A quick disclaimer before we explore my personal burnout recovery plan – every person’s story with burnout is different, so, if you’re experiencing symptoms, please consult a healthcare professional in the first instance.
Burnout. A word that haunts many of us, and with reason – because in a world where the bar for productivity and success is so high, it’s hard not to be afflicted. Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2026 found that 91% of adults in the UK report high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the preceding year.
Whether you’re feeling the pressure of a demanding career, or experiencing another situation that’s taking its toll, I want to start this blog post by sending you my love and reiterating that you’re not alone. I burnt out again, too.
My burnout recovery stories
I’ve been open about my struggle with burnout on Intentional Lucie. I’ve also published a series of newsletters on Substack, should you wish to learn more about my journey. To recap, I first experienced burnout in 2021, when I was working in a boutique PR agency in London. The job was a mammoth shift in tempo compared to the in-house position I had prior, and it led to my complete shutdown. I couldn’t spend a waking moment, even during my precious weekend, doing anything I loved. It was as if there was a permanent black cloud over my head, and I spent hours on the sofa, either staring into space or frantically looking at forums to ruminate over my worries further. It was a case of too much, too soon. I booked some annual leave to reset, phoned my doctor and had sessions with a career counsellor. What followed, though, was something I didn’t expect.
I decided to try The Magic – a 28-day gratitude practice by Rhonda Byrne – and I began to see the sunlight. I found enjoyment in my work again, and, dare I say, was thriving. It sparked a spiritual awakening. If you’re interested, The Magic is available to purchase on Amazon.
The second time I burnt out is, well, now. It’s been a gradual decline, over a period of months, if I’m honest with myself. In comparison to the sharp, painful decline in 2021, it’s been a dull ache, dimming my sparkle with every week that passed. I would start the week with good intentions, but by the end of the week, fall to my knees. Somehow, I would manage to recoup myself just enough on the weekend to continue the cycle again and again. Until, one week later, I couldn’t sleep or function. My anxiety was through the roof. I had to take a break.
I’m in stress burnout recovery.
My gentle burnout recovery plan
I learnt valuable lessons during my burnout in 2021 and continue to learn new ones as part of my recovery today. This isn’t a tick list of the mental health advice that I have read elsewhere. Rather, it’s my personal recovery plan, based on my lived experience and findings from my journal entries. I’m sharing my journey in the hope that, if you’re suffering from burnout, it might inspire an inward look as part of your recovery, too.
Speak to someone
If you’re reading this in crisis mode, commit to speaking with someone who can help. It could be your manager or a doctor, for example. Whoever it needs to be, just don’t delay. I know from first-hand experience that this is the most difficult step (I was in denial), but it relieved the heaviest weight from my shoulders. Once I made the necessary calls, my immediate stressors were dealt with, and I was able to focus on repairing my nervous system.
Make no life changes initially
I know it sounds counterintuitive.
During my recovery time, I turned off my phone, stepped onto the street on a whim, and observed the nature around me. I bought some seeds from a local shop and planted them. I did whatever came into my mind that wasn’t getting lost in someone else’s world. I baked cookies with the small amount of ingredients I had in the cupboard, and covered a couple of shoeboxes in wallpaper to use as storage solutions. I went back to my hometown to see friends and family from my childhood, multiple times, and wrote about it on Brighter, my Substack newsletter. I washed my makeup brushes. I made a drawer for my creative supplies. Something. Anything. As long as the activity’s aim wasn’t to solve the problem of my burnout. I was simply being.
This might sound like a distraction, or even irresponsible, but suffering from burnout can cloud our judgement (like the big black cloud I mentioned earlier), and with the decision fatigue and potential overwork, it’s best to wait for it to clear.
Find trust
Release and trust. It might sound woo-woo, but both times I’ve burnt out, I’ve regained my trust in a higher power. I mentioned The Magic in 2021, but this time, my faith returned to me slowly. It started with a few things I’ve been grateful for here, and a manifestation card pull there. Now, I’m wearing a crystal around my neck on a silver chain – a lepidolite that calms an overactive mind – to help me find peace in the midst of stress. I’m dedicating time to reading my spiritual teachings.
Sometimes, I do slip up. I have moment where I feel worried, upset or angry, especially during my bouts of insomnia. But, each time, I wake up again and (try to) give myself grace. It’s permission to start again. Self-compassion is something I struggle with, but it’s a practice I am trying to follow during my stress burnout recovery. Perhaps it could be worth a try for you, too.
Do more of what you love
I have been writing at least three pages a day in my Moleskine. I thought my ability to write would be stunted by burnout, but it transpires that I am overspilling with words. The fact that I am sitting down to write this blog post is an indication. I know that writing brings me the greatest joy of all. When I hit breaking point, I grieved the loss of my creativity. ‘I’m a creative and I can’t even compose an email’, is what I thought to myself the day before I hit my lowest. Of course, my ability hadn’t died – it just got lost beneath the black cloud, in the downpour. Either way, burnout isn’t a time for pressure. It’s a time to do what feels good for your soul.
A new beginning
Amid my despair, I’ve found that framing burnout as a new beginning helps me immensely. Also, it’s not a failure to ask for help. Once we’ve received help, the immediate stressors are lifted, we’re able to tap into our soul and, in time, see what’s working and what’s not. I never thought I’d burn out again after the challenging year of 2021. But, when we bury a matter that’s disrupting our peace, life finds a way to bring it back to the surface, doesn’t it?
In divine timing, the black cloud will lift, and a new path awaits. Let’s see where it takes us, shall we?
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