The 10-Step Guide to Staying Productive When You Feel Burnt Out
Sometimes, life can feel crazy busy and everything can feel like too much! Especially when your to-do list is a mile long and you never seem to cross anything off your list... and if you do, another task will replace it just as quickly. I've felt this way myself, and it is not a fun position to be in. Today, I'm going to share some realistic tips for staying productive when you feel burnt out!
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Burnout. It's that moment when you don't look forward to tomorrow, knowing how much you have to do. It's when you wake up in the morning and are already longing for the evening.
It's when you feel like you've been running on empty, but you still have things on your never-ending to-do list!
Let's face it. Burnout is going to happen if you have a lot on your plate, and you are trying to juggle so many things at once.
If you feel...
- Bored
- Unmotivated
- Exhausted
These tips about managing burnout are for you!
This post has been in my rough drafts since 2022! I've been dealing with some burnout over the past few years, so I've been taking a break and figuring out how to stay productive when burnt out.
This is the step-by-step guide to staying productive when you feel burnt out. Feel free to follow these steps in order or just pick out the ones that you feel like you need right now!
The 10-Step Guide to Staying Productive When You Feel Burnt Out
Before we get into the tips, I want to take a moment to talk about realistic productivity. It is not possible to be productive 100% of the time.
You cannot give 100% effort all of the time, so it is important to give yourself regular time for self-care to avoid cycles of burnout. Take care of yourself. Know when it is time to set boundaries, and when to seek support!
1. Do a Brain Dump
Pull out a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to your mind! I've talked about how to do a brain dump on here before, and they can be so helpful for relieving stress.
Personally, if I don't write down a task or a new idea, it's going to continue cycling through my brain over and over again until I write it down.
... Or, I forget about it, and then feel stressed because I can't remember what I forgot. Maybe you can relate!
You might sit down and suddenly have a blank mind, but that's perfectly fine. Sit with your paper for 10 minutes or so and add things to your page as they come. Then go back to your day and come back to your brain dump page if you think of more things.
Nothing needs to be written down in a pretty way. Just get it all on paper!
After you have a good list of everything that is making you feel burnt out, and everything that is on your plate, you can sort them into categories and add deadlines if you want to.
The main point of doing a brain dump is so everything is not in your head anymore. Now you can see how much you are dealing with.
2. Cut Back to Basics
This step is crucial for staying productive when you feel burnt out. I quit blogging for quite a while because creating content constantly was making me feel too stressed.
I always felt behind and like I wasn't doing enough. My blog wasn't successful enough, no matter how much I worked.
Now, after my break, I've realized that my blog doesn't need to be perfect. My writing isn't perfect, but people still read it (Thank you!). Every time I write an article, I'm simply practicing.
I'm also not doing everything that "a blogger should be doing." I'm focusing on what I enjoy doing, which is the writing.
It is time to get real with yourself. Ask yourself what you actually need to do, and what you *think* you need to do. Just because something works for someone else doesn't mean it will work for you.
I might suggest something in this post that doesn't resonate with you. Then don't do it! There are tons of articles out there on the internet titled things like "25 Things You Need to do Every Morning". If you do those 25 things every morning, I can almost guarantee you are going to feel burnt out! I would too!
Everyone's ideal routine will look different.
Think about everything you are feeling stressed out about and figure out which of those tasks you actually need to do, and which ones you just feel obligated to do.
Say "no" to obligations that you do not actually have to do.
3. Consume Some Mindless Content
What?! You want me to consume some mindless content?? I'm trying to be productive!
YES, absolutely! To be productive, you need to take breaks with no restrictions sometimes.
Doing so will help you be more productive when the time comes. When you are super burnt out, "productive" breaks probably won't do the trick because your brain needs a break. This is why I use YouTube and watch movies on the weekends.
What is mindless content? Things that you don't really have to use your brain for.
- Movies
- TV
- Books
- Social media
Whatever your favorite "guilty pleasure" hobby is, you should do some of that!
But notice I say some mindless content. After you've consumed some mindless content, and you are starting to feel a little more refreshed, it's time to restrict your usage so you can be productive.
If you want to, set aside some time weekly to consume this type of content, and then restrict your usage the rest of the week so it feels like a treat.
4. Entirely Switch Up Your Routine
Now it's time to boost your productivity! I love routines, but they can make life seem very routine.
