Coping with burnout and regaining your productivity

Let go of your guilt

The first and foremost thing to do when you feel far from being productive is to stop thinking how bad it is.

And it doesn't matter at all why the crisis happened. Maybe you had good reasons for this, for example, family problems, or major changes in your life, or illness. Maybe you just overworked and now you need recovery time. It doesn't matter, because the fact is that feeling guilty in this situation will not help you in any way. On the contrary, it will prevent you from gaining motivation.

Guilt arises from a distorted perception: you see only mistakes and shortcomings, not noticing the successes and significance of the efforts being made. There is no benefit from this.

In theory, it’s easy to understand that guilt feelings are useless. It's much harder to stop experiencing it. Start writing down everything that you are supposedly to blame, or tell someone about it. For the most part, the reasons are so ridiculous that after that you can no longer take them seriously. Understand that letting guilt control you will not help you achieve your goals or improve.

In short, guilt deserves nothing but ignore. Write down your thoughts, speak them out loud, talk to a friend - use whatever means you can to get rid of her.

Prioritize

Trying too hard to get yourself back to your normal productive life will quickly drain your energy.

Instead, think about how you can achieve productivity in different areas of your life in different ways. You can exercise, go to bed on time, start work early, complete your own project, call friends or family, keep a diary or blog, see a counselor, keep your workplace clean, take a break, cook your own dinner, or read a book.

Choose one thing and go to that goal. Do not try to succeed at everything at once, otherwise you will simply burn out.

Work on one task and you don't waste too much energy on it. Achieving one, even a small goal, will help regain self-confidence and give strength.

Focus on small changes

Perhaps you want to go back to your morning routine, your daily writing habit, or regular exercise. Fine.

First, reach the first level of productivity. For example, if on your most productive day you wrote 1,500 words or more, make it a goal to write 300 words a day. Achieve it gradually, and then increase the standards.

You will move through small changes and achievements. This will bring the desired result, and at the same time, you will not drain your internal resources.

Visualize productivity

The hardest part of getting out of the crisis + burnout regime is finding motivation again. A drop in productivity makes your confidence and inspiration go to zero. And if there is no motivation, it is very difficult to return to the usual regime with only sheer willpower.

Pick one aspect where you want to be highly productive. Imagine how you go through each step in this direction.

Introduce this process in as much detail as you can. Think over the details. Visualize each step, the tools you will be using, the potential difficulties.

Some people find it easier to write than imagine it. Take a piece of paper and write down your thoughts in first person in present tense: "I wake up at 6 am, lace up my sneakers, go for a run …"

It doesn't take more than 10 minutes to render. If you can do it two or three times a day, even better. You yourself will notice how strength, desire, and motivation will appear. Basically, it's a way to regain lost confidence. In your mind, you show yourself who you are and who you can be. Do not hurry. Visualize as much as you can and then start taking the specific actions and steps that you envisioned.

Plan every task

There is a softer approach. It is ideal for those who are still under pressure to get back to business. Take a notebook or even a small piece of paper. Think about one thing you can do in 15 minutes or less. If you have a large task to complete, break it down into smaller pieces that won't take long.

Write down the assignment as if you have already done it:

I just wrote two paragraphs for a blog post.
I washed the dishes.
I just paid my bills.
I did a short run.
I answered two letters.

Then set a timer for 15 minutes and work on the assignment you wrote down. When the time runs out and the timer beeps, you can complete the task if you didn't have time to finish it, or leave it as it is. Partial fulfillment is also an achievement. Key point: you started doing what you wrote down. You have planned a task, set a time for execution and done it.

If you just write down the next thing and do it, then by the end of the day, a lot of the planned work will be done. You don't need to overexert yourself or waste too much energy. Just pick one task, set the time, work on it, and move on to the next. You will train yourself to plan and carry out what is planned.

Look for a friend or mentor for support

Or both. There is never a lot of support when you are trying to be productive again. Think about the area in which you want to achieve results and who could help you along the way.

For example, find a friend who will go jogging with you several times a week. Meet online in professional communities, ask questions, just communicate with people who also want to be more productive.

Don't be afraid to seek professional help. A coach, mentor, psychotherapist, or counselor can help you plan a sensible course of action, gain a better understanding of what you might need, and overcome obstacles that have stopped you before. Seminars and courses will give you new knowledge and help you improve techniques and productivity in specific areas.

If you are ready to work on yourself to become productive, you can move up a level, not just return to the past.

Do not give up

It will take time to return to normal mode. Realize that there are not only successes ahead, but also obstacles that will need to be overcome. And that's okay, the main thing is to stick to the course.

If you understand that your life gets better when you are productive, then the struggle is worth it. And each step on the path of progress greatly facilitates the next. The most difficult thing is to do the first one and get out of this hole. So keep this step small, very simple. And then strength, energy and motivation will return to you, and you will again find solid ground under your feet.