Five Tips to Help Manage Burnout

1. Recognize the Signs of Burnout 

Burnout often shows subtle signs such as fatigue, irritability or difficulty concentrating. Over time, burnout can show up as: 

• Ongoing exhaustion 
• Feeling detached or cynical about work 
• Reduced motivation or sense of purpose 

If you’re recognizing some of these signs, take a moment to check in with yourself. Ask: 

• “Do I find it hard to concentrate?” 
• “Have my sleep habits or mood changed?” 
• “Is it hard to stay engaged or motivated?” 

A “yes” to these questions may indicate that it’s a good time to focus on your self-care.  

2. Assess Your Wellness Domains for Balance 

Burnout’s effects extend beyond work, impacting multiple areas of your life — so it’s important to maintain balance. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers Eight Dimensions of Wellness — recommendations for specific areas people can focus on to help them feel better and live longer.  

The domains of wellness include: 

• Social wellness 
• Emotional wellness 
• Physical wellness 
• Intellectual wellness 
• Spiritual wellness 
• Occupational wellness 
• Financial wellness 
• Environmental wellness 

Burnout from work falls under the “Occupational Wellness” umbrella but can quickly affect other domains, like your financial, emotional and social wellnesses.  

When one of these domains is under strain, the others will be strained too. When you’re feeling burnt out, take stock of your wellness domains. What domains need support more than others? How is your burnout affecting other domains? 

Once you better understand your own wellbeing, you’ll be prepared to create a self-care plan.  

3. Build a Personalized Self-Care Plan 

A self-care plan doesn’t need to be complicated. Start small and focus on what is achievable within your daily routine.  

Choose activities that address each of the wellness domains you’d like to focus on. You don’t necessarily need to focus on every domain, instead, choose the ones that you feel you need more support in.  

Some activities for your self-care plan may include: 

• Taking a short walk or stepping outside for fresh air 
• Scheduling time for focused, uninterrupted work without meetings 
• Prioritizing getting good sleep and rest 
• Setting boundaries around communication after work hours 

These activities should give you energy, enjoyment, rest and balance. Reduce stress, don’t add to it. 

4. Set Boundaries and Protect Your Time 

It seems we are always connected. Even when we aren’t working, our phones are buzzing with notifications, multiple tasks and responsibilities are taking up your attention, and sometimes it feels like there’s just too much to do in the day.  

One of the most important ways to manage burnout is to protect your time and energy with boundaries. 

Consider some small changes that can have a big impact: 

• Build short breaks between meetings to breathe and reset. 
• Clarify your priorities. What is urgent? What can wait?  
• Limit unnecessary notifications. Unsubscribe from email lists you don’t read, schedule quiet focus time or only check your notifications at certain times of the day, instead of every time you hear a ping.  

There will always be tasks that need to get done. But setting boundaries and reducing the constant sense of urgency makes it easier to recharge and prevent burnout.  

5. Reach Out — The Importance of Social Networks 

Don’t manage burnout alone. It’s important to identify people in your life that you can talk to when feeling overwhelmed, anxious or sad. Talking with someone you trust can provide relief, perspective and support.  

Who should you talk to about burnout? Try:  

• A friend or family member 
• Colleagues or supervisors 
• Your organization’s HR department or Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) 
• Mental health professionals 

Open conversations about stress and burnout normalize these experiences and reduce the stigma around feelings of overwhelm. 

How Mental Health First Aid Helps Prevent Burnout 

Preventing burnout doesn’t require completely overhauling your routines. It starts with small, consistent changes that reduce stress, improve productivity and help restore your energy and sense of purpose. 

Remember that everybody’s self-care plan and ways of addressing burnout will be different. It’s important to find what works for you.  

Talking to someone you trust is one of the best ways to manage burnout, especially if that person knows how to respond supportively. 

That’s what Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches: how to listen supportively and act as the first line of intervention for a mental health or substance use challenge. Burnout can happen to anyone — so everyone should be prepared to help those in need. 

And while individual self-care is crucial, burnout is often shaped by how work is structured. That’s why it’s essential for organizations to support healthier ways of working. 

MHFA can help organizations take this next step. The program provides practical, skills-based training to: 

• Recognize and respond to the signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use challenge. 
• Prevent burnout. 
• Reduce mental health stigma. 
• Promote a culture of mental wellbeing. 

When people are equipped with the right tools, burnout is preventable. By taking the small steps to care for yourself and those around you, you can begin to break the cycle and create a more sustainable path forward.