8 Simple Ways to Recover From Exhaustion and Burnout
Burnout is something we hear a lot about today.
Exhaustion and burnout have become incredibly common among women today.
They keep pushing through exhaustion, masking their symptoms, and wondering why they never truly feel rested.
Is there a way women can avoid exhaustion and burnout?
When someone is diagnosed with a chronic illness, there isn’t a specific thing that can be pointed to as the actual cause.
Most often, women battling a chronic illness don’t look sick. They often mask their exhaustion or push themselves, thinking that more activity will help them feel better.
So when they begin canceling appointments or avoiding going out in the evenings, they are misunderstood.
The guilt that arises from knowing they’ve let family and friends down only contributes to the fatigue they already feel, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
Why So Many Women Feel Constantly Exhausted
For many years, we were told we could have it all:
- Family
- Career
- Gym membership
- Volunteer at our kids’ school
- Skinny body
- Great vacation
- Luxury car
- Big house in a wealthy suburb
And so we tried very hard to achieve all of that – piling on heaps of stress with long hours and short nights.
We stayed up too late, woke up too early, ran on caffeine, and treated rest like laziness. Until eventually our bodies started fighting back.
We kept going on coffee and energy pills.
Until we couldn’t.
Oh, we may have had it all, but we found out we didn’t really want it all. All we wanted was joy and peace. But those weren’t on the list.
I dealt with overwhelming exhaustion and burnout for many years.
For a long time, I didn’t think that I would ever overcome the overwhelming fatigue I felt from morning till night.
Throughout the day, I was in a thick fog that kept me from thinking clearly and wore me out even more.
Over time, I began discovering small changes that either improved my energy dramatically—or made my fatigue much worse.
Recovery didn’t happen overnight for me.
But little by little, these habits helped me rebuild my energy, improve my mental clarity, and begin feeling like myself again.
While recovery looks different for everyone, these are some of the habits that made the biggest difference for me personally.
8 Simple Ways to Recover From Exhaustion and Burnout
If you are already battling exhaustion and burnout or find you don’t get a good night’s sleep any longer, these are things that have helped to support my recovery.
1. Begin Your Day With Quiet Time and Prayer
On my Bible study blog, A Little R & R, I talked about the importance of the war room for the weary woman.
But beyond that, having a consistent time when we get alone with God, seeking the Holy Spirit who gives us power, allowing Him to refresh us and renew us, is vitally important.
Our spiritual condition directly affects our emotional and physical well-being!
2. Turn Off Screens Before Bed
I’ve personally noticed that too much evening screen time overstimulates my mind and makes it harder for me to unwind before bed.
Not only that, but it messes with your circadian rhythm.
If you find you are unable to turn off your screens one hour before bedtime, you can use blue blocking glasses.
Many people report how wearing them 1-2 hours before bedtime has helped to reset their circadian rhythm and that they’ve begun to have a better quality of sleep.
Also, most cell phones today offer nighttime settings that turn down the blue light automatically.
3. Prioritize Deep, Restful Sleep
The impact of sleep deprivation on our bodies and psyche is far greater than we realize.
Rest is not laziness.
Rest is not weakness.
Rest is not a waste of time.
Rest is a gift we give our bodies that helps us do what we need to do better and more efficiently.
Not only does sleep deprivation exhaust us and leave us foggy and cranky, but it can also lead to other serious health issues, such as:
- Insulin resistance
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Depression
I use a smart watch to help me track my sleep. It tells me how many hours or minutes I’ve had in each sleep cycle, and how many total hours I slept.
This has helped me to make sleep a greater priority and consider if there is anything I’m doing in the evenings that is lowering the quality of my sleep.
4. Lower Your Caffeine Consumption
Caffeine raises adrenaline when your body doesn’t have any legitimate need for it.
For those who already suffer from exhaustion and burnout, it can actually make things worse because when the effect of caffeine wears off, the feeling of exhaustion is even greater than before.
If fatigue has been a problem for you for a long time, consider going caffeine-free.
One tip that has helped me lower my caffeine consumption is drinking “half-caf”, 1/2 coffee and 1/2 chicory root coffee, which has no caffeine.
5. Learn to Accept How Much You Can Handle
One of my greatest victories in life was finally realizing that I don’t have to compete with a woman who does twice as much as I can.
God gives us grace in proportion to our need, and He doesn’t have the same expectation for everyone.
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a parable about a man who was preparing to travel. He gave his servants “talents”, which were portions of responsibility in proportion to their ability.
He didn’t give each person the same amount of responsibility. But the one who had more wasn’t more valuable. He simply had more responsibility.
Dear friend, God doesn’t expect the same from you as he does from another woman.
Rest and limitation are not moral failures.
Do not take on more than you can handle peacefully and without frustration and exhaustion.
Each person has their own load limit; some are lower, and some are higher. Those with lower load limits are not weaker; they simply have a different calling.
6. Eat a Healthy and Clean Diet
I cannot emphasize strongly enough how much this has helped improve energy and mental clarity.
I used to be the one to preach “everything in moderation”, but I know better now. Having followed a low-carb diet for many years, I know I will never look back.
Eating clean, healthy food – no matter what diet you choose – will help to improve energy and mental clarity.
7. Get moving
I’ll be honest, I don’t like exercise.
Well, I like to walk – and that’s a good thing. Intense exercise for those who battle exhaustion and burnout is not a good thing.
Walking, however, is highly recommended.
Whether or not you enjoy exercise, take some time each day to get outside, soak up some Vitamin D, and move a bit.
Exercise – whether light, such as walking, or more intense, can help to increase your endorphins, boost your energy, and make you feel great!
8. Take Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Disclaimer: Always speak with a healthcare professional before beginning new supplements, especially if you have existing medical conditions or take medications.
Many people struggle to get all the nutrients their bodies need through food alone.
To start, it is a good idea to get blood work done to see if you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. If you are battling exhaustion and burnout, it is likely you do.
This is why it is wise to consider a good quality multi-vitamin (preferably in capsule form so the body can break it down easily).
Also, you could consider adding adaptogens to your diet.
If you’re not familiar with adaptogens, they are herbs that help to lower your stress and balance hormone levels.
I take Ashwagandha, which has helped with my insomnia and seasonal anxiety.
Others are Maca, Holy Basil, and Rhodiola.
Recovery Takes Time
Recovery from exhaustion and burnout rarely happens overnight.
Healing often comes slowly through small, intentional changes repeated consistently over time.
For me, these habits became part of rebuilding my energy, protecting my peace, and learning how to care for my body instead of constantly pushing it beyond its limits.
I still have to be mindful of stress, rest, and balance.
But I can honestly say I feel significantly better today than I did years ago.
If you are exhausted right now, discouraged by your lack of energy, or wondering if you will ever feel normal again, don’t lose hope.
Start small.
Rest when you need to.
And remember that even tiny changes can begin moving you toward healing.
Which of these habits would make the biggest difference in your life right now?
