Signs of burnout, like headaches, irritability, and trouble sleeping, can be easy to brush off when you’re already fighting through the day.
But stopping the burnout spiral starts with noticing what’s triggering it in the first place. Avoiding these habits is a good place to start when you need to take some pressure off.
Feeling burned out? Stop doing these 7 things when you’re overwhelmed:
1. Saying ‘yes’ before checking whether you can actually handle putting more on your plate
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It might sound counterintuitive, but to live a happy life, we sometimes have to be strategic with saying “yes” and more deliberate about saying “no.” Sometimes we need to turn down invitations and say “no” at work to avoid burning ourselves out, even if setting those boundaries feels uncomfortable.
If you already feel stressed and overwhelmed, saying “yes” to things you can’t take on and trying to please everyone around you only pushes you closer to true burnout.
2. Putting everyone else’s needs before your own
Yes, inconveniencing ourselves for our community and showing up for the people we care about are both important for living a happy life. However, if we put our own well-being aside to always put others first, we’re not doing anyone a favor. We become more resentful of these people and their needs, and we feel less secure and happy ourselves.
To avoid burnout, we occasionally have to focus only on ourselves. Prioritizing self-care isn’t selfish, especially when it helps you to show up everywhere else as a better version of yourself.
3. Apologizing for taking care of yourself
When we over-apologize to others for putting ourselves first or saying ‘no,’ we can reinforce the idea that boundaries and self-care are something to feel guilty about. But for people who know how to avoid burnout, that couldn’t be more true.
They may feel upset about disappointing someone else by putting personal solitude first or having to cancel plans, but in the end, they’re protecting their well-being. If they’re always saying ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I know, I’m the worst’ when they have to look after themselves, it can become harder to break the habit of people-pleasing.
4. Keeping yourself busy to avoid what’s really bothering you
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Even though avoiding the stress of a taxing job or an emotionally draining relationship feels easy in the moment, whether through mindless entertainment or superficial conversations, relying on avoidance can leave those problems unresolved.
A 10-year study linked avoidance coping with more stressors later on, which were associated with more depressive symptoms. When we avoid what’s bothering us, those feelings and the stress we internalize don’t go away. They just become harder to manage when they bubble up.
That’s why the smartest people avoid busyness and avoidance when they start feeling overwhelmed. They find ways to address those emotions, and more importantly, the root causes of their stress. Instead of procrastinating and pushing it down the road, they make the time in the present to address it.
5. Relying on quick and easy fixes without actually addressing the problem
While grabbing fast food, online shopping, self-isolating, and getting back into relationships we’ve outgrown can feel easy when we’re stressed out, they don’t necessarily address what’s bothering us. In the moment, we may feel some relief, but when these comforts become heavier coping mechanisms, they can distract us from addressing whatever’s making us feel overwhelmed.
Leaning into the challenge of a boundary or hard conversation isn’t comfortable, but it helps people avoid burnout when hustle culture feels overwhelming.
6. Trying to be perfect all the darn time
Perfectionists tend to respond to stress differently than most. When mistakes or missteps happen, instead of giving themselves grace and learning from them, they see them as real threats. Suddenly, a minor mistake becomes a character flaw or a reason to beat you down.
That’s why trying to be perfect all the time, especially in overwhelming moments and stressful situations, is the last thing we should prioritize. Not only is it completely unsustainable, but it also makes inevitable mistakes feel heavier and unnecessarily stressful.
7. Pushing through even when you’re exhausted
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While it seems obvious on paper, many people who are prone to burnout also struggle to prioritize rest. Whether it’s a hustle-culture mentality like “I have to earn a day off” or avoiding alone time when they could actually recharge, they sabotage their well-being by skipping the rest they need.
Whether it’s mental, physical, or emotional, when life starts feeling overwhelming, take a little bit more rest than you think you need, just in case. You need it. You don’t have to prove you’re worthy of it.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.