It seems like as if/ everywhere I look people are discussing burnout. My feed is filled with articles about “The Signs of Burnout”, “How to Deal with Burnout”, “How to be Creative during a Burnout,” etc. The list goes on and on.

No surprise that Covid and its restrictions have many of us dealing with some degree of burnout. Many places around the world are dealing with strict lockdown measures, curfews, and the risk of contracting the virus. No one is certain of the effects the to online buying, remote work, and the significantly decreased levels of in-person socialization. If the plethora of articles on dealing with burnout are any indication of the state of our mental health, there is ample cause for worry.

Burnout is real. It happens when your psychic fabric has been stretched too thin by your responsibilities. These can include not only professional, but personal and social obligations. Moreover, burnout manifests itself in different ways for different people. There is not one shoe that fits all. The bottom line is that burnout is the inability to muster the will necessary to function at full capacity.

How do we deal with burnout? Is the answer to keep on working? Tough through it? Or should we retreat, take time for our recovery, and seek hel? Have mental health concerns become more acceptable due to the pandemic? Or are they still viewed negatively?

Those are questions only you can answer for yourself. However, I would like to offer some insights. If my words resonate with even one person, the time I will have taken to write them will have been worth it.

In a recent conversation with my partner about burnout, she told me about a coaching webinar she had attended through her work. The coach was an ex-Olympic athlete who discussed burnout by comparing the behaviours of work to those of professional sport. He spoke about the balance found in sport, the hard work and the rest days. In sport, you work towards goals but take rest days when necessary to avoid injury. Your mind and are both (equally) important focuses in professional sport. When you achieve your goals, you celebrate, there is a ceremony, and you take time to rest afterwards. In contrast, there are no rest days at work. You are expected to keep slogging through, and there are no ceremonies or accolades when you achieve a goal. As an employee, your state of mind and the health of your body are not considered the most valuable assets to the company (though they should be). You are a cog in a machine who can (and will) be replaced if you cease to function as you should. This lack of attention to anything but productivity is a recipe for disaster—not only for your personal well-being but ultimately for the success of the company. The coach advocated a greater attention paid by employers to their employees’ wellbeing. But not all bosses are going to adopt his philosophy. So what can you yourself do to prevent burnout?

Pay attention to warning signs. Recognize when you are not at your best and try to retrace how you got there. Seek support from a loved one or from a professional. Avoid rash decisions or those out of your character. Do not pile on more work and responsibility. Do not fight what your body and mind are telling you. Do not expect everyone to understand. Remember that it is okay to pay attention to your own feelings.

If you feel that you are skidding out of control, focus on one part of your routine and do that one thing. Make it the rock that anchors you in your day. Routines are the structure that give our life normalcy and support. In that structure, find the space you need to free yourself of the build-up of negative and draining psychic energy. Do not indulge in negativeself-talk. Remember that you are not defined simply by how you feel today, but by the course of your entire life. And the best news of all? That crushing feeling of burnout will pass.