I had never been through anything quite as deep or, frankly, personally frightening as my burnout 10 years ago.
Burnout moves fatigue and the darkness from a place where it was in your control to place where you can simply no longer control either.
I’ve heard from more than a few of you who have let me know that you’re in the midst of burnout right now.
Gary summarized how many leaders feel when he wrote in this comment:
So I’m there now. If I were honest I would say my life and ministry are in shambles. Still going, but no one really knows except my wife, I am ready to quit.
Oh man.
All I can say is I understand, and I’m pulling for you and praying for you.
I told part of my story in this post along with sharing nine signs you might be burning out.
So how do you recover from burnout?
Let me share my journey. While everyone’s recovery will be different, there were 12 keys that, in retrospect, were essential to my recovery.
Not an Instant Cure
And as far as time goes, for me there was no instant cure.
It took about six months for me to move from ‘crisis’ (20 percent of normal) to operational (maybe 60 percent).
It took another year to get from 60 percent to 80 percent of ‘normal.’
Finally, it took another three or four years to finally feel 100 percent again—like myself. Even a new self.
12 Keys to Getting Back from Burnout
Along the way, these 12 things helped me immensely. And while your story might be different, I offer them in the hope they might help you even in some small way:
1. Tell someone
This was hard. I think it is for most leaders, especially guys. My guess is you will resist because of pride. But pride is probably what made you burn out. Don’t miss this: Only humility will get you out of what pride got you into. Swallow your pride and tell someone safe that you have a problem. It’s tough, but it’s the first step toward wellness. When you admit it to others, you also finally end up admitting to yourself.
