Beat Burnout: Strategies for Rest, Recovery, and Resetting
The Thanksgiving weekend is over here in Canada, as is the busy push of fall. In Alberta, our teachers were on strike, and the kids were home for an undetermined period. It feels a bit like a fever dream from the COVID era.
With everything going on, how do you recover from a busy period and reset?
Many people find themselves thinking “there is too much to do and not enough time” on a regular basis. After a weekend of cooking, socializing, and making memories, we’re left feeling behind in our routines and exhausted. If the weekend itself wasn’t already overwhelming, the days following can certainly feel this way.
In the past, I wouldn’t give a thought to rest, recovery, and resetting after a busy period. I would have pushed through, despite being depleted, because I would have felt like other people needed me. I would feel pressure to get groceries, cook, clean the house, keep everyone entertained, and even get some work done for my business.
However, this is the exact mindset that leads to burnout, because we don’t pay attention to what we’re thinking and feeling.
Now, I anticipate feeling tired, do a body scan to see how I’m doing physically, and ask myself how I’m feeling. It’s very normal to feel like you’re at 50% capacity (or less) after a busy weekend. I imagine this is how a marathon runner would feel after running a race. No one would expect the athlete to keep running marathons for the rest of the week. There would be a period of rest, a time of light workouts to recover, and then a plan to return to full training, adding anything learned during the experience.
I want to give you something useful — here are some strategies to help you manage the overwhelm after a busy period.
The first is to have empathy for yourself. You’re allowed to feel your feelings and care for them. You’re allowed to be physically tired, too. You’ve worked hard!
Next, make a plan. Write down all of the things you think you need to do today. Don’t forget the things you don’t usually think of as tasks but still take up time, like showering, making the day’s meals, talking to people, etc.
Now, prioritize your list. What absolutely has to get done? This is important because we usually procrastinate on the things that we have to do so that we can do things that are more fun. This creates more overwhelm later in the day, so don’t do that to yourself! Then expect to get only your top three things done. This idea will potentially cause some anxiety, but sit with it. Allow yourself to feel it and to let it pass. You are building your emotional resilience!
This is a day (or week) of rest and recovery.
Take it easy. It means that things won’t get done, and some things will need to wait until next week. And you won’t make yourself sick by pushing and pushing; you’ll be in a better mood, more productive, and more inspired when you’re rested.
And … everything will be okay.
Once you’ve had a moment to rest and recover, think about resetting.
What have you learned from the busy time?
What do you want the next few months before Christmas to look like?
What will you do differently?
I’ve learned to constrain, delegate, and ask for help. Most of us have more ideas about what we can get accomplished than time or energy to do it all. It’s hard to accept that I can’t do it all, but it also makes me more intentional. Then I consider who can help. I often perceive my family and friends as being very busy, but asking for help and delegating are game-changers.
The thought that often gets in my way of asking for help is that I don’t want to burden other people. On the other hand, when people ask me for help, I’m happy to do so. If I can’t or don’t want to do it, I say no. So, this process requires me to let go of control and trust that people will be honest with me.
Now, I’m going to plan ahead.
It’s the final quarter of the year…
How do you want to finish 2025, without burning out?
How do you want to thrive during this teacher’s strike?
How do you want to prepare for the busy December season?
If you have family at home, ask them these questions too. Get their help to accomplish these goals! We often feel overwhelmed when we try to do everything ourselves, so getting help is a great idea.
Planning ahead feels like investing time we don’t have in the moment, but it gives you so much time in the future. Your future self will thank you!
Once you've done some planning, invest some time putting these things in your calendar and hold people accountable with love (including yourself).
I want to be productive but also have constraints.
This means that I need to consistently work towards my goals in small ways every day, while paying attention to my energy level. I also talked to my family about scaling back on organized Christmas activities this year. I typically host most events, and this year I only want to do the bare minimum. This means we'll have room to do nothing or do spontaneous things that arise. There will be a little less “have to” and a little more “love to.”
I intend to love the last quarter of 2025.
I want to do lots of things I love to do, and spend time with people who are important to me. I don’t want to overwork, but be more efficient and intentionally productive. This will give me lots of unstructured time, rest, and a life that is more sustainable long term. I’ll be happier and more fulfilled, which will make me and everyone around me happier!
