How do you recover from burnout?

[Gufo]

I have recently been signed off work with stress. This is caused by work and also by issues at home (DD has ASD and that can be challenging). Throw in financial problems, a horrible physical condition and a pandemic, and I'm done!

I've never experienced anything like this before and want to take the opportunity and time to get better.

I don't function well without a list of things to do - although I know giving myself targets and things to achieve may not be the most sensible thing right now!

If you were in this position, how did you fill your days?

Hi,

I came off work with stress about 18m ago. Then (now ex) H announced he was in love with someone else and left, then the pandemic struck...

The things that helped me
Running/walking/exercise. Being off work enabled me to get into a habit. I forced myself out. Helped enormously.

Had counselling. Organising life and being busy all the time is not helpful. The best thing my counsellor suggested was for every 'essential busy job' on my to do list, balance it out with a bit of self care (walking, bath, read a book etc.). It is hard to get into that mindset; I felt so guilty about taking time for myself.

Ironically the first lockdown and exH leaving helped me enormously as the expectation was not there to be rushing around for anyone (especially when he had the kids).

Sorry you find yourself in this position though. Is work supportive? Can you access some counselling either through them or privately?
Do you have support at home? It is easy to say take time for yourself and slow down, but I am mindful that your circumstances may make that challenging?

Walking
Cooking
Gentle yoga
Light fiction
So much walking.....
Take care

Meant to say I returned to work after about 4 months off.

I was incredibly lucky to have a supportive manager, and I am not sure she will ever realise how much her support meant to me.

During my time off I was able to recognise what about my job was causing the stress (being able to properly stand back from the role was helpful, a weeks' annual leave is never enough). I am lucky in my role that I could drop the stuff that was causing me stress and pick up different work.

I am now a totally different person and far more happy than I have been, so it is possible to get through the other side.

Walking, crap TV, light reading, quilting