"When we feel lacking in time and energy, we often cut what we see as "non-essential" activities. But these tend to be the activities that give us energy. Work tends to cost energy, aggravating the deficit. Instead of energy austerity, we need to reinvest into joy- and energy-giving activities. To recover from burnout, we need to add the right kinds of activities and the right kind of rest."
"If I had to sum up my burnout philosophy, it would be this: When we fall behind with our work, feel hopelessly overwhelmed by our to-do list, and grow increasingly anxious about our energy and time, we cut activities from our lives. We put a stop to what appear to us to be non-essential activities, and spend all our time and energy, and more, on work."
"We often manage to keep functioning at work this way, maybe even at a high level. But it comes at a steep price: Our lives shrink, and we spiral deeper and deeper into an energy-deficient state. Intuitively, this approach makes sense-if we only have very limited energy left, we must spend it where it matters most and reduce its usage elsewhere. However, in practice, this strategy is catastrophic."
When people feel short on time and energy, they often eliminate activities perceived as non-essential, concentrating remaining energy on work. Those eliminated activities—exercise, socializing, nature walks, music, art, and reading—are frequently the ones that restore energy. Continuing to prioritize work while removing restorative activities deepens an energy deficit because work consumes energy. Treating inner resources with austerity by cutting joy aggravates burnout. Recovery requires reinvesting time and energy into activities that produce joy and renewal and adding appropriate rest. The goal is to restore channels of energy replenishment rather than only reducing expenditure.
Read at Psychology Today
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