Does this sound like you? You wake up and dread going to work, you sleep for 8+ hours a night and are still exhausted, the thought of doing anything extra drains you, all you want to do is go home and take a nap, then you hop into bed… and either can’t fall asleep or go to sleep just to wake up the same way tomorrow.
This is one of the key symptoms of burnout.
This perpetual state of exhaustion causes you to desire rest but it is always somehow unattainable.
It is at this point that it is important to examine our view of rest.
Dr. Dalton Smith suggests 7 types of rest which I have included to help you recover from burnout. It is important that we experience more than just physical rest, as we are more than just our physical bodies.
A more well-rounded view of rest might look like:
1. Physical rest – Which can be passive or active
Passive: getting enough sleep or taking naps,
Active: stretching or getting a massage
2. Mental rest – Scheduling breaks in your work day, taking time to enjoy activities outside of work and having a shutdown ritual to transition or having a notepad beside your bed to right down nagging thoughts
3. Social rest – Spending time with people who fuel you and give you energy, take time to be alone when needed
4. Spiritual rest – meditate, volunteer, take a walk outdoors, faith-based activities
5. Sensory rest – take a break from social media, limit video conferencing, create a relaxing environment with sensory items you enjoy like candles
6. Emotional rest – Spend more time with people who you can be your authentic self around, speak to a therapist to address emotional labour
7. Creative rest – take in a sunset/sunrise, go to a museum, listen to music, read books
I specialize in working with a variety of different types of burnout, from work burnout to caregiver burnout to parental burnout. Click to learn more about how I help people recover from burnout.
Many people ask me “how long does it take to recover from burnout?” Unfortunately, this is not a question I can answer, especially in a short post, but recovering from burnout starts with little steps in the right direction.
So I encourage you to do a self-check in, “what kind of rest do I need?”
- Brianne Rivard, MA, BA, Therapist
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash
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