Society has made progress in improving the awareness of work-related burnout, how it affects us, and methods to improve mental health before and after recovery. But one question that's still commonly asked is 'how long will it take to recover from burnout?'.

The answer depends on various factors we'll be discussing in this article. So keep reading for more information on burnout recovery time and methods that can aid recovery.

How Long Does It Take to Recover From Burnout?

According to Laguna, M.G., a medical expert, the time it takes to recover from burnout will be different for everyone, but you can usually recover within a few weeks or months. However, in some scenarios, it can take over a year to recover.

Some factors that can affect the time it takes you to recover from burnout include:

• Level of emotional exhaustion. The level of exhaustion you experienced while doing your job can affect how long it will take to recover.
• Traumatic experiences. A bad experience at your workplace work can ultimately lead to burnout and also affect how long the burnout lasts.
• Length of employment. If you've been working at the same job for a long time, the chance of you suffering from burnout may increase, and the time it takes to recover may increase as well.
• Effectiveness of treatment. The method of treatment you apply and its effectiveness play a key role in burnout recovery. If your treatment is ineffective, then it will take more time to recover.

While It's important to understand how long it may take you to recover from burnout, it's a bit difficult to estimate the time frame due to the different factors that contribute.

Also, the burnout recovery process isn't something you can rush. Instead, you should focus more on identifying the cause of your burnout and look for solutions to the problem.

Some Methods For Mental Health Development After Recovery

When dealing with burnout recovery, the method of the treatment is what matters the most because it determines how quickly you'll recover, and your ability to prevent future burnout.

Here are a few methods for mental health development that you can apply to your everyday life to improve mental health even after recovery:

• Identify what's stressing you. By knowing the stressors around you, such as your co-workers or the environment, you can better manage your mental health before and after recovery.
• Ensure to get enough rest. Getting quality rest and sleep reduces the high cortisol levels induced by burnout. And high cortisol has been linked with weight gain, irritability, and headaches.
• Create a work-life balance. Sometimes, overworking may be the leading cause of your burnout. So you should set boundaries between your work and life to ensure you spend enough time on self-development.
• Add exercise to your daily routine. Exercise is great for both your mental and physical health as it reduces stress, improves sleep, and boosts well-being.
• Try stress management techniques. Activities like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga are techniques that can help you manage stress and anxiety without medication.
• Explore coping strategies to reduce high-stress levels. Various burnout coping strategies like distancing, confrontation, social support, and problem-solving.
• Seek support from friends and family members. Whenever you feel anxiety, stress, or burnout, it's best to share your experience with people who care about you and are willing to help.
• Visit a mental health professional. Finally, the best help you may receive is from an expert. If you still struggle with burnout even after recovery, you should hesitate to consult a medical professional. Midss's publications recommend online therapy services like BetterHelp, especially for those who prefer staying at home.

How To Identify The Mental and physical symptoms of a burnout

At first, burnout may seem like a minor problem, but if it's left untreated, it can have adverse effects on your personal life. In some cases, severe burnout can lead to suicide.

Here are some common burnout symptoms to identify someone experiencing burnout:

• Emotional exhaustion
• Physical fatigue
• Chronic stress
• Physical pain
• Lack of motivation
• Negative thoughts
• Feelings of anxiety and depression
• Forgetfulness and difficulty in concentrating
• Frustration and irritability with people around
• Difficulty socializing and maintaining relationships with friends and family
• Losing sight of goals
• Procrastination or doing only the bare minimum level of work

Conclusion

As we mentioned earlier, the specific time it takes to recover from work-related burnout will be different for everyone because of various factors like:

• Length of employment,
• Traumatic experiences,
• Level of emotional exhaustion, and
• Effectiveness of the recovery method you apply.

Once more, the best way to minimize your recovery time is by using effective methods. And you can start by identifying your problems, then applying recovery and mental health development methods like the ones we mentioned above.

Lastly, the best support you can get is from a medical health expert, so it's always best to consult one anytime you struggle with burnout or have problems even after recovery.