The road to recovery can be time-consuming, long, and winding at times. If you ask someone who is currently on their recovery journey about their experience, you may notice that it requires a lot of concentration, dedication, and endurance.
In recovery, you must face obstacles from time to time, and it is natural to become exhausted or burned out after a while. Recovery burnout is common, and you should not feel guilty if you are struggling with it. However, knowing more about it and how to deal with it can help you keep your recovery going in the long run.
What Exactly Is Recovery Burnout?
Burnout is a condition of exhaustion that affects both the body and the mind. It can happen if you are under a lot of stress or have done a lot of physically or emotionally demanding healing work.
You may be struggling with recovery burnout if:
- You feel as if every day you work on your recovery goals is a bad day
- You do not enjoy or care about your recovery, and you may even be unhappy about your progress
- You feel dissatisfied with your life
- You feel fatigued most of the time
- You do not have as much patience with others as you used to
- Your recovery obligations are making you feel overwhelmed
- You have physical symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, insomnia, or heart palpitations
Learning to Overcome Recovery Burnout
Burnout does not go away on its own; instead, it worsens until the underlying issues that are causing it are addressed. Ignoring burnout will only inflict you more harm in the long run. Therefore, it is essential to learn how to get to the other side of burnout.
Recovery can be a long process, with no definitive finish line. You will need time and space to recover, and it is crucial to give yourself these things and not rush through the process. Doing so will help you avoid burnout in the first place.
The techniques described below are all applicable in a variety of scenarios to help you overcome recovery burnout. Some of these techniques may be effective for you, whereas others may not be the ideal combination of strategies for you. If something does not seem to be working, do not be afraid to try something different.
To help yourself overcome burnout, try:
#1. Examining the “Why” of Burnout
The first step to overcoming burnout is determining why you feel burned out in the first place. First, examine any feelings of anger or resentment you have towards your recovery. Consider any negative sentiments you have towards recovery. Keeping a stress journal is also an excellent tool to help you discover the root of your burnout.
Once you have discovered the root of your burnout, list at least one strategy to control or remove that source of stress or dissatisfaction. Doing so may require help from a mental health professional, sponsor, or someone else who has experienced recovery burnout.
#2. Reframing Your Point of View About Recovery
When you feel recovery burnout, it may be a result of a skewed point of view regarding recovery. You may see recovery as a laundry list of things you need to do in order to heal and be okay.
However, recovery does not have to be seen in this light. Instead, you can reframe your point of view surrounding recovery. Recovery is a long process that takes time, and not everything needs to be done at once. Whatever you are capable of at the moment will help you get to your end goal.
#3. Rethinking Your Priorities
Take some time to consider your aspirations, objectives, and desires. Is there something you are missing out on that is essential to you and your wellbeing? Are you working on recovery tasks that are not propelling you towards your goals? If so, it may be time to rethink your recovery priorities.
In recovery, it is also crucial to define your limits and learn not to put too much pressure on yourself. If work is getting in the way of your recovery and causing burnout, learn to say “no” to time-consuming demands. If family obligations are making recovery seem like a daunting task, seek help from your partner, friends, or family.
Overcoming burnout also requires you to take care of yourself and prioritize your mental and physical well-being. Ensure that you are getting enough rest, taking a break from electronics and social media, and engaging in the activities that bring you joy.
#4. Making an Effort to Think Positively
Burnout can create a downward spiral of negative thoughts. However, this can be avoided by learning to think positively.
It might be challenging to cultivate the habit of optimistic thinking while you are recovering from burnout. One easy way you can add happiness to your life is by performing random acts of kindness in recovery and your outside life. Kindness can help you foster optimism in your everyday life.
Recovery can be a long and time-consuming process at times. As a result, you may experience recovery burnout at some point in your journey. Recovery burnout is normal but can feel overwhelming. Luckily, you are capable of overcoming recovery burnout through various techniques. To help yourself get out of burnout, you can try examining the “why” of burnout, reframing your point of view about recovery, rethinking your priorities, and making an effort to think positively. At Achieve Concierge, we are experienced professionals working to bring peace to people dealing with various mental health disorders. We create individualized treatment plans for each patient as everyone deals with different issues. Our doctors and professionals make sure to treat our patients with extra care and affection, according to their needs. If you or a loved one are struggling with a mental health disorder, Achieve Concierge is here to help. Call us today at (619) 393-5871.