In good spirits, you started therapy to overcome burnout. Do you notice some time later that not much has changed? That’s not surprising. Recovery can sometimes take more than a year. What can you do if your recovery is not going according to plan?

You don’t get burnout “overnight.

This is often preceded by a long period of time, accompanied by work stress and exhaustion. You have probably experienced mental, emotional, behavioral and cognitive symptoms. The more you feel exhausted, the longer you will need to recover from this. However, you may find that little happens in recovery.

Wat als je herstel van een burn-out stagneert?

Walk through the following and check for yourself if you have also fallen into any of the following traps:

You are not taking enough rest. Resting = recovering. During burnout, your radius of action is significantly reduced, and to recover, you will have to give in to this.
Do you acknowledge that you have a non-visible problem? People with burnout often comment that it would have been easy if there was something visible, such as a broken leg. Regardless of the environment; do you recognize and acknowledge your burnout? Do you accept that you need to turn your life around?
Do you have a professional guiding you, and if so, do you experience a “click”?
Burnout does not consist only of psychological symptoms; it can be accompanied by physical symptoms. If only the psychological symptoms are treated and the physical symptoms are not, this can stagnate recovery.
Cooperation and commitment on your part is essential. That also means giving in to fatigue, saying “no” and only undertaking 1 thing at a time. Stubbornness, or the commonly used words “I used to be able to do all that,” will not help you. In fact, they are more likely to work against you!

More about burnout recovery?

Will I get back to my old self?

For example, if you search the Internet for stories of experts by experience, the answer to this question varies. Some report that they never got back to their old self. Others write that they can again do everything they could undertake before their burnout. Yet another group talks about being completely healed and more aware in life, for them the burnout was a blessing.

The important thing is to prevent relapse. Setting up a prevention strategy can be helpful in this. What were the symptoms that started your burnout symptoms? Many people talk about headaches and irritability, others about sleeping badly and having trouble concentrating.

The goal is to recognize when you are heading toward the boundary of burnout again so you can take action.
There is no definition for being cured of burnout. The main focus is on how you feel and how you experience the day. Chances are that “residual symptoms” remain; a feeling of being tired earlier and being able to process fewer stimuli. That may sound like you can’t heal, but remember; burnout occurs because over a long period of time, you have demanded too much of yourself!

Evoli works with qualified psychologists who have the expertise at the intersection of people-work-organization and health. Both recovery and the work context are included in the counseling. This is why we see that 90% of our clients start reintegration within three months. Want to know more about our approach? Please feel free to contact us.