How I Recovered From Burnout: 12 Keys To Finding Your New Normal

By Carey | May 15, 2017

I had never been through anything quite as deep, or frankly, personally frightening as my burnout in 2006.

Burnout moves fatigue and the darkness from a place where it was in your control to place where you can simply no longer control either.

I regularly hear from leaders who have let me know that they’re in the midst burnout right now.

It’s like burnout, fatigue and overwhelm have become epidemics in life and leadership.

If you’re struggling with it, all I can say is I understand, and I’m pulling for you and praying for you.

I told part of my story in this post along with sharing 11 signs you might be burning out.

To diagnose burnout is one thing. But how you recover from it?

Let me share my journey. While everyone’s recovery will be different, there were 12 keys that, in retrospect, were essential to my recovery.

Not an Instant Cure

And as far as time goes, for me there was no instant cure. It took about:

6 months for me to move from ‘crisis’ (20% of normal) to operational (maybe 60%)

Another year to get from 60% to 80% of ‘normal’.

Another three or four years to finally feel 100% again – like myself. Even a new self.

In the process, I completely restructured my patterns and rhythms so I could develop a new normal. Why? Because to recover from burnout and overwhelm, you need better patterns, not just a better attitude.

I’ve been asked so many times what those patterns are, I share them in an online course I offer called The High Impact Leader. I’ll tell you more about that at the end of this post.

12 Keys To Getting Back from Burnout

Along the way, these 12 things helped me immensely. And while your story might be different, I offer them in the hope they might help you even in some small way:

1. Tell someone

2. Get help

3. Lean into your friends

4. Keep leaning into God

5. Rest

6. Find something else to take your attention away from your pain

7. Do what you can

8. Don’t do anything drastic or stupid

9. Trust again

10. Closely monitor balance

11. Watch for the warning signs

12. Take full responsibility for the health of your soul

Nobody else is responsible for your health. You are.  Pray, read your Bible, seek life-giving friendships, replenish your energy, eat right, work out, love deeply.

These things nourish your soul. If you don’t do them, nobody will.

Finding Your New Normal (And My Accidental Discovery)

It took me almost 5 years to get back to normal…but I realized early on that normal wasn’t going to do it this time. This time, I needed a new normal.

Here’s why: getting back to normal will get you into the same burnout it took you in the first place. 

For years now, I’ve worked hard to establish new rhythms and patterns that could sustain my life.

In the process, I accidentally discovered something.

These new habits, rhythms and patterns didn’t just keep me out of burnout, they made me far more productive and effective.

I had spent my thirties wanting to write a book. Since coming back from burnout, I’ve written three and am working on a fourth.

I also started speaking to leaders, writing this blog and hosting a weekly leadership podcast all the while holding down a full time job AND having more family and recreation time.

The #1 question I get asked post-burnout is “How do you get everything done?”

I finally decided to summarize the principles and strategies in an online course called The High Impact Leader.

A Better Normal For You

It was a long road back for me personally, and I had to keep believing that God wasn’t done with me. 11 years later I’m so thankful. Our church has never been healthier or more effective.

I am enjoying what I’m doing more than ever. And the opportunities before me have never been greater.

How much of that could I see or imagine 11 years ago? Exactly 0%. But I had to not give up despite that. In those moments and days where I still don’t feel good, I cling to the hope that the sun will rise again. And it does.

So that’s my story.

I’m praying for you today and I hope that in some small way this helps those of you who are defeated, discouraged or believe it’s over.

It’s not. Our God still lives. And He loves you.