Burned Out? Here’s How to Recover and Come Back Stronger | Leadership Recovery Plan

In this episode of the Change Agent Leadership Podcast, we discuss crucial steps for recovering from burnout and coming back stronger. Jonathan Hankin shares personal experiences and offers actionable advice on reflecting, recalibrating, rediscovering meaning, realigning with boundaries, and reconnecting with supportive people. 

Key points include recognizing burnout without shame, engaging in deep rest, reflecting on past joys, setting healthier boundaries, and celebrating small wins. This comprehensive guide aims to help leaders regain energy, joy, and purpose in their lives and work.

00:00 Introduction and Recap
00:15 Understanding Burnout Recovery
02:02 Reflect and Recalibrate
05:15 Rediscover Meaning
06:57 Realign with Boundaries
10:24 Reconnect with Support
12:57 Conclusion and Practical Takeaways

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Transcript

 Welcome back to the Change Agent Leadership Podcast.   In our last episode, we talked about how to avoid burnout, how to notice the early signs,  build check-in rhythms, and lead with empathy for ourselves and with others.  But what happens when burnout has already taken root?  Today we're gonna dive into how to recover from burnout and more importantly,   how to come back stronger, wiser, and more aligned with who you are and with what you value. 

So let's jump in.   One of the key points through this is gonna be burnout. Recovery starts and has to have permission.  So let's start with the truth that every leader needs to hear, and that is burnout. Recovery is not a weakness. It's not a sign that you failed. It's actually a sign that you've probably been carrying too much for too long without support or the space that you've needed.

So again, recovery begins with acknowledging your reality without shame. 

So a couple action steps as we get going here is  ask yourself these three questions. One. Am I running on empty two, have I lost the joy or meaning in my work? And three, do I feel emotionally flat, cynical, or overwhelmed? If the answer's yes to all of these or most of '  em, then you're not alone.

You're human, and you're ready for a reset. I experienced serious burnout back in 2015, as I shared in the last episode. And this is when my body actually shut down before I recognized the signs. And by then it was too late for a quick fix.  My new normal became just pushing through the day slowly without energy or direction.

And because of that, it took over a year for me to recover. I didn't have the tools or resources like I'm providing today, so. If you're experiencing burnout, I can truly relate and understand to what you're saying, and I really do hope that I share what I share with you today will guide you or at least get you started on track to a more joyful, a healthy life and one that gives you wholeness and just a sense of purpose.

So let's jump into the  four steps we're gonna talk about today. For how to recover from burnout. And the first one is reflect and recalibrate.  And you know, something that remember, remember, and keep in mind through all of this is when burnout happens, it's deep rest is not an option. It's actually essential.

And here's the challenge though, as leaders, high achievers, we usually struggle with rest. It's not something we want to do. It's like, well, where do I take a pill to get over this burnout?  We default to active recovery. That's what I did. I defaulted to active recovery and still trying to take the next hill.

We still are over committ at times, but just at a slower pace.  And here's the key point. You can't think your way out of burnout. You have to rest your way through it. Now is the time to invest in yourself. Real rest requires real space.  This is not something you can just reflect on. It's not an afternoon or weekend thing you can get away from.

If you truly want to move outta burnout, move from burnout into a restful life, do these action steps.  And so I'm gonna lift out some things to reflect on. And the first key theme here is you need to get away. And I would recommend for at least three days. This is not a vacation, but this is a rest time.

You wanna go to a quiet place,  like a retreat center, a monastery, or somewhere that you can unplug is ideal. No laptop. No email, no social media. Bring a journal, whether it's paper or electronic.  And then you want to reflect on these five questions, and this is really what the core of your time would be about.

And I realize three days may not be possible, but that's ideal.  And the five things to reflect on is one, what used to bring me joy? Two, what's draining me right now? Three, what's the cost of where I'm at? The burnout, the physical costs, the relational costs, the emotional costs. Four what would a joyful, meaningful life  look like?

So what would that look like in the future dream a little bit. And then number five, what are three actions that you will take when you return to move towards that? The goal here is to identify and accept that you are burning out. This is not sustainable. And understand that this is a long-term process and that steps to healing start one step at a time. 

Again. Put it it this way, consider if your friend or spouse were in this situation and they came to you, what advice would you give them? I don't think you would tell 'em to just suck it up and push through, but that's what we tell ourselves, so don't do that. Give yourself the same care that you would a friend.

Or a spouse, and if three days are not possible, then start with something simpler.   Create a no list. What are the responsibilities, roles, or routines you need to step away from temporarily build a structured rest time. That could mean just. Structured time off, reduced responsibilities, tech-free times, or even short daily pauses, whatever it is.

This isn't about recharging a battery, to be honest with you. It's about replacing your  battery with a better one.   So that's step one.  

Step two is to rediscover meaning. Burnout doesn't just make you tired. It actually makes you disconnected from meaning and purpose In life.   reconnect with what gives you energy and joy. And also consider what, why did you start this journey in the first place?

Whatever position you're in or what you're doing that has caused or led to this burnout. There's something there that gave you joy. And so what was that? Reflect on that.  Remember, recovery isn't about doing less necessarily. It's about doing what matters more.  So some action steps here.   Take 15 to 30 minutes to reflect on these coaching questions is what I call them.

The reason I call them coaching questions is if you were sitting with me right now, I literally would ask you these questions and give you time to pause and reflect. So free coaching advice here. Just write these down and reflect on them. Number one, what part of your work used to really excite you? Two, when did you feel the most energized, alive, or aligned?

Three, what values that you have have drifted out of alignment? And four, what would it look like to feel excited about tomorrow? Take some time again, 15 to 30 minutes. I mean, honestly, you need 15 to 30 for each one,  so maybe it's just high level the first time through, but take time. Invest in yourself and reflect on those questions.

