So, let’s talk about burnout. Or more specifically—how to avoid burnout at work before you end up hiding in the office bathroom, staring at your reflection like, “Who even am I anymore?”
Because yes, I’ve been that person. More than once.
Back in 2021, I hit a wall so hard at work, I swear I left a cartoon imprint of myself on it. I was working late nights, eating cold pizza over my keyboard, and one morning, I actually cried because my MetroCard didn’t swipe on the first try. Not because of the $2.90, but because I didn’t have the energy to try again. That’s when I knew. Yep. Burnout had officially RSVP’d to my life.
Step One: Admit You’re Toast (But Not Broken)
Here’s the thing—most of us ignore the signs. We drink more coffee. We say “oh, it’s just a busy week.” Then suddenly you’re Googling “jobs where I can live in the woods and never check emails again.”
The first step? Admitting it. “I’m burnt out.” Not in a dramatic resignation letter way. Just in a “my brain feels like overcooked pasta” way.
And guess what? Saying it out loud (to a friend, to your cat, whatever) takes off half the weight.
Step Two: Start Small (Like… Embarrassingly Small)
People always say: go on vacation! Meditate for an hour! Join a yoga retreat in Bali! And yeah, cool, but I have bills. And kids. And the last time I tried meditating, I fell asleep and drooled on my hoodie.
So instead, I started with tiny resets.
- Closing my laptop for 15 minutes and walking to the corner bodega.
- Listening to a podcast that has nothing to do with “productivity” (shoutout to true crime stories for keeping me awake on the E train).
- Saying “no” to the third Zoom call in a row because my eyes were crossing.
Tiny breaks feel dumb at first, but they actually work. Like pressing the reset button on an old Game Boy.
Step Three: Boundaries… The Hardest Word
Ah yes. Boundaries. AKA that thing people tell you to set, but no one tells you how without sounding like a jerk.
Here’s what worked for me: blame technology.
- “Sorry, my Wi-Fi cut out.” (Translation: I muted you so I could breathe.)
- “I can’t, my calendar’s blocked.” (Yes, blocked for me to eat a sandwich. What of it?)
- “I log off at 6.” (And if I don’t, my brain will short-circuit like a busted subway train.)
The wildest part? Most people don’t even argue. They’re too busy worrying about their own chaos.
Step Four: Find a Work Friend (Seriously, It Helps)
I once had a coworker named Maria. Absolute queen. We had this unspoken pact: if one of us was drowning, the other would say, “bathroom break?” Then we’d both vanish for 10 minutes, gossip, laugh, and come back pretending like we fixed some major crisis.
Do you need a work BFF to avoid burnout? Maybe not. But it sure makes surviving the nonsense easier.
Step Five: Get a Hobby That Has Nothing to Do With Work
I didn’t realize how bad my burnout was until my daughter asked me, “Mom, do you do anything besides work and laundry?” Ouch. Straight to the heart.
So I picked up painting. Am I good? Absolutely not. My last painting looked like a tomato that got into a bar fight. But it makes me laugh. It gets me out of my head. And most importantly—it has zero deliverables attached to it.
Real Talk: The Weird Things That Helped Me
- Buying the “fancy” pen just because it made writing grocery lists less painful.
- Creating a playlist called “Songs That Make Me Feel Like I Quit My Job and Moved to Paris.”
- Stashing chocolate in my desk drawer. (Don’t underestimate desk chocolate.)
- Laughing at my own mistakes. Because crying takes too much energy.
Step Six: Move Your Body (But Not in a Gym-Bro Way)
I don’t mean hardcore workouts (though if that’s your thing, power to you). I mean just… move.
I started dancing in my kitchen to old Beyoncé songs while making spaghetti. My neighbor started walking her dog an extra block just to clear her head. Another coworker swore by stretching between calls, even if her camera was on (respect).
Burnout thrives on stillness. Shake it off, literally.
Step Seven: Stop Treating Busy Like a Trophy
Okay, this one hurts. Because I was the queen of “look how busy I am.” Like, if I wasn’t drowning in work, I thought I wasn’t valuable.
But busyness is not the same as importance. It’s just noise. Successful people (and sane people) leave space. They’re not proud of answering emails at midnight—they’re proud of protecting their energy.
So now I ask myself: am I doing this because it matters? Or because I want someone to think I’m important? Usually, it’s the second one. And that’s when I put my phone down.
Step Eight: Therapy, Baby
I fought this one for years. “I don’t need therapy, I just need sleep.” Spoiler: I needed therapy.
Talking to someone who doesn’t care about your office politics but cares about you? Life-changing.
Even if you can’t do therapy, journaling, venting, talking to a friend—it’s like taking the mental trash out.
Step Nine: Sleep (The Thing We Pretend We Don’t Need)
Burnout loves sleep deprivation. It feeds on it like a villain in a Marvel movie.
And I know, it’s hard. The phone is glowing, TikTok is endless, and suddenly it’s 2 a.m. But I swear the most revolutionary thing I did was set an actual bedtime. Not glamorous, not trendy, but effective.
Because you can’t out-hustle exhaustion. Trust me, I tried.
Step Ten: Remember Work Is Not Your Identity
This one stings, especially in NYC where everyone’s first question is, “So, what do you do?” Like your worth is tied to your job title.
But guess what? You’re more than your inbox. You’re more than your to-do list. You’re someone’s friend, someone’s parent, someone’s karaoke partner.
Work matters, sure. But it’s not the whole story. Burnout happens when we forget that.
The Messy Truth about how to avoid burnout at work?
Here’s what I’ve learned about how to avoid burnout at work: it’s not about one big fix. It’s about hundreds of tiny, stubborn choices to protect your energy.
It’s about saying no when your body screams no. About taking breaks even when you feel guilty. About remembering you’re a human, not a machine.
And yeah, some days I still mess up. I still stay too late or stress-scroll my inbox at midnight. But I catch it faster now. I laugh about it. I course-correct.
Because avoiding burnout isn’t about being perfect—it’s about choosing not to set yourself on fire just to keep your workplace warm.
Suggested Outbound Links:
- The Everygirl – for relatable lifestyle and career balance stories.
- BuzzFeed Humor – for a laugh when you need to step away from work.