If you are starting to dread getting out of bed in the morning, it might be because of your daily routine. Life gets boring if everything always stays the same, so I'm just going to say it: "throw your daily routine out the window."
Ok, maybe not literally, but find two to three things in your daily routine that you can switch up.
If you work out in the morning, try working out at night. Try a new type of exercise or cooking a new recipe. If you have a strict schedule, you'll probably have to get creative.
Currently, I'm in college, so my routine right now switches up entirely every few months, and it keeps things fun!
It might sound cliche, but life is too short. You don't want to feel bored every single day of your life.
Figure out how you can make your life a little more adventurous!
5. Take Care of Your Health
When you feel burnt out, it might be because you are not taking enough time for yourself.
A productive way to take time for yourself is to exercise!
On the other hand, if you feel burnt out from exercising, you might try a new type of exercise. There are plenty of free workout videos on YouTube so try one out!
When I feel burnt out, I find that exercising in the morning gives me more energy and a sense of accomplishment to help me get through the day.
You might also choose to get a little fancy with your meals and do something out of the ordinary. Switch up the foods you eat and try something new! Try eating on your front porch or in your backyard.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep! One of the best things you can do for staying productive when you feel burnt out is making sure you are taking care of yourself!
6. Find Some Inspiration
This will mean different things for different people. This might mean listening to an educational podcast or going on a long walk by yourself. Find whatever works for you!
You might have an artistic outlet you use to relieve stress or maybe you curl up on the couch with a book. I would recommend finding a few different ways you can find inspiration, so you can switch them up.
I really enjoy reading non-fiction business books and listening to podcasts!
7. Do One Task at a Time
Sometimes, all you have to do is take it slow. If you are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, it is probably because you have a crazy long to-do list and everything seems too hard. You don't have to do everything!
Well, you actually might, but you don't have to do everything right now.
Ask yourself, what feels manageable right now? If doing one small homework assignment feels manageable, then do that.
Everything is on your brain dump page, so you only have to focus on the task at hand.
When you get up in the morning, decide on the 1-3 most important things you need to do. If you do those tasks, then the day is successful.
8. Take Frequent Breaks
Sometimes all you need to do is take a quick break. Go cozy up on the sofa with a new book or make your favorite treat.
I know that taking a break might feel counterproductive, but breaks are necessary. If you are always trying to power through, then you are going to end up constantly feeling burnt out!
Build some form of slow self-care into your routine that isn't related to technology. This could be sleeping in for an hour on the weekend or having a treat at dinner.
Another example is going on a walk daily. It might seem like more effort at first, but you will feel better afterward.
I like getting up and walking around my apartment for a few minutes in between tasks, and it helps me renew my focus for the next task, as well as giving me time to think.
9. Limit Your Technology Usage
This might sound a little contradictory to some of what I said above but try to limit your technology usage and only consume mindless content during set periods.
Technology can make everything in the world seem like it is going faster than it actually is.
I don't have my phone turned on all the time, and I also don't have my laptop turned on all the time. I recommend turning off all your tech at night if you can and unplugging a few hours before you go to bed.
You might be surprised how much extra time you have in your day! Staying productive when you feel burnt out is difficult, but reducing your technology usage will help a lot.
10. Don't Try to be Perfect
Give yourself permission to give yourself the amount of rest you need. As I mentioned earlier, you don't need to be giving 100% all of the time.
Sometimes, you can only give 10% and that's normal.
Also, try to not compare your life to other people. You don't need to do everything or to do what other people are doing. You just need to do what matters to you.
The 10-Step Guide to Staying Productive When You Feel Burnt Out
The main thing I hope you take away from this post is that it is ok to feel burnt out. You will get through burnout by making time to take care of yourself!
When you make time for yourself, you will have more energy to be productive!
Here's your action plan for staying productive when you feel burnt out. But again, you don't need to do everything. Pick just one of these tips and implement it in your life today!
- Do a brain dump
- Cut back to basics
- Consume some mindless content
- Switch up your routine
- Take care of your health
- Find some inspiration
- Do one task at a time
- Take frequent breaks
- Limit your technology usage
- Don't try to be perfect
If you enjoyed this post about staying productive when you feel burnt out, you might enjoy these ones too!
Have a wonderful week and do something nice for yourself today!
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