This is the time to dream again. You probably haven't done that for a while. So whether you journal, walk, and think and do this or talk it out with a coach or a trusted friend, processing aloud can unlock fresh clarity and direction.

That's step two.   Step three is realign with boundaries. Once rest and reflection begin to work, it's time to redesign and realign your life with healthier boundaries.  Use your insights to craft a burnout recovery plan when you answer those four questions above. Consider what actions need to happen.  

So the first question that we talked about, the coaching question is what parts of my work used to really excite me? So as you reflect on them, then consider part of your recovery plan. Ask how can I reintegrate that into my daily work? So those things that used to give you joy. Think about them. How can I reintegrate them back into my work?

Does my role need to change? Do I need a new rhythm? Do I need to have a reset on expectations? So again, it's just asking some deeper questions on the same topics. We don't wanna just keep adding more topics here and then follow up with that. So that first one, what part of my work used to really excite me? 

So now you've. Processed it. You reflect and asked some questions about it. And then here's the, here's the crucial part, boundaries.  What boundaries do I need to put in place to ensure that this happens? 'cause it's one thing to process and say, I need to change this, or I need to make adjustments. What boundaries are you actually going to put in place to make sure it happens?

So start by identifying what drains you most consistently, and then set limits. Create meeting free block times. So set these times up so you can have blocks to process limit after hours availability, and then possibly say no more often, or at least not now.  Again, part of this can is part of that tied to what used to really excite you at work.

It's all tied to that question and so you really wanna put boundaries in place. You come up with the questions that you want to, the boundaries you wanna put in place. I just listed some options there. But boundaries protect our recovery. So we're working hard to build our time back and so reflect on those questions.

I just went over the first one and gave you some samples.  You want to process the other three questions in the same way. And so after you've done that, I.   An action step, rebuild your calendar with margin and flexibility. You really need to take control of your calendar. It's something I needed to do. I, I need to do this on a regular basis is take control of my calendar and add margin and flexibility.

I also need to redefine, you need to redefine as well your non-negotiables. What do you need for your emotional, physical, and relational health? You really do need to think through, how do I take, how do you, how do I take care of ourselves? And what are the boundaries that need to be in there? What this is non-negotiables.

And then last, we need to communicate these boundaries clearly to your team, possibly if it relates to them, to your family. And lastly, we forget this step to ourselves.  How do we do that? We talked about this last week in our other episodes. Sticky notes. Make it visible. But you need to set your boundaries, put them on your calendar.  

Again, a key point here is recovery is sustained through structure. You have structure for everything else in life.  I'm guessing if you're in business or you're a leader, you have a schedule, you have other things. So restructure yourself, you're worth it.   A strong recovery depends on saying yes to what restores you and no to what depletes you.

 And then moving into  step four, which is reconnect with people who will fill your tank. Burnout often happens in isolation. We stop asking for help.  We hide behind. The answer that many of us give. How are you? Fine. Well, we, we give that and that's our go-to. But healing happens in connection. So recovery is, relational is a key point to remember here, and  some action steps.

So I'd remember, encourage you to do these. Identify two to three people. You can be honest with about where you are. People you trust, people that are not gonna judge you but care about you and are going to listen. They're not going to solve it. They're just going to listen and be empathetic. Also, consider professional help a coach, a therapist, or a mentor who can help guide you through your next steps.

I'm available, but there are lots of other coaches out there that are available as well. Hire somebody that can walk with you through the process or join or create an encouragement group. Could be a leadership cycle circle. I'm sorry that you have leaders that you trust that you may get with. They're probably struggling with similar things.

Maybe it's an accountability partner or it's a peer check-in. Whatever works for you is what you need to do. You don't have to go alone,  is the key theme here. So remember, healing takes time and that's okay. Let me say this clearly,  burnout recovery isn't a weekend rest. I said this several times. It, it just takes time. 

So give yourself that mental space. It may take week, weeks, months, or even longer to rebuild your energy, your motivation, motivation and your mental energy. And that's okay. It takes time for these things to happen. You're not trying to return to who you were. You're trying to become someone wiser, stronger. And more aligned with your values.   

So some action steps here just for that closing point. Track small wins. Celebrate the progress. Even if it's just getting through the day with more peace, that's a win. Show yourself grace. When habits resurface, you're not gonna be perfect at this. Nobody's perfect. Give yourself some grace here and then reflect weekly.

Ask the question, what am I learning about myself through this? This is a journey.  This is a process. So for those of us who are in leadership, I would just give you a leadership insight here. 

As leaders, we have the opportunity to model healthy rhythms. When you recover well, you become a model of healthy rhythms to your employees and those around you for your team, your family, and those who are watching you. You show your team that self-care isn't selfish. It's actually sustainable leadership.

Let's end with three steps that you can take this week.  So three practical takeaways for a simple recovery plan startup. One name where you are, admit to yourself, or someone that you trust that you're struggling with burnout. Healing happens when burnout is acknowledged. Two rest with intention. Block time away.

Not just a morning, but maybe an evening, an afternoon, or a full day to fully disconnect and breathe. And then three, redesign your boundaries. Choose one area, whether it's email, meetings, or family time,  and put in a better boundary in place this week to help you move forward easier. You are a capable, committed leader. That's a fact, so that means recovery is possible. 

If this episode was helpful to you or resonated with you and you know someone who could use it, please share it and pass it along. If you do need help or support in this, if you need a coach, I'm available. See my link in the show notes. I'm Jonathan Hankin, your change agent, coach.

Keep questioning, keep growing and keep leading change. I'll see you next time.