Do you feel like you’ve been stuck in a pattern of burnout without feeling that you are making any advancements back to good health?
The thing is, if you break it down, you will likely find that YOU ARE making some significant and positive changes that ARE bringing you back to health and vitality.
A vital part of your burnout recovery process is to focus on the things that ARE WORKING for you and the areas in your life where things HAVE IMPROVED.
Here are 7 positive signs of burnout RECOVERY that show you are headed in a positive direction.
1. Your physical symptoms are beginning to subside
I remember when I was able to list 20-30 symptoms of physical issues that I was experiencing, but now it’s down to about 2, and they are only mild symptoms. If you are still in a tough stage of burnout, it’s ok if the symptoms are not all gone, but take note of the severity of what you are feeling.
For example you may notice that
- a hayfever reaction after eating sugar is not as severe
- your gut is not so up and down with constipation and diarrhoea
- you can go a little little longer after a meal before you feel your blood sugar levels dropping
- you know your immune system is stronger because you are not getting frequent respiratory type viruses and infections as you once were.
Whatever symptoms were an issue for you, notice any improvements and stay focused on any positive changes. Our thoughts and emotions are powerful barometers in what shows up as physical symptoms in our body.
2. Your sleep patterns are beginning to normalise
Over time, your cortisol levels are likely becoming more regulated.
They may now be moving away from being high at night and low in the morning.
When cortisol is low at night (as it should be), it is easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
It can also be helpful to keep a sleep diary to track how your sleep has been over time, and to help give you a realistic picture of how you’re actually doing.
I don’t recommend any electronic device to track this, such as an app on your phone, as having a device like this close to you while you’re sleeping, can greatly affect the quality of your sleep.
3. You have more sustained energy
You may be noticing that
- you can walk for a little longer or at a higher intensity
- you may be returning to the gym and lifting some light weights and feeling energized from it
- you may not be crashing in the afternoon anymore with brain fog and blood sugar lows, or if it is still happening, it’s not as severe.
Your body will tell you via your energy levels, how you are doing. Again, it can be useful to track this through your own journal notes (even from time to time), to see how you are progressing.
You know your body better than anyone, and whether your energy levels are improving.
4. You’ve developed new patterns of NOT overgiving
There was likely a time when you would’ve said yes to everyone and everything, and people came to you, because they knew you would do do things for them, without question.
Well, times have changed now, and you are learning to honour more and more where it feels right for you to give. You pay more atention these days to your energy levels and your own needs, and you create some space before replying to a request with a ready YES.
These days, if it’s not a definite yes in your mind, it’s likely a no to others requests and wants. You are giving to yourself on a deeper level than ever before.
5. You have more positive habits that you have built on over time
You have learned to build an abundance of positive behaviours into your life, and you have stuck to them over an extended period of time.
You have built them up, one layer at a time, and sustained small, consistent, daily practices, that have resulted in very significant benefits in your life.
You are more and more aware of what further changes you need to draw into your life. As you look back, you can see how the profound changes that you have made on a daily basis have served you incredibly well.
6. You have more compassion for yourself and others
As your general mood has improved (as a result of your improved physical health), you find it easier to be gentle and compassionate with yourself. You also notice that you have more care and compassion for others.
The attitude of, I just can’t care about anyone, I have no energy, has begun to dissipate. Part of this is from your improving physical health and also because you are now surrounding youself with people who are uplifting and energising, and who support you in your life. You have fewer and fewer people around you who bring you down.
You have learned more and more how to balance your energy, to create the quiet and restorative time for yourself that you need (as talked about in number 4 above), and so you have more energy when you are out in the world, at home with your family or even interacting with people online.
7. You are questioning the deeper reasons of why you are here and what your life purpose is
Aah, you really are coming back to life. You know there is absolutely no way that you can live your life in the way that you have done previously.
You have a deeper level of connection with who you are, with your gifts, talents and abilities, and you are strongly called to bring these gifts to the world, but in a way that feels right to you.
You are delving more and more into the deeper parts of your mind and soul, as your body is now supporting you more easily once again.
Please know that wherever you are on this journey back to health and vitality, it is totally ok. If you are not where you want to be, keep building back up ONE STEP AT A TIME. It doesn’t have to happen overnight.
Keep acknowledging the powerful and positive changes that you have already made in your life.
Best wishes on your journey, wherever you are.
Love Lisa
