Self-care to prevent and manage burnout

Learn how to recognize burnout and start feeling better.

What is self-care?

Self-care is the commitments, behaviors, habits and actions you do to preserve and maintain your well-being. The goal of self-care is to set yourself up for success and to be your best self — physically, mentally and emotionally.

What is burnout?

Burnout can happen when chronic stress isn’t managed. You might feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted and unable to meet demands. It can leave you feeling drained and can affect your energy levels at home, at work and in your social life. If you avoid addressing burnout, you might feel fine at first, but you may feel worse in the long term. Practicing self-care consistently helps to protect against stress and burnout.

Self-care is different for everyone. Some great examples include:

Going for a walk on your own
Taking a quiet yoga class
Playing a game with your family
Going dancing with your friends

Signs and symptoms of burnout

Burnout can affect your physical, emotional and behavioral well-being. Look out for these common signs.

Physical	Emotional	Behavioral
Feeling tired and drained most of the time Frequent sickness, headaches or muscle pain Changes in appetite or sleep	Experiencing a sense of failure Feeling helpless Feeling detached Having a loss of motivation Experiencing decreased satisfaction and negativity	Withdrawing from responsibilities Isolating yourself from others Using food, drugs or alcohol to cope Procrastinating

Taking five minutes per day to be present may help to boost your overall well-being. This means you’ll be fully engaged with a place, space or person without physical or mental distractions.

Stress versus burnout

Stress and burnout are common and both can affect the way you feel. Not sure if you’re experiencing stress or burnout? Use these signs as a guide.

Stress	Burnout
You’re over-engaged You’re overwhelmed by too many pressures or demands You believe that if you get it under control, you’ll feel better	You’re not feeling as much as before You feel empty, mentally exhausted and don’t have motivation You don’t see hope for change

If you are noticing these signs, there are ways to recognize the causes and take action.

Causes of burnout

You can experience burnout in one or more areas at a time. Your work, lifestyle and personality traits can all play a part. Once you can identify when and where you’re feeling burned out, you can ask yourself:

What internal factors can I control?

Try giving some of your tasks to a partner or setting better boundaries for yourself, your friends and your family.

What are the uncontrollable external factors?

Examples may include having a parent with health concerns or having work responsibilities you can’t change.

What can I change now?

How you react to situations and what you do in your down time, can help you to better regulate.

Dealing with burnout

Try the “Three R” approach to connect with yourself, notice changes and take action:

Recognize: Watch for warning signs.
Reverse: Undo damage by seeking support.
Resilience: Build resilience by taking care of your physical and emotional health.

Build emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is your ability to manage your emotions and understand the emotions of those around you. When you improve these skills, you can help support your well-being and others’.

Self-care tips at work and at home

Try these tips to help you practice self-care:

Work/Life	Personal
Change your environment Practice deep breathing Practice gratitude Set boundaries Take vacation days	Be mindful of news intake Maintain healthy nutrition Prioritize exercise Reduce caffeine and sugar Take a screen break

Try some of these tips in the mindful breathing exercise and Wheel of Life activity from our webinar.

Virtual resources

Use these tools to overcome burnout and prioritize self-care.

Best Health^® wellness program: No matter where you are in your wellness journey, Best Health can help. Try health coaching in our no-cost, six-week program and explore our online tools to support your well-being.

Studio SWEAT OnDemand: From yoga to stretching to HIIT, you’ll find a variety of workouts to choose from.