offer emotional support, advice, or even just a listening ear.‍
• Engage with Your Manager: If work is the source of your burnout, have a conversation with your manager. Be honest about your feelings and struggles. Discuss possible solutions like delegating tasks, taking time off, or adjusting your workload.
• ‍Consider Professional Help: If your feelings of burnout are persistent, seeking help from a therapist or counselor can be beneficial. Professionals can provide tailored strategies and tools to manage and overcome burnout.

You're Your Most Important Project

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a signal that your current reality is unsustainable.

Whether you’re just entering the "Working Harder" stage or deep into "Inner Emptiness," recovery starts with a single, deliberate choice to put yourself first. You can’t lead othersif your own battery is completely empty.

Frequently Asked Questions about Burnout

Q: How do I know if I'm burned out vs. just stressed?

A: Burnout and stress are closely related, but they show up differently in your daily behavior and motivation. When you’re stressed, you’re typically dealing with a feeling of being overwhelmed, frantic, and reactive. Burnout, on the other hand, shows up primarily as a loss of your motivation and confidence.

Key signs that you’re on the edge of burnout include feeling bored by what you’re working on, feeling disillusioned, feeling a lack of career progression, or realizing it’s been a long time since you took a real vacation

Q: Is it burnout or am I in the wrong job?

A: To distinguish between burnout and a wrong job, run three diagnostic checks:

1. Pervasiveness: If it’s burnout, you feel exhausted everywhere. The activities you normally enjoy feel like an insurmountable effort. If it’s the wrong job, you feel demotivated when you’re working, but when you clock out, your energy for your personal passions return.
2. The Reset Test: If it’s burnout, a short vacation gives you a brief window of relief, but the moment you think about returning to work, the crushing fatigue comes back. If it’s the wrong job, you feel a persistent emptiness even if you’re completely rested, healthy and calm. 
3. The Magic Wand: Imagine your manager cuts your workload in half, eliminates all your blockers, grants you full autonomy and provides absolute clarity.
   
   • If it’s burnout, your immediate reaction is a huge sense of relief. You realize you actually care about the work you do, you just need a breathing room.
   • If it’s the wrong job, you would still feel unfulfilled. 

Q: Do I need to quit or can I recover while staying?

Yes, you can absolutely recover while staying in your job (if it’s not the wrong job). To figure out if recovery is possible in your current situation, you need to implement a proactive personal recovery plan. Here’s how we operationalize that in Elevate:

1. Rebuild Your Three Energy Levels: Address your physical energy by protecting your sleep cycles and breaks. Turn off distractions and clear clutters for your mental energy. Use quick destressing techniques to protect your emotional energy.
2. Establish Explicit Boundaries: Say no and reset expectations with your manager or team members. Identify high-impact tasks that require deep focus and block time for the explicitly, marking yourself as busy.

As you actively implement these strategies for at least 4 weeks, pay close attention to how your manager and teammates respond. Stay and recover if they respect your recovery plan. Plan your exit if they completely reject it.