How To Bounce Back from Burnout

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“Arre yaar, kuchh feel hi nahi ho raha” – Pehchano burnout ka asli chehra

Burnout woh kala kauwa hai jo dheere-dheere ghar banata hai tumhare sar pe. Office mein ho ya ghar pe, ek ajeeb si khaali-feel aati hai – jaise battery 1 % pe aa gayi ho par charger kho gaya ho. Monday morning WhatsApp group ka notification bhi “ting” karke dara deta hai. Khana same lagta hai, Netflix bhi bore kar deta hai, aur sabse bada jhatka – kaam jisme pehle maza aata tha, ab lagta hai jaanu ne dhokha de diya.

Maine khud do saal pehle yeh phase dekha. Mera cue tha: main client ka 200-word mail 45 minute mein likh ke paanch baar revise kar raha tha, phir bhi “send” dabane se darr lag raha tha. Tab laga, boss, kuchh toh gadbad hai. Google kiya, “signs of burnout ” – same symptoms, bas language angrezi thi. Translate karke samjha: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, reduced performance. Matlab, thakaan, bekaar ki naraazgi, aur kaam ka ghadaa.

Burnout = sirf “kaam zyada” nahi hai – cultural angle samjho

India mein burnout ka label log casually le lete hain: “Arey, main toh burnt-out hun yaar.” Lekin asli burnout clinical level pe stress hormone ka khel hai – cortisol ka dangal. Aur humaara samaaj usse fuel daalta hai:

1. “Sharma ji ka ladka 12 ghante kaam karta hai” wali comparison.
2. Relatives ka favourite dialogue: “Arre, itni chhutti? Tumhare pas toh time hi time hai.”
3. Startup culture ki hustle-porn: “Sleep is for the weak.”

Iske upar se guilt layer – agar rest karo toh lage “I am lazy”; agar rest na karo toh body breakdown. Ek vicious cycle, samjhe?

Pehla kadam – Maan lo, dosti karo, phir plan banao

Burnout se recovery ka sabse tough part hai “accept karna”. Kyunki humein lagta hai agar accept kar liya toh kamzor dikh jayenge. Lekin sach yeh hai – jab tak naam nahi doge, tab tak dawa nahi milegi.

Mera formula:

1. Micro-check-in: Din mein do baar khud se puchho, “Kya mujhe abhi bhookh, neend ya chhutti chahiye?”
2. Name the monster: Journal mein likh do, “Main exhausted hun kyunki…” – likhne se brain ko clarity milti hai, emotion kaam pe jaada nahi karte.
3. One safe person: Ek banda jisko bina filter bata sako. Mere case mein meri cousin – uska kaam hai sirf sunna, solution nahi deti, bas “hm-hm” karti hai, aur magic – half load halka.

Body ka circuit reset – Sleep, nutrition, movement

Log kehte hain “self-care karo”, lekin self-care Instagram candles nahi hai, asli kaam yeh hai:

Sleep:

• Target 7 ghante, agar nahi ho raha toh 30-minute chunks bhi chalega. Sunday dopahar ka 1 ghanta nap = mini-vacation.
• Phone aeroplane mode + charger drawing room mein. Gharwale bole “emergency kaise handle karenge?” – simple, landline ya neighbour. 1990s wala jugaad.

Nutrition:

• Chai-biscuit ka nashta 4 baar = blood-sugar roller-coaster. Add protein: poha mein peanuts, idli ke saath peanut chutney, office bag mein roasted chana.
• Paani: 1-litre bottle, side table pe; har video meeting ke baad ek glaas. No apps, no alarms, natural trigger.

Movement:

• Gym jaane ka josh nahi? Thik hai. Ghar ke drawing room mein 7-minute YouTube workout kar lo. Ya stairs: 3 floors up, lift down – 5 rounds = cardio ho jata hai.
• Evening walk with mom/dad – bonus: free therapy session.

Boundary lagao – Nahi bolna seekho

Indian setting mein “No” bolna semi-blasphemy hai. Try karo:

Office:

• Slack status: “Heads-down work, will reply @4 pm.” 4 baje ek saath saare mails, log khush.
• Meeting invite aaya 6:30 pm ka? Reply: “Can we take this 9 am tomorrow? I’ll be sharper.” 80 % bosses maan jate hain, baaki 20 % ke liye HR policy dikhado (most companies have “right to disconnect” now).

Ghar:

• Relatives ka function: “Bhai, is weekend I have prior commitment” – prior commitment = rest. Detail mat batana.
• Mom ka “beta, thoda dhaniya la do”: Amazon Fresh schedule kar do, ya ek day fix karo jab tum market jao. System banao, emotional labour kum karo.

Kaam ko kaam ki tarah rakho – Purpose ka dhong mat karo

Passion ka chakkar ne burnout ko aur bada diya. “Do what you love” sunke lagta hai 24/7 karo. Lekin kaam, kaam hai – kabhi kabhi boring hona normal hai.

Tricks:

• 3-task rule: Daily sirf 3 non-negotiable tasks. Baaki “nice-to-have”. List lamba hoga toh guilt milega.
• Pomodoro 25-5: Phone timer, 25 minute focus, 5 minute break – break mein WhatsApp, not during work block.
• Friday shutdown ritual: Notepad pe likho “kal kya karna hai”, mail band, desk saaf, light off – brain ko signal: over.

