How to Revive Your Passion When Burnout is on the Horizon

With Easter drawing to a close, it’s time to think about rebirth, growth, and personal development y’all.

It can be easy to lose that motivational drive, that push to keep doing what you’re doing – be it with work or with your studies. And when you have that dreaded burnout looming on the horizon, it can be hard to persevere and get back to your happy place. So here are a few tips on how to revive your passion when you’ve been slogging away that little bit too long.

Back to the beginning

Sometimes when you’ve been at something long enough, it can be hard to remember why you even started. If you’re feeling a bit burned out, have a look back over the work you did when you first began, go back through your social feeds and look at what you were up to, or even go back over some of those early messages or DMs you sent when you first got into your degree or landed the job. Oftentimes just spending an hour or so reflecting on your original motivations can be all you need to get through.

Reach out

Where you find yourself without people to share your ideas with, with no one to enthuse to about your field, it can make the work you’re doing feel a little stifling. Building yourself a solid network of people who share your interests to turn to when you’re feeling a bit ‘bleh’ is a great way to get your mojo back and power through. Whether it’s reaching out to people in your classes, going to industry events, joining a society, or even jumping on to some online forums or chats on LinkedIn, just having that network of people who share your interest can help you get back on track.

Look after yourself

When you’re heading towards burn out, it’s time to invest in some self-care and solidify that work-life balance. Try to leave work when you’re scheduled to (and chat with your boss or supervisor if you’re working beyond your usual hours on a regular basis), set up a schedule for times to study, and set aside a good few hours each week for simple relaxation time.

It can also help to give yourself little rewards when you complete larger tasks, like an assignment or project at work. Take yourself out for a nice meal, get your nails done, or buy that shirt you’ve been eyeing for a while. Alternatively, set some goals you can work towards that give you something to look forward to – a trip away (even if just for a weekend) or even just going to a show with your friends.

By setting aside time to pursue things that help you relax and feel good will break up the monotony of a difficult job or subject, and get you feeling yourself again.

Do a task refresh

Maybe you’ve just been doing the same thing for so long that it’s time for a refresh. Rather than simply changing degrees or quitting your job, try changing up your daily tasks a little and see how you fair. Start small: try a new app to get more organised, search out a cool blog, go along to an event or two – even changing up your work or study space but investing in some new stationary, changing the orientation of your desk, or adding a few personal items or comfort objects can make a difference.

Look around

Take a week or two to start looking around yourself and at the industry you’re in (or want to be in), and search for opportunities. Maybe you could start a small side project with a few mates that touches on skills in your industry, or chat with a tutor or subject coordinator for a class you enjoyed about how to do more in that field. You could also do some online research about the latest developments in your industry, and set yourself goals based around them, or even reach out to the companies who are doing exciting things and see if you can get some work experience.

Or, if you really would have no idea where to start, swing by our office on Level 4 of the Tower Building (CB01.04.13) and chat to one of our friendly staff about how to get that passion back on track – or whether it’s time to start looking for a change of direction.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash