How Long Does it Take to Recover from Burnout?

If you’ve reached burnout, it describes a state of complete emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. Between heavy workloads, toxic work environments, economic uncertainty, and a poor work-life balance, burnout is a very real problem that can affect all aspects of your health. 

Recovering from burnout is not just about feeling better; it’s about improving your well-being, protecting your physical and mental health, and living a healthier and happier life. 

Understanding Burnout: What It Is and How It Impacts You

Burnout is an ongoing state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as an occupation phenomenon. 

There are three key dimensions of burnout:

1. Exhaustion: Feeling completely exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. 
2. Distance: Having a detached or distanced attitude to responsibilities. You might feel negative, cynical, irritable, or resentful. 
3. Reduced Personal Effectiveness: Feeling like your efforts don’t matter and that you’re not achieving anything, personally and professionally. 

The effects of burnout can be extremely wide-reaching. Here’s how burnout can impact you: 

• It can affect physical health, weaken the immune system, and contribute to sleep issues, digestive problems, and headaches. 
• It may be a risk factor for mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. 
• It can reduce productivity and effectiveness at work and in your personal life. 
• It can put a strain on your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. 
• It can make it difficult to enjoy your life.   

While burnout can be caused by a number of factors, nearly half of employees and a third of CEOs say that their biggest stress comes from work. Unfortunately, burnout in the workplace isn’t anything new; the SHRM’s Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series reports that 45% of workers feel “emotionally drained” from work, and 51% feel “used” by the end of the day. 

Life and work-related factors that contribute to burnout include: 

• Excessive workload
• Lack of control 
• Poor communication 
• Unclear expectations 
• High-pressure work environments 
• Unchallenging work 
• Poor work-life balance
• Too many deadlines 
• Lack of sleep 
• Feeling like life or work is out of control 
• Poor support systems 
• Taking on too much 

Common Symptoms of Burnout: Recognizing the Signs

Recognizing burnout early means you can get the help you need sooner and start addressing it. The longer you leave burnout wreaking havoc, the worse it tends to get. The more burnout is allowed to progress and develop, the greater damage it can cause to your health, relationships, and quality of life. 

Symptoms of burnout include: 

• Exhaustion and fatigue, both physical and mental.  
• A negative or detached attitude towards work, life, or other people.
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, or completing tasks.
• Feeling easily annoyed, frustrated, or angered.
• Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. 
• Loss of appetite or overeating.
• Headaches, muscle aches, stomach problems, or frequent illnesses.
• Difficulty finding joy in activities you once enjoyed.
• Feeling overwhelmed and a sense of being constantly unable to cope.
• Feeling emotionally detached or numb.

Burnout doesn’t just appear overnight; it’s a gradual decline into a world of exhaustion. Here’s a breakdown of the typical stages of burnout: 

• Honeymoon Phase: You’re excited to take on new challenges and feel motivated and committed. 
• Onset of Stress: Stress is starting to creep in, and you notice that some days are tougher than others.  
• Chronic Stress: Stress is ongoing, persistent, and doesn’t let up. You’re noticing more obvious signs of stress.  
• Acute Burnout: You feel emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted. You’re noticing a reduction in performance and feeling detached from work.  
• Habitual Burnout: Burnout is chronic and completely ingrained in your life. 

If you notice any signs of burnout, it’s essential to seek professional help who can help you rule out any other issues and get you on the road to recovery. 

Factors That Affect Recovery Time from Burnout

The recovery process from burnout is a very individual experience. Some people may start to feel better in a few weeks, while others may need months or longer to recover fully. 

Some factors that affect the recovery time from burnout include: 

• Length of time: Have you been experiencing chronic stress for years, or has it been a few months? 
• Root causes: Have you addressed the root cause of your burnout or taken time off to return to the same issue?
• Individual factors: Your personality, coping mechanisms, overall health, relationships, and support system can all contribute to your burnout recovery timeline. 
• Commitment to change: Recovery requires a commitment to change your work or lifestyle. 

Steps to Take for a Successful Burnout Recovery

Do you feel exhausted all the time and dread going to work? Or maybe you feel like you’re failing everyone? Perhaps you used to love your work, but now you feel numb to it. 

If you’re experiencing burnout, know that recovery is entirely possible. You can return to joy and live a healthier, happier life. Burnout is not permanent. While it can feel overwhelming and never-ending at times, people can and do recover. 

