Burnout is something that only one who has either experienced or is experiencing it can understand what you are going through. It is a whole new layer of exhaustion and defeat in a person’s life. If you are here today, I’m guessing that you are feeling that exhaustion right now.
Well, you are in the right place as I have some tips that might make a difference in your journey today. Stick around and see!
I have been reading since a very young age just for the fun of it. Until a few years ago, I didn’t realize just how much reading was benefiting my life. I was simply reading my fiction books and seamlessly falling into different worlds each time.
Now, I understand that when I read there are so many benefits that are happening beneath the surface. The main benefit that I have been experiencing is that it truly impacts your burnout recovery journey.
As a burnout victim, I have felt hopeless as I didn’t believe there was a single action that could change how I felt. All I knew was that I was waking up each morning not wanting to move a single muscle let alone have a conversation with anyone.
Reading comes into play with burnout recovery in numerous ways so let’s see how it can help you today!
Reading sparks deep thought
Let’s think about moments in our lives when we are not reading anything at all. How active are our thought patterns? In my experience lack of reading has often turned into a lack of reflection. Reading brings new ideas into our lives no matter what genre of book you are reading.
I truly encourage you to use reading as an inspiration for your journaling or even writing. We have to activate our brains if we want to keep ourselves engaged with life.
Burnout can cause us to want to stop and never start again. Reading can keep that brain activated even when you are exhausted and don’t want to move from your bed.
Reading can inspire
Inspiration ties heavily into our first point that reading can create new thoughts. As a writer, I am always looking for inspiration everywhere I go.
So when we read about burnout recovery we are opening the door to inspiration for recovery. I know as well as you that when you are burnt out, the world doesn’t look very bright. We need to look for any inspiration we can find to take that next step.
Reading is how we learn
You are burnt out and might not be looking to take a college-level course or anything. I’m not either! However, when we read we are learning more than we would think.
Our brains are being engaged and depending on what you are reading you could find a new concept that could help your recovery. There are numerous books out there that would surprise you with how much you can learn without feeling like you are in a classroom.
Reading gives an opportunity for routine
The thought of getting up each morning and having a full-blown routine is most likely overwhelming right now, and that is okay! A morning routine has many incredible benefits that someone who is burned out would love to have but we need to be realistic.
We are burned out and we don’t want to wake up at 6 am. We want to sleep until the cows come home.
That is why I want to recommend reading as yet another form of burnout recovery. The simple act of reading each day gives you a small taste of those routine benefits we mentioned without the stress of commitment. You don’t have to wake up at 6 am but you still are finding some consistency in your life.
Reading is quiet
The last benefit to reading is that it is a simple and quiet activity you can do when you are burnt out. We often don’t want to do anything when we are burned out and so this is a wonderful non-moving activity. You can still almost feel like you aren’t doing anything but still make progress towards your goals.
Reading gives you a non-stimulating activity to do on the worst days as well. Reading will be your best friend, especially on those days when you simply want to do nothing.
As a reminder, burnout is not something people recover from easily. It takes time and a lot of patience. Try out reading as part of your burnout recovery journey, and let me know how it goes! Which book are you going to read next? Comment below!