Burnout

Burnout, the feeling of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion is something that is all too common in modern day-to-day life. Many people may think that burnout is often only related to work, and whilst you can experience burnout from work, there are also many other factors that can result in burnout. For example, life stressors and chronic illnesses can also contribute to feelings of burnout.

This is becoming a concern in the UK, with 91% of adults reporting experiencing high, prolonged levels of stress. Burnout impacts us both in our personal life, and in work with feelings of low motivation, and exhaustion.

For more information and statistics on burnout in the UK, follow the link to the report below: Mental-Health-UK_The-Burnout-Report-2025.pdf

Like many people, I have experienced burnout and found that there were a few techniques which are helpful to improve these feelings. One I found particularly helpful, is called the “5 Ways to Wellbeing”. The 5 ways to wellbeing are simple steps we can do each day to improve our mental wellbeing. What I love about the 5 ways to wellbeing, is that its flexible to all of our individual needs, whilst improving our wellbeing.

There 5 steps to wellbeing, which are:

1. Connect

2. Get active

3. Take notice

4. Learn

5. Give

Connect

The first step is focused on connecting ourselves with others in our lives. When feeling burnout, a common symptom is to isolate ourselves. Connecting with people can help us feel close to others, and we can do this in ways that are comfortable to our individual preferences. For example, this could be connecting via a text message or meeting up with a group of friends.

Get Active

Research has shown that physical activity is great for mental health and also improves sleep! Being active can be done in many ways, for example I like to go for a walk on my lunch break.

Take Notice

When feeling burnout, people can often experience racing thoughts and feel disconnected from the world. Bringing ourselves back to the present can help quieten these thoughts and reconnect us with the world around us. This can be done by going for a walk, and taking in the environment around us. You can also join in to our “Take Time Out” weekly sessions on a

Thursday, by signing up here https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k2QI_R7PTmK5CzwkwK0jGw#/

Learn

The process of learning something new can help boost our self-esteem. A symptom of burnout can be self-doubt, and negative self-thoughts can worsen how we’re feeling! By setting a goal of something you want to achieve can help improve self-esteem and bring the positive feelings of achieving a goal.

Give

The final step towards improving well-being is giving back to others or our community. This again helps improve feelings of self-doubt and bring those feelings of happiness. When at work, I like to make my colleagues a cup of tea to start the day off right!

There are also courses on our website for managing anxiety, stress, and mindfulness which can be found here: Valleys Steps | Free Mindfulness and Stress Control Courses