I just don’t feel like doing anything…
I just want to lay in my bed…
You ever have that feeling? I’ll take a wild shot (not so wild) and say that almost anyone who is an adult and works, or anyone in school, has had that feeling at one point in their lives.
That feeling where your legs feel like lead, and all you want to do is toss and turn in bed the whole day. With your TikTok and Instagram, that feeling usually goes well with endless, mindless scrolling.
When you think about doing some work, a wave of tiredness just washes over you—like a really strong tide on the seashore. You feel like you’ve chased a cow all night, yet you had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Sometimes, you feel like nothing matters anymore.
Maybe it’s because, over the last 5 months, you’ve been burning the midnight oil trying to get a project done. Maybe it’s a project that is so disorganized, you have to spend an eternity organizing things before you can even start getting any real work done.
This is what burnout feels like. You work and work and work—until you get to a point where it just doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing you do feels like it makes a difference. You can’t be bothered if the deadline is met or not… you’re just too tired to care. Not tired in your body—tired in your mind.
Students experience it after reading so many materials for so long. Business people experience it when they’re juggling multiple projects and begin to feel overwhelmed. In fact, people can feel burnout in a relationship. A boyfriend who just wants a break from his girlfriend… he suddenly feels weak when he sees her call.
Whatever the reason, the point is—these things happen.
The real question is: what do you do when you feel burned out? How do you get yourself unstuck and make sure the ball keeps rolling?
The answer varies for different people, but here are four things that may help you get unstuck:
- Sleep. Yes… it could be that you’re getting enough sleep time, but the quality of the sleep might be rubbish. Eight hours of sleep may only translate to two hours of quality rest. You need to be intentional about getting good sleep—and it starts by being intentional about when you go to bed.
Pick a time. One that works for you. One that you can be fairly consistent with. Then—30 minutes before that time—do something that helps your body wind down. Something that tells your body, “It’s sleep time.”
You could read a book, do some stretches, write—something that won’t put you in work mode. Do it and then go to sleep. That way, you condition your body to sleep at a particular time, and your body starts working to help you sleep well.
- Eat—not junk food. Yes, I know the temptation to binge on chips and Netflix is very high at this point. But do your best to get some real food. Not takeout. Not chocolates. Sure, they’ll make you feel good temporarily, but ultimately they’ll wreck your mood.
Thinking about what to eat can actually be a source of stress for some people—but the only way to overcome that is to have a routine. Something you can follow without having to think too hard.
My point? Eat food. Good food.
- Move—Exercise. You don’t have to go to the gym. Just take a walk. Walk—even if you don’t have a destination. Walk 30 minutes in one direction away from your house, then walk back.
Get yourself to move. Movement helps release chemicals in the body that improve your mood and help with inflammation and chronic fatigue.
So, move. You—yes, you. I’m talking to you. Get up and move.
- Finally—Socialize. Some people feel like they recharge best when they’re alone—and that’s fair. But time alone isn’t always enough to get you back to 100%.
Having fun conversations with family or friends can bring you back to life. Talking to someone often gives you clarity about the thing that’s been stressing you out. Why? Because most times, when you pay less attention to the problem, your brain works on it subconsciously. Then the next time you think about it, the answer feels a lot more obvious.
Summary
Burnout is real. You need to identify it. Know when it’s happening to you. And work out the best way to get yourself out of it.
What works for one person may not work for another—but ultimately, we should all be intentional about staying strong and avoiding burnout.
Don’t burn out like over-fried plantain.
Thanks for reading.