Burnout recovery takes time. The first step is to admit that you’re burnt out. Experiencing burnout is a real issue that can have serious health implications, and getting the help you need is essential. 

Steps for a successful burnout recovery include: 

• Distance: Create space between yourself and your primary stressor to start to address stress levels and reduce stress. 
• Self-Care: Focus on activities that make you feel happy and healthy. Do things you enjoy that promote physical and mental health. That means getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, and practicing relaxation techniques. 
• Root Causes: Think about the root cause of your burnout. If you can figure out the cause, you can start thinking about how to prevent it in the future. 
• Professional Help: A therapist can help you develop healthy coping strategies, address mental health issues, and start a treatment plan to tackle burnout. 
• Boundaries: Learn to say “no” and set healthy boundaries that support your well-being and avoid burnout. 
• Long-Term Changes: Even after recovery, it’s vital to continue changes long-term to help prevent burnout again in the future.  

How Long Does It Really Take to Recover from Burnout?

Burnout can be a deeply personal journey, and the way out of it is not the same for everyone. Some researchers found that individuals suffering from short-term stressors recover within a few months. However, it can take over a year to recover in severe cases of burnout. 

Because the way someone handles stress, their situation, and their ability to distance themselves from the stressor can all change, it’s hard to give a firm timeline for burnout recovery that can apply to everyone. Instead, it’s important to know that recovery is possible, and the sooner you reach out for help, the sooner you can start to feel better. 

How to Accelerate Your Recovery from Burnout

Focus on promoting your physical, mental, and emotional health to support your recovery journey. Here are some ways to support your burnout recovery and prioritize your well-being: 

• Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
• Eat a healthy and balanced diet. 
• Move your body regularly, like walking, running, or swimming. 
• Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation. 
• Try to limit screen time, especially before bed.
• Spend time with loved ones. 
• Make time for hobbies and activities you enjoy. 

The Role of Therapy and Support in Burnout Recovery

Therapy and support are essential to burnout recovery. A therapist can help by providing a safe space to unpack emotions, develop healthy coping strategies, and address the root causes of burnout. 

Speaking to a therapist can help you better understand what’s causing your burnout and help you navigate changes and goals to bring about change. Burnout can also bring up difficult emotions and be a risk factor for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. A therapist can address any co-occurring issues and create a tailored approach to address problems, manage symptoms, and improve overall well-being. 

While therapy can help you address current problems, it can also equip you with the tools and strategies to help you in the future. So, therapy can help you facilitate long-term change to help prevent burnout from happening again. 

Preventing Burnout: Long-Term Strategies for Well-Being

In the 2024 Work in America Survey, workers who experience higher psychological safety are less likely to report feeling stressed out or tense on a typical work day or that their work has a negative impact on their mental health. 

Those with higher psychological safety are more likely to say that their workplace understands the need for flexibility, respects time off, encourages mental health support, treats people fairly, and fosters positive work relationships. Psychological safety helps create a buffer against stress, encourages a positive work environment, and reduces the risk of burnout at work. 

On a personal level, there are a few ways you can cultivate resilience, focus on your well-being, and look to prevent burnout: 

• Master the art of saying “no” and practice setting healthy boundaries (and sticking to them!). 
• Learn to recognize your body’s warning signs of stress so you can step in before you start to feel out of control and get the help you need. 
• Prioritize regular breaks from work, use up your vacation days, and be mindful of working long hours if your stress levels are creeping back up. 
• Always reassess your goals and make sure your priorities still align with your life. 
• Find healthy ways to manage stress, like exercise, hobbies, mindfulness, and spending time in nature. 

As your work environment can play such a big role in burnout, make sure to evaluate any career changes and look for a work culture that encourages open communication and fosters psychological safety. Preventing burnout often requires a multi-pronged approach where you, as an individual, have to take responsibility for your well-being. Still, at the same time, organizations need to create an environment that prioritizes and supports physical, mental, and emotional health.

What to Do Next

If you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or struggling with difficult emotions—whether it’s burnout, stress, or something else—we can help. At Thriving Center of Psychology, we make it easy to find the right therapist for your needs. Fill out our quick and easy questionnaire, and we will match you with a therapist who understands your unique needs. Let’s begin this journey together!