You're Not Lazy, You're Burnt Out: The 3 Types of Burnout and How to Overcome Them

Burnout. 

You’re not lazy, you’re burnt out.

Burnout. It’s that brick wall that stops you from working, connecting with others and just wanting to do anything, period. It sucks.

As somehow who used to identify as a workaholic, I think I’ve experienced my fair share of burnout. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with what burnout is, let me define it for you: “Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.” 

For the longest time, I thought there was only one iteration of burnout…turns out there are 3!

In this article, I’ll discuss the 3 types of burnout and how to overcome them all.

Burnout by volume— For my overachieving girlies out there, I know you can relate to this one. Burnout by volume is defined by, “filling your plate to the brim with very little recovery time.” So that’s stuffing so much stuff into your schedule that you don’t have time to focus on the most important thing— which is yourself. Ask yourself what you’re saying “yes” to when you actually want to say “no.” I know this one is common with workaholics but sometimes you have to put the planner down and sit on the couch with the lights off for a bit.

The remedy: Take a weekend off. Turn off your phone and do whatever you have been wanting to say, “yes” to but couldn’t because your schedule was filled with no wiggle room. Maybe it’s going on a hike for pleasure or even if it’s just laying on your couch binging a mindless show on Netflix. Do it. Your nervous system, and even the quality of your work, will thank you for it.

Social Burnout: Defined by, “Burnout by people.”

Socializing is awesome and it keeps us feeling good but when we overdo it, we can feel bogged down by the people we love the most. Maybe you are overextending yourself to friends and family all the time or you have a job in media and that’s all you do.

The remedy: Disconnect. Similar to burnout by volume, instead the “volume” is people. Communicate to your loved ones that you need to take some time to yourself for a while and just breathe. If you’re a parent, maybe you can leave your children with the nanny or with the grandparents and go on a solo trip to get your mind right again.

Burnout by volume and social burnout are very similar, but burnout by volume can be more so self-inflicted. Fit it to your story as needed.

Burnout by Boredom: Defined by “Lack of novelty and variety; Life gets too repetitive and you switch on autopilot and feel really uninspired and disengaged from life. Weighs on your spirit.”

The brain need novelty! Nothing is fun when you keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. Work, lunch, home, gym, shower, sleep. Rinse and Repeat. BORING! 

The remedy: Try something new! This is exciting because you have the world at your fingertips. Dig deep into your mind and think of those things you’ve always wanted to do. Maybe you want to bungee jump, or finally learn how to make the perfect Italian pasta, or go on a wine tour. Book it and go. Your zest for life will be juicier as you feed your mind with new activities and new sensations.