10 Ways To Fight Back Against Stress And Burnout
Almost every leader I know is under more stress than we’ve ever been at this point in leadership.
How do you cope?
A few years ago, I went through the most intense period of burnout in my life. It almost took me out (I wrote about the problem in my book Didn’t See It Coming and wrote about how to stay out of burnout in my book At Your Best). The burnout was so heavy that it led me to consider some pretty dark ways out.
By God’s grace, I got through that time and came out the other side stronger. As a pastor, I am talking with a lot of people in this season who are feeling the same kinds of things that I went through in my darkest season. A kind of wearing down emotionally and spiritually.
So how do you know if you’re there? Well, you can spot a burned-out version of yourself because it looks like a few different things:
- Your passion fades (and you’re tired of life)
- You don’t feel the highs and lows anymore
- Little things make you overly emotional
- Everybody drains you
- You’re becoming cynical
- Nothing satisfied you
- You can’t think straight
- Your productivity is dropping
- You are self-medicating
- You don’t laugh anymore
- Sleep and time off no longer refuel you
These are ten signs that things aren’t firing on all cylinders for you.
Every leader I know, including myself, is under more stress than we've ever been at this point in leadership. Share on X10 Ways To Fight Back Against Stress And Burnout
It can be so difficult to know how to get yourself out of the situation you find yourself in when you’re constantly overwhelmed, overcommitted, and overworked.
Here are the ten things you can do to fight back out of whatever dark place you find yourself. They helped me and they’ve helped many other leaders.
1. Tell Someone
Swallow your pride and let someone else into the stress and anxiety you feel. Someone you trust.
Nothing good happens when you’re isolated. When you admit it to others, you finally end up admitting it to yourself.
Nothing good happens when you're isolated. Share on X2. Develop a circle around you
Friends who remind us that “Tomorrow the sun will rise” make all the difference.
You need people who believe in you when you’ve stopped believing in yourself.
You need people who believe in you when you’ve stopped believing in yourself. Share on X3. Keep leaning into God
The Psalms are filled with pain and isolation and fear and anxiety.
At the same time, they run headlong into God, not away from him. Don’t give yourself permission to quit your faith. Read when you don’t feel like reading. Pray when it’s hard. Keep going.
Just because you can’t feel God’s presence doesn’t mean he’s not present.
4. Rest
If you spend even a few minutes in the Gospels, you’ll realize Jesus often slipped away from the crowds. He even took naps. Sometimes taking a nap is the most spiritual thing you can do. As someone once said, 70% of discipleship is a good night’s sleep.
Everything looks worse when you’re tired. And most things look much better when you’re rested.
5. Find something to take your attention away from your pain
If you think about it, pain is selfish. Drop a rock on your foot, and all you can think about is your foot. You’re no longer thinking about picking the kids up from school, what you’re going to eat for lunch, or that meeting you’re supposed to be ready for this afternoon.
Distraction is one of the best ways to get the focus off your emotional pain. Watch a movie. Go for a hike. Refuse to feel sorry for yourself. Not giving up on life helps you get back into life. And it allows you to focus on something life-giving in the meantime.
Not giving up on life helps you get back into life. Share on X6. Don’t make any big decisions
When you’re exhausted and overwhelmed, you’re in the perfect position to make a decision you’ll regret for the rest of your life.
So here’s some advice. Do not quit your job. Do not buy a sports car. Do not cheat on your spouse. Do not make any drastic changes or moves right now if you are in a season of stress, anxiety, and a ‘dark night of the soul’.
7. Grieve your losses
As my mentor once told me, life is a series of ungrieved losses.
The dreams and plans that aren’t happening right now — grieve them. Admit it sucks — it’s part of healing. In the Bible, why do they take 40 days to grieve the death of Moses? Can’t they just go to the funeral and go back to work after?
There is something about grieving that makes life on the other side more than.
There is something about grieving that makes life on the other side more than. Share on X8. Reopen your heart
When you mix exhaustion with hurt, it’s easy to shut down your heart and keep it closed.
Don’t.
As hard as it is, open your heart to new relationships, new experiences, and new possibilities.
Don’t give up on humanity or life.
Trust again. Hope again. Believe again. You won’t regret it.
Don’t give up on humanity or life. Trust again. Hope again. Believe again. Share on X9. Live today in a way that will help you thrive tomorrow
Coming back from burnout is complex and takes time. A few years into my recovery, a phrase hit me that’s guided me and kept me out of burnout ever since: live in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow.
In other words, what do you need to do today to help you thrive spiritually, emotionally, relationally, physically, and financially?
If you can do that, adjusting your workflow, sleep, diet and exercise, and schedule, you can stay out of burnout indefinitely.
10. Believe the Gospel
At the heart of the Christian faith is resurrection.
When you’re struggling, it can feel like you’ve been abandoned. But Christian hope is resilient. It stares death in the face and answers with resurrection.
When you start living in a way each day that will help you thrive tomorrow, you’ll experience the hope and promise that seems so elusive right now.
I hope these ten steps have given you some hope and a strategy on how to move into a better, more vibrant future.
Can't find the time to get it all done? Become a high-impact leader without burning out (or sacrificing yourself).
Without a new strategy and approach, it's easy to continue to:
- Sacrifice family on the altar of work
- Overcommit and underdeliver
- Have no time for what you actually want to do
- Struggle to get time off to refuel and relax
Worst of all, other people—other tasks, jobs, and projects—will continue to hijack your life.
It’s time to change that by implementing a strategy that works.
At Your Best is a proven strategy to get your time, energy, and priorities working in your favor. It's my step-by-step online course that will help you overcome stress, find a sustainable pace without losing impact, and be far more productive at work.
50,000+ leaders have used the At Your Best strategy to escape the stress spiral and finally do what they want to do—grow their organizations, advance their careers, launch new ventures, be far more present at home, and take regular time off.
Whatever you choose to do with it is up to you. Join today for instant access.
Wow! I didn’t realize I was in desperate need of this message and system in my life and business.
Sean Cannell, Founder and CEO, Think Media
This message so profoundly impacted us, that we named our annual company theme, “At Our Best,” using Carey’s system and resources to strengthen our culture and make health a priority this year.”
