Burnout - the combination of everyday stress, exhaustion, and overload - can happen even to the best of us. Even when you love and enjoy your job, taking on too many responsibilities, working long hours, and working with little support can leave you feeling overdone, lacking motivation, and burned out. While it is best practice to avoid burnout before it happens, sometimes it is unavoidable. Here are some things you can do to recover from that place of burnout:

1. Delegate
If you are overwhelmed and overworked, it may be time to pass some responsibilities off to other members of the team. This could be temporary while you regain your footing or permanent to help relieve the burden and make it easy for you to recover.

2. Evaluate and self-reflect
Sometimes we miss the signs of burnout coming because we are too caught up in the grind of work. When you do realize you are in that state of burnout, though, it is important to take the time to evaluate what you are feeling and reflect on how those feelings impact you. Ask yourself what you need in order to lift out from burnout, how to better sustain your job in the future, and how you can take care of yourself both in the state of burnout and in recovery.

3. Create a gratitude practice
Having a gratitude practice has been shown to cultivate greater happiness, improve health, and increase optimism among other benefits. When you start to feel the effects of burnout - or even before! - starting on a gratitude practice that works for you can help lift you out of that place. You may decide to use an app, start a journal, or practice a gratitude meditation. Whatever you decide, constancy is key.

4. Develop a plan
As you start to lift yourself out of a place of burnout, it is important to start planning to prevent it from occurring again in the future. Plan time into your day to do a little exercise, explore social connections with your friends, coworkers, and family, and most importantly plan how you will relax and reduce stress in the future.

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Burnout can be a real productivity killer, but it can also be a sign you need to slow down, reduce your workload, and find balance. Make sure to take time for yourself to end burnout or prevent it in the future.