Mindfulness for Burnout - Guided Meditations, Techniques, and Tips
In my work with individual students over the last decade, I have heard more and more people share their experiences with burnout and stress at work. The experiences of fatigue, lack of motivation, and even resentment are quite common. I have found over the years that a few specific meditation practices and mindfulness techniques can help support an individual experiencing burnout, so I thought I’d cover a few here.
There’s a bit about burnout and its symptoms below, as well as the research surrounding mindfulness and symptoms of burnout. I then offer a few meditation practices (along with guided meditations), and some off-the-cushion practices you can use in everyday life.
What is Burnout?
The term burnout was coined back in the 1970’s by Herbert Freudenberger. He wrote that burnout is “a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life,” and I find that to still be perhaps the simplest and clearest explanation. The symptoms revolve around this state of exhaustion, and include depleted energy, distancing or negativity surrounding one’s job, reduced efficacy, and effects that seep into life outside work.
The prevalence of burnout is astounding. The Annual Burnout Report from Mental Health UK found that over a third of adults experienced “high or extreme levels of pressure or stress ‘always’ or ‘often.’” If you or somebody you know is experiencing burnout, it’s helpful to know that it is a common experience. There’s no shame in it, and there are plenty of resources out there to help support you.
How Mindfulness Can Help Burnout
We’ve known for quite some time that mindfulness can reduce symptoms of stress, a major factor in burnout. The American Psychological Association states, “Researchers reviewed more than 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and found mindfulness-based therapy was especially effective for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.”
A 2016 systematic review by Michelle Luken and Amanda Sammons looked at the research surrounding mindfulness interventions in healthcare workers and teachers. It found that six out of the eight studies demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in job burnout after the mindfulness training.
Although further study is warranted, it’s been made fairly clear that mindfulness-based practices have the potential to significantly impact the experience of burnout. In addition to helping reduce stress, mindfulness can help us to make changes that support our wellbeing in the long run.
Dealing With Burnout
The first step in dealing with burnout is simply to notice there’s an issue. I’ll cover more in a bit about how to tune in deeply to the experience, but give yourself credit for even noticing something is not working in your life. Once we recognize there is an issue, we can begin to apply tools to work with the experience and move forward.
None of these are “quick fixes” for burnout. Mindfulness and meditation take time. With some consistency and effort, we can use mindfulness as one of many tools to decrease the symptoms of burnout and find some ease in our lives.
Meditation Practices
First, I’ll cover a few meditation practices that I have found helpful in working with burnout. These are mindfulness-based practices from my meditation podcast that are geared toward people relatively new to meditation. I recommend trying a few of these regularly, as one period of meditation won’t “cure” anything.
Body Scan Meditation
The first and perhaps most foundational practice for working with burnout is the body scan meditation. In a body scan, we move through the body bit by bit, tuning in with attention. It’s a practice anyone can do anytime, and is a powerful way to reconnect with the present moment and the experience in the body.
Body Scan Meditation For Beginners
This is the most basic body scan meditation. In this guided meditation we move through the body slowly, observing the experience in each part of the body. This is the core of a body scan practice, and something I personally return to repeatedly. Its use in burnout comes from its potential to build mindfulness of our experience, promote relaxation, and offer insight into how burnout manifests in the body.
Relaxing the Body
This is a bit of an active body scan rather than the passive observing of the traditional body scan. As we move through the body, we will put forth effort to actively relax each part of the body. This is a great practice when you need a few minutes of relaxation, perhaps in the evening or when you find yourself especially stressed.
Breath Counting
Much like working with body scans, the breath is a foundational piece of mindfulness meditation practice. Breath counting meditation is one of the principal ways we build concentration, which has calming effects. It also supports our ability to tune into the present moment wholly. It’s important to remember that this is a practice. If you can’t focus perfectly on the breath, don’t beat yourself up!
Walking Meditation
Although we think of meditation as a practice we do sitting still on a cushion, there are many forms of moving meditation. As we spend quite a bit of our days on the move, practicing meditation in this way can help us bridge the gap between meditation and daily life. It also gives us a different way to practice mindfulness and investigate our experience. Below I have two walking meditation practices: one for mindfulness, and one for the practice of loving-kindness.
Self-Compassion
Finally, I want to offer some practices related to self-kindness and self-compassion. Although mindfulness can be powerful on its own, a practice is incomplete in my opinion if it does not include a bit of the heart. With loving-kindness and self-compassion, we train to respond to our experience with more care and gentleness. When we are suffering, we meet the suffering with presence. This can help us to really tune into our difficulties and care for our own wellbeing.
Daily Practices Outside Meditation
There are also many things we can do outside of formal meditation periods to bring more mindfulness to our everyday lives. This has been a passion of mine as a layperson. In order to really make mindfulness part of our lives, we must find ways to practice during the day. I have a few ways I like to encourage this.