Digital detox – Thoda ana-log zindagi

Screen time kam karo, lekin “kam” ka matlab zero nahi. Realistic:

• 1-hour no-phone before bed – jagah bharo: physical book, tabla bajao, ya spouse se baat (yaad hai wo?).
• Weekend half-day airplane mode – Saturday subah 8 se dopahar 1. Log soche “mar gaya kya?” – unko adapt karne do.
• Unfollow trigger accounts: Jitne “rise & grind” reels dekhte ho, utna khud pe laanat bhejte ho. Replace with comedy, gardening, dogs – kuchh bhi jo output pressure na ho.

Therapy & medical help – Kaun kaam ayega, kaise?

Self-help kabhi-kabhi enough nahi. Signs you need pro:

• Din mein 2 baar panic attack ya heart palpitations.
• Sleep 4 ghante se kum ho raha for 3 weeks.
• Thoughts of self-harm (even passive: “agar truck ne takkar mar di toh chain milega”).

Options:

• EAP (Employee Assistance Program): Free sessions, HR batayega, confidential rehta hai.
• Online platforms: BetterHelp, Therapize India – Hindi/English mix, pocket friendly.
• Psychiatrist vs psychologist: Meds ki zarurat ho toh MD ko dikhana padega. Koi shame nahi – diabetes mein insulin lete ho toh yeh kyun nahi?

Hobbies – Wapas bachpan ke passion

Burnout brain ko lagta hai “I am only my productivity”. Hobby rewires that.

• Old hobby: School mein guitar? 15 minute daily YouTube chords. Goal performance ka nahi, “sound achha laga” ka hai.
• New hobby: Vermicompost, sketching, learning Tamil – beginner mindset brings dopamine.
• No monetisation: Agar sketch ko Instagram page bana ke “side-hustle” pressure laga diya toh wapas kaam ho jayega.

Social circle – Quality > Quantity

Party FOMO = extra exhaustion.

• 2-pizza rule: Friends jitne 2 pizza se khush ho jaye, unke saath hi plan karo. Bheed se energy drain hoti hai.
• Low-stake meetups: Chai tapri, morning cricket, apartment terrace – zero prep cost.
• Volunteer smartly: NGO work is great, lekin “every weekend” commitment mat karo. Choose flexible slots – beach clean-up once a month.

Manager aur team se baat – Script ready rakho

“Open up to your manager” sunke lagta hai suicidal idea, lekin framing matters:

Script:
“Hey, I love the project, but I’m hitting diminishing returns. If I get two focused days a week without meetings, I can ship features faster. Can we trial this for two weeks?”

Most managers hear “faster output” and say yes. Tumhare paas data do: velocity chart, bug count. Sabko numbers pasand hain.

Finances – Emergency fund = mental health fund

Paise ki tension burnout ko rocket fuel deti hai.

• Target 3-month expenses liquid. Start small: ₹500 SIP in overnight fund.
• Side income: Only if it excites you; agar Uber driving weekend pe aur thakaan badhayega toh mat karo.
• Expense audit: Credit card statement print, highlighter se “kya chutiya khareedi” mark – next month cut.

Values ka audit – Kyu kar rahe ho yeh sab?

Burnout ke peeche aksar values mismatch:

Example: Tumhe creativity pasand hai, job mein spreadsheets.
Fix:

• Within role: Can I automate spreadsheet, use design skills for dashboard?
• Outside role: Can I mentor juniors on storytelling, fulfill creative itch?

Ikigai diagram banao – four circles: what you love, good at, paid for, world needs. Overlay karo, gap dikhega, plan banao.

Celebrate micro-wins – Desi style

We suck at self-praise.

• Daily one “taali maaro” moment: Code run hua? Kaju katli.
• Weekly WhatsApp status family group pe: “Cooked dal without calling mom” – mileage may vary, but log habit se jaan pehchan badhayenge.
• Monthly solo date: Matlab favourite dosa joint, headphones, Anu Malik playlist – apun time.

Setback hoga – Kya karna?

Recovery linear nahi. Ek bad day =/= square one.

• 24-hour rule: Agar mood off, give yourself one day, no analysis. Next day morning walk ke baad review.
• Failure log: Small diary – “what triggered, what helped”. Pattern dikhega.
• Buddy ping: “Bhai, kal bekaar tha, aaj push kar raha hun” – accountability without judgment.

Long-term guardrails – Burnout se dosti tootni nahi deni

• Quarterly off: 3-day weekend minimum, plan in advance.
• Yearly digital sabbatical: 1 week mountains, only camera phone (no sim).
• Health check-ups: Annual, including thyroid-Vitamin D – physical mimic depression.
• Revisit boundaries every appraisal cycle – naya manager, naya drama.

Closing note – Normal hai, tum akela nahi

Jitne log LinkedIn pe “hustle” dikhate hain, utne hi bathroom mein anxiety vomit kar rahe hain. Bas humne dikhana band kiya hai. Burnout recovery mein months lag sakte hain, kabhi kabhi year. Lekin har chhota step worth hai.

Meri favourite line jo mirror pe stick kari hai:
“Progress > Perfection, and pajamas > pressure.”

Apun log thoda slow chalenge, lekin apun log jeetenge. Tum bhi.

FAQs: How to Bounce Back from Burnout