From celebrities to CEOs, burnout does not discriminate. Although certain professions are more susceptible to burnout than others, this disorder can affect any person in any occupation.

Though often confused with stress, burnout is actually defined as the product of a significant degree of built-up stress.

Signs of burnout may include:

• Feeling constantly exhausted
• Loss of patience/developing a short temper
• Anxiety and depression
• Feeling stressed at the thought of work

Burnout can also take a physical toll on the body, with symptoms including shortness of breath, heart palpitations and insomnia. These physical symptoms can lead to severe health problems, which can ultimately become lethal. The good news is that burnout is preventable and you can fully recover from burnout.

Health is wealth

The first step on the road to burnout recovery is to focus on your personal health. Getting into a routine that involves regular exercise, eating well and sleeping well will vastly improve both your mental and physical health. As exercise produces endorphins, this proves vital in the reduction of stress. A regular fitness routine that works around your work schedule and your social life will allow you to practice discipline, which will be beneficial to your work ethic.

Eat better, work better

Whilst engaging in regular exercise results in a decrease in stress, eating healthy food will give you the energy to undertake this new fitness regime. Snacking on ‘brain food’ such as chicken, fatty fish, fruit, vegetables and nuts will ultimately assist in boosting your serotonin, as well as releasing dopamine. Consuming the right food will ensure that you have proper sustenance to fuel your workouts, and will greatly improve your mental health. Prepping your meals for the week will ensure that your body and your wallet stay healthy, as you won’t find yourself buying junk food for lunch.

Snoozers aren’t losers

Setting a regular bedtime schedule and ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep is an extremely valuable step in your road to recovery. Turning off electronics at least an hour before bedtime will allow you to ‘clock out’ for the day, and will allow you to have a much deeper sleep. Much like your fitness schedule, a regular bedtime routine will ensure that you find yourself engaging in a better quality of sleep. However, it is important not to oversleep, as this can have a negative effect on your productivity. Make sure to set an alarm to wake up early, as this will allow you more time in the morning to prepare yourself for the day ahead.

Whilst there are many other ways to recover from burnout, these three easy changes will balance each other out, resulting in a much greater quality of life.