Mindful Reminders
Mindfulness reminders are perhaps my favorite way to encourage mindfulness throughout the day. The idea behind mindfulness reminders is that we use some action, activity, or experience that occurs daily to remind ourselves to be present. You can pick anything you want that happens regularly such as brushing your teeth, hearing your phone ring or buzz, or petting your dog.
With my students, I often start with what I call the “changing of postures.” This triggers any time your body changes postures. Specifically, it may be when you go from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, or sitting to lying down. Any time your trigger arises, you use it as an opportunity to be mindful and present. Return to the feelings in the body, the breath, and your present-time experience.
Mindful Eating
Many of us eat on autopilot, especially during the work day. To help with burnout, give yourself a bit of a break with meal time. Allow your nervous system to settle and check in with yourself by having a mindful meal. I have found this to be a great way to find some refuge in the middle of my day.
To practice mindful eating, focus on being present with the experience of eating. Tune into the food you have, how it looks, smells, and tastes, and the experience of chewing and swallowing. Put your phone down, shut the television off, and set the intention to be fully aware of the experience of eating.
Mindful Walking
I’ve already talked about walking meditation a bit, but it is also something we can incorporate into our daily lives. Most of us walk at least a little during our day (or move in some way for those not able to walk). We can use this as a way to be present and practice mindfulness. You can do this walking around your house, walking from the bus to your job, or walking through the grocery store. Use the practice you learned in the period of walking meditation to be mindful of your movement throughout the day.
Journaling
Part of practicing mindfulness for burnout is bringing awareness to the experience you’re having. As you tune into how burnout feels you can check in with the thoughts, mental patterns, feelings in the body, and triggers. Journaling is a great way to do this. By writing it down, we process the information a bit differently and are able to see more clearly how we are feeling at times. I recommend starting with a brief period of meditation, and then moving into a period of mindful journaling. Here are a few prompts you might use to investigate as a jumping off point:
What sensations arise in the body when I think about work or responsibilities?
Where does the burnout live in my body?
What patterns of thinking are present when the burnout feels overwhelming?
What emotions are present right now?
What experience seems to trigger the feeling of burnout for me?
What expectations do I have of myself or others?
How has my nervous system adapted to my work life?
Where am I pushing where I should actually pause?
How can I rest and take care of myself?
How can I respond to exhaustion with more kindness?
What would I say to a loved one experiencing this level of burnout?
Without minimizing, what has truly been difficult for me recently?
What matters most to me, and where does my life align or not with this value?
Additional Tips
In addition to these practices, I have a few tips that can help you in your journey of mindfulness and burnout.
Mindfulness as a Practice
One of the most important things to remember is that mindfulness is a practice. I quite often have students who share that they struggle to meditate because of an active mind that doesn’t concentrate easily. This can make meditation seem difficult, but it’s part of the process.
If you could already sit and focus perfectly on the breath, you wouldn’t necessarily need meditation. It is a training and a practice. We work to cultivate qualities of presence and awareness, not to show them off. Be patient and give yourself room to grow!
Creating a Sustainable Practice
If you can (you can), create a regular practice! I know it may seem hard, like we don’t have enough time in the day. If you make it a priority, you can find the time. Even with work, family, and responsibilities, most of us can find an extra five minutes to dedicate to practice.
You might try setting aside some time to meditate in the morning or at night. Consistency is key with mindfulness practice, especially when it comes to stress and burnout. Rather than meditating once a week for 30 minutes, try meditating six times a week for five minutes. Consistency will help you to incorporate the practices more readily into everyday life.
Making Changes
In addition to any wellness practices you undertake, recognize where a change is needed. This may mean setting boundaries, changing your work schedule, or incorporating more self-care activities into your routine. If you do need to set boundaries or have conversations with your employers, remember to practice wise speech and focus on your experience rather than putting others down.
You don’t need to rush to make changes. As you practice mindfulness, you may find new insights coming to light. Give yourself a chance to clarify the changes that are needed before making any decisions. When it does become apparent that a change is called for, mindfully take the steps necessary to adjust.
Seeking Professional Support
Finally, know when the time is right to seek professional support. If you feel that the burnout is significantly impacting your wellbeing and your ability to function in everyday life, it may be time to reach out for help. There are many professionals who offer therapy specifically for burnout. Through techniques like CBT, a clinician can help you work with the burnout and make the changes necessary.
Additional Resources
One-on-One Mindfulness Counseling:
https://www.themindfulcounselor.me/consultation
Meditation and Mindfulness Podcasts:
https://www.themindfulcounselor.me/blog/best-mindfulness-podcasts
Talk on Self-Compassion:
https://oneminddharma.com/talk-self-compassion-mindfulness/
Kristen Neff Compassion Practices: