When you're experiencing burnout, it can be hard to believe that you're ever going to feel well again. I've had a few times in my life where the only word that summed up how I felt was finished. Which would have been worrying, especially as I spent much of my life as a single parent, if I hadn't also been so exhausted. I'd reached the point of not worrying about the future so much because my brain didn't seem to have energy to go to that place. If you're currently experiencing burnout, or if you're worried about it happening again in the future, remember this one thing. Recovery is possible. How you recharge and recover is going to depend on your personal preferences and needs. 

There's no one size fits all road to recharging and recovery. But it's worth considering some of the suggestions in this module and thinking about what you feel instinctively drawn to, or what has worked in the past. One thing that can be very helpful in your recovery process is having the right kind of support from other people. I know, unfortunately we don't all have empathic and understanding people around us. And if that's the case, try and connect with others who do understand neurodivergent burnout, whether that's online or in a local group. But sometimes our friends, partners, and family simply don't understand burnout. 

They might wonder why you find things a struggle to the point you can't cope. If they're not neurodivergent themselves, they might struggle to understand what you mean by an unmanageable work load that's led to you to the point of burnout. When they don't see your job is particularly demanding based on their own experiences. Although, it's really frustrating to be on the receiving end, most people, including those close to us, make sense of their experience based on what they know of the world. Whilst it should be enough to simply tell somebody how exhausted, hopeless, or done-in new feel, they might need more for an explanation to fully grasp the situation. This goes for the workplace as well. 

It could be that you have a manager or colleagues who just don't understand burnout and finding ways to explain it in a way that fully stresses just how serious it is for you can help you get the right level of understanding and support. So most people do have an understanding of what burnout is in terms of having reached a point of exhaustion and feeling unable to carry on. 

And some people around you might have experienced it personally. So using the word and describing your symptoms is a starting point. Then, unless you are lucky and you're surrounded with people who have a deeper understanding of what you're going through, you might be met with responses such as "I've had that", or "I was burnt after working 16 hours a day for six months. You've not had to cope with anything like that, have you?".. Or "Have a couple of days of work and I'm sure you'll be fine". At this point, you want to explain that although the symptoms might be similar, neurodivergent burnout has some particular patterns and causes.

Points you can try to get across include, you don't necessarily need a clear reason such as working 16 hours a day to experience burnout. Simply being neurodivergent means that you've been bombarded by stressful situations every single day. And at this point, you've reached a point where you've reached a state of burnout. If there are any metaphors that makes sense to you, you can share these with other people. I like the metaphor of having a battery that drains faster than others, because it's running too many background apps just to stay functional. 

If it's not properly charged or unless some of the apps are closed down, it's going to be completely depleted and shut down. You also want to make it clear, and get this very clear in your own head, that your experience is completely valid. Your road to recovery might look very different to somebody else's. Point out the chronic nature of stress that you've experienced throughout your life. This isn't an isolated case of working too hard or a lack of sleep because of caring responsibilities. This is due to a lifetime of chronic stress and managing situations that leave you feeling overwhelmed. 

What can help you recover from burnout? Sometimes you have to completely remove yourself from the situation that feels some manageable. And ultimately this is often the only solution to really allow yourself that recovery period that you need. So this might mean an extended sick period from work, for instance. And if this is something that you need to quest, remember that what you're experiencing is as real as somebody experiencing a physical illness or a broken limb or anything physical that stops them in their track. I'm fully aware that this can be almost impossible for some of us, including those of us who run our own businesses and need to work to survive, or including some of us who have caring responsibilities or other responsibilities that we simply cannot pass on to somebody else. 

In those cases, if you can take time away, it's important to at least make some time to do it. I appreciate it might not be as long as somebody who can take a longer time period away from work, or responsibilities, but just having some time can make a huge difference. And it's also important to find ways to minimize everything else you do. Prioritize what absolutely has to be done and cut the rest. People often find it very hard to cut responsibilities they feel that they have towards others, but if you don't pull back at the stage, you might reach a far longer term situation where you can't be there for the people that you love and care about. If you usually visit your in-laws every second weekend, let your partner do the visiting. If you make an effort to go out every Thursday to club that you help to run, set a time period that you're not going to do that. 

Stop pushing yourself. Burnout isn't forever, but when you're in the midst of it, you need to treat it similarly to a broken limb that needs time to heal. Make time for things that make you feel better whether that's focusing on creative outlets, a TV series you like over and over, lying in a cozy bed or going for a walk. Find what works for you? We sometimes stopped ourselves from doing these things because they seem less important than the real business of life. Like making money, cleaning the house, looking after other people. Or devoting ourselves to worthwhile causes. But all of this stuff, if it helps us feel better and restores our nervous system is the real business of life. 

Exploring what feels good at a sensory level and making sure you spend enough time immersed in a healing sensory environment can also help you recover and recharge from burnout. That might be an outside environment, or it might be a cozy space in your home. I find both help, particularly being at the sea or in a local forest and also spending a lot, and I mean, a lot of time in bed, I love bedding the colors, the softness, and I love having fresh batting to hand. Just lying in bed, looking at the ceiling for hours or the clouds go by really meets my sensory needs. So spend some time after watching this video to think about what fulfills you at sensory level. Personally, when I'm experiencing burnout, I can't do the basics like send an email or pay a bill, all that life admin stuff that has to be done. If there is someone around who can help, don't feel afraid to ask for help. If people understand how bad you're feeling, they're often very happy to take them for some of your responsibilities. 

Your job is to focus on your recovery. If there's stuff that you can put off, without it mounting to a stage where it begins to cause its own problems put that stuff off as well. 

So as long as you can catch up, when you feel those little windows of feeling better, or you can put things off slightly to the future make sure you do that as well. And just have some time where you're doing nothing that is causing you any stress or anxiety. It might well be that there are bigger decisions that you need to consider. 

Such as whether you're in a situation that's going to keep ending up in burnout. And whether you might want to consider longer term changes in your life. But for just snow park these ideas and focus on letting your mind and body get everything they need to recharge. In your journal, you'll find a section where you can explore what feels right for you to begin that process of healing and recovery.