Burnout Recovery: Removing Stressors - the First Step
Burnout recovery is a journey that requires profound changes in both external circumstances and internal responses. One of the most crucial steps is to address and remove the stressors that initially caused the symptoms. In my previous article ‘the physiology of burnout’, we looked at the ways in which chronic stress continuously activates the’ fight or flight’ response of our nervous system, leading to elevated cortisol levels, which cause widespread hormonal imbalances as well as dysfunction in multiple body systems.
In order to reverse the effects of burnout, it is critical to halt the ongoing damage by removing the stressors that are the root cause of this dysfunction. In this article we’ll take a look at why removing stressors is essential, and explore some practical tips for doing so.
Removing Stressors to Allow for Recovery
The first and arguably the most crucial step in recovering from burnout is to identify and then remove or significantly reduce the sources of chronic stress. When stressors are removed, the body has a chance to normalize cortisol levels, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system - responsible for "rest and digest" functions. The body can only begin healing when it is not under continuous threat.
Physiological Benefits of Removing Stressors:
Normalization of Hormones: By reducing stress, the body gradually lowers cortisol levels. This reduction allows other hormones, such as serotonin, melatonin, and thyroid hormones, to return to their normal ranges, which improves mood, sleep, energy, and metabolic functions.
Immune System Recovery: With the reduction of chronic stress, the immune system is no longer suppressed by elevated cortisol, which allows for better defence against infections and a decrease in systemic inflammation.
Improved Cognitive Function: Removing stress allows the prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain responsible for executive function - to recover, leading to better decision-making, concentration, and emotional regulation.
Steps to Removing Stressors:
Recovery from burnout isn’t simply about rest; it’s also about reevaluating the stressors that are leading to sustained cortisol production. To remove these stressors effectively, one must take a proactive approach:
Recognize You Are in Burnout: Unfortunately, it is all too common for people to brush the symptoms of burnout aside until they are burnt to a crisp and unable to carry on any longer. It’s all too easy to blame physical and mental fatigue on ‘a difficult week’ or ‘that cold that’s going around’. But if these symptoms are persistent and unrelenting, if you find you don’t have energy for even the things you enjoy, then it’s time to consider burnout. The sooner these symptoms are recognized, the sooner they can be treated and lifestyle modifications made to address the underlying causes.
Identify Stressors: Take a good, long and honest look at your life. What causes you stress? This could be work deadlines, unrealistic expectations, poor relationships, or even internal pressures like perfectionism. Try to rank them by their impact on your well-being. Writing them down is a useful exercise—it helps to visualize and understand what exactly is draining your energy. If this seems daunting, enlist the help of a loved one or friend to help you.
Remove or Reduce Exposure to Stressors: While not all stressors can be entirely eliminated, many can be minimized. For example, if work is the primary source of stress, consider having a conversation with your manager about workload adjustments, taking a temporary leave of absence, or exploring a different role. In relationships, setting firm limits on availability and emotional energy can reduce interpersonal stress.
Delegate and Share Responsibilities: One common source of stress is trying to handle everything alone. Whenever possible, delegate tasks—whether at work or home. Asking for help doesn’t indicate weakness; rather, it shows an understanding of one’s limits, which is essential for burnout prevention and recovery.
Create Healthy Boundaries
Once you have identified the stressors in your life, you can begin to reduce them by strengthening your boundaries. Burnout is often the result of extended periods of overcommitment, poor work-life balance, or the inability to say no to demands that exceed one’s capacity. Setting boundaries is critical in defining what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of workload, responsibilities, and personal time. For many people in burnout, this is not a skill they have in abundance, but it can be learned.
How Boundaries Help in Burnout Recovery:
Reducing Overcommitment: By setting clear boundaries, individuals can reduce the pressure they place on themselves to fulfill too many tasks at once. Minimizes cortisol production, allowing the body to move toward a more balanced state.
Restoring Personal Space: Boundaries help reclaim personal space, enabling individuals to engage in restorative and enjoyable activities, activating the parasympathetic nervous system and promoting relaxation. This counteracts the sympathetic activation caused by stress.
Protecting Emotional Well-being: Healthy boundaries allow individuals to separate their identity and self-worth from external pressures, particularly in professional settings. This separation reduces anxiety and over-identification with work, allowing the amygdala - the part of the brain responsible for emotional processing - to become less hyperactive.
Practical Steps to Establish Boundaries:
Learn to Say No: One of the most powerful ways to set boundaries is by learning to say no. This is especially important in workplace settings or relationships where there is a pattern of unreasonable expectations.
Communicate Clearly: Clearly communicate needs and limits with colleagues, family, and friends. This may involve asking for help, requesting more time to complete tasks, or simply explaining when something is beyond your capacity.
Set Time Limits: Define specific working hours and avoid checking work emails outside those hours. Personal time should be respected as crucial for recovery.
Practicing Self-Compassion
Setting healthy boundaries is about your relationships with other people, but in order to truly recover, you need to look at your relationship with yourself. There is no amount of self-recrimination, anger, shame, or guilt that ever healed anyone. If you treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and patience - especially in times of difficulty or perceived failure, you will break the cycle of self-criticism that often exacerbates stress.
Physiological Benefits of Self-Compassion:
Reduction of Stress Hormones: Practicing self-compassion has been shown to reduce cortisol levels. Unlike chronic self-criticism, which perpetuates the stress response, self-compassion promotes the release of oxytocin – a hormone that has calming effects on the nervous system and helps counteract stress hormones.
Balanced Nervous System: Self-compassion reduces sympathetic nervous system activation. When individuals treat themselves kindly, the parasympathetic nervous system is more active, facilitating relaxation, improved digestion, and reduced muscle tension.
Ways to Practice Self-Compassion:
Reframe Negative Thoughts: When feelings of guilt, failure, or inadequacy arise, reframe these thoughts as opportunities for learning. Recognize that being human involves imperfection and that everyone experiences setbacks.
Engage in Self-Soothing Activities: Engage in activities that bring comfort - this could be anything from taking a warm bath, enjoying a cup of tea, practicing meditation, or taking a nature walk. These activities help the body release oxytocin and shift from a state of heightened stress to a state of relaxation.
Be Your Own Best Friend: When faced with difficulty, ask yourself, "What would I say to a friend in this situation?" Then offer yourself the same empathy and understanding you would extend to others.
Putting It All Together: The Path Forward
Removing stressors, establishing boundaries, and practicing self-compassion are all interconnected steps in burnout recovery. By removing stressors, you create space for your body to recover physiologically—from reducing cortisol levels to calming an overactive nervous system. Setting healthy boundaries ensures that this space is respected, preventing a return to old patterns that caused burnout in the first place. Finally, self-compassion allows for emotional healing, replacing self-criticism with self-kindness, which not only aids recovery but also builds resilience against future stressors.
Burnout is a result of persistent imbalance—one in which demands consistently exceed resources, leading to exhaustion, detachment, and a decreased sense of accomplishment. By removing stressors, we tackle the root of the issue. By setting boundaries, we protect our well-being and ensure that the conditions that led to burnout do not return. And by practicing self-compassion, we allow ourselves to heal, acknowledging that we are not machines designed to run indefinitely but human beings who need rest, care, and understanding.
Recovery from burnout is a process that takes time and intentional effort. But by making these changes, individuals can not only recover but also prevent future burnout, leading to a healthier, more balanced, and fulfilling life.
Rebecca
PS - If you missed the first two articles in this series, you can read them here: