7 Real-World Steps for Overcoming Burnout and Depression (From Someone Who’s Been There)

Last Updated on July 16, 2025 by Jess Brown

I used to think burnout was just being really tired from work, but it’s a complex issue often intertwined with depression. Understanding the journey of overcoming burnout and depression involves recognizing the signs and learning effective strategies for recovery.

Then I spent years waking up every morning with this heavy dread in my gut, just dragging myself through days that felt like walking through wet concrete. I had a good job, stable life, decent income – everything looked fine from the outside. But inside? I felt like I was slowly disappearing. And I had no idea that what I was experiencing was the reality of overcoming burnout and depression when your life looks “perfect” on paper.

Sound familiar?

So if you’re reading this at 11 PM wondering why you feel so empty despite having “everything you should want,” you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not broken.

Look, what I’m about to share isn’t another productivity hack or “just find work-life balance” advice. Instead, these are the real, messy steps that helped me crawl out of that gray fog when everything felt impossible. Plus, no Instagram-worthy morning routines required.

The Signs of Burnout

Here’s what symptoms of burnout and depression actually looks like in real life:

It’s not just being tired. It’s waking up already exhausted, even after 9 hours of sleep. Your body feels heavy, like someone filled your bones with sand.

It’s emotional numbness. Things that used to make you happy barely register because of the deep emotional exhaustion you’re feeling. You’re going through the motions, but nothing feels real anymore.

It’s the productivity trap. You work longer hours but accomplish less. Everything feels urgent and pointless at the same time.

It shows up in your body. Your physical health is in the gutter – headaches, stomach issues, dwindling energy levels, achy joints and muscle tension that won’t go away. Your body keeps the score, even when your mind tries to push through.

I remember thinking I was just “not cut out” for my job. Turns out, I was right – but instead of listening to that inner knowing, I kept trying to force myself to fit and the surface level coping mechanisms that used to work no longer did. I was running on empty after years of following what everyone else said I should be doing instead of trusting my own wisdom.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Am I Actually Burnt Out? Take This 2-Minute Assessment

Why We Hit the Wall

Most advice skips this part, but understanding why you’re stuck and feeling drained matters. You can’t strategy your way out of burnout without addressing what got you there.

Chronic overload meets emotional neglect. You’ve been powering through for so long, struggle to set boundaries, and you forgot what having actual energy feels like. The baseline keeps shifting until “barely surviving” becomes normal.

The wrong definition of success. If your worth is tied to how much you produce, you’ll never feel like enough. I spent years measuring my value by my output, which left me completely depleted.

Unmet needs and buried stories. Maybe you learned early that your needs come last. Maybe you absorbed the message that rest is selfish. Or maybe you’re like me and have the programming that it’s normal to hate your job. These patterns run deep.

The truth? Your exhaustion isn’t a character flaw. It’s your system asking for something different. And the first step in overcoming burnout and depression is recognizing this isn’t about willpower.

The Physical Reality Nobody Warns You About

Here’s what they don’t tell you about overcoming burnout and depression: your body will keep the score, even when your mind tries to push through.

For me, it started as general achiness that I brushed off. Then it became daily, full-body pain that made getting out of bed feel like running a marathon. Doctors ran tests, found nothing, and eventually labeled it fibromyalgia. I spent months thinking there was something fundamentally wrong with my body.

Turns out, there wasn’t. My body was just screaming for better stress management, regular movement, real nutrition, and – most importantly – a life that didn’t constantly drain me.

Physical symptoms I experienced:

• Daily muscle pain and stiffness (especially mornings)
• Digestive issues that came and went without clear triggers
• Sleep problems – either couldn’t fall asleep or couldn’t stay asleep
• Headaches – upon waking that last all day
• Weight gain despite eating less
• Getting sick constantly – every cold that went around

The relief didn’t come from medication or treating symptoms. It came from addressing what was actually causing the stress: a job that drained my soul, not setting boundaries for myself, ignoring my body’s needs for movement/exercise and an actual healthy diet, and never giving myself permission to rest.

If your body feels like it’s rebelling against you, listen to it. Those symptoms aren’t character flaws – they’re your system asking for change and better stress management techniques.

Journaling Your Way Through the Burnout

When everything felt impossible, journaling became my lifeline. Not pretty gratitude lists or inspirational quotes – raw, honest brain dumps that helped me see patterns I couldn’t notice when everything stayed tangled in my head.

I remember one particularly dark morning writing: “I dread going to work every single day. When did this become normal?” Seeing those words on paper was the first time I admitted how bad things had gotten.

Here’s how to use journaling for overcoming burnout and depression:

Start with stream-of-consciousness writing. Set a timer for 10 minutes and write whatever comes up. Don’t edit, don’t make it pretty. Just get it out.

Prompts that helped me breakthrough:

• “What am I pretending is okay that actually isn’t?”
• “When did I last feel genuinely excited about something?”
• “What would I do if I trusted my gut completely?”
• “What am I telling myself I ‘should’ want vs. what I actually want?”

The magic happens when you start seeing your patterns. First, I noticed I felt worst on Sunday nights (work dread). I saw how often I wrote about feeling trapped. I realized I was living someone else’s idea of success, not my own.

Keep a small notebook by your bed or use your phone’s notes app. Sometimes my entire entry was just “Everything sucks today.” That counted. Getting it out of your head helps you get to heart of what really needs to change, manage stress, build resilience, and creates space for solutions to emerge.

Creating Your Personal Recovery Plan (Without Blowing Up Your Life)

Here’s the truth: you don’t have to quit your job and move to Bali to feel better. But you also don’t have to stay stuck in a life that’s slowly killing your spirit.

Your recovery plan should fit your actual life, not some fantasy version where you have unlimited time and money.

Option 1: Work with what you have If your job pays the bills and leaving isn’t realistic right now, focus on damage control:

• Set real boundaries (stop doom scrolling on social media and checking email after 6 PM)
• Use lunch breaks for actual breaks, not more work
• Find small ways to inject joy into your day
• Build energy through better sleep, hygiene, movement, and nutrition
• Start exploring what you’d actually want to do

Option 2: Plan your exit strategy If your gut is telling you this job/situation is fundamentally wrong for you (like mine was), start planning:

• Build up savings for a transition period
• Explore what work would actually energize you
• Start small – maybe freelance or part-time in a new direction
• Remember: staying somewhere that destroys your health isn’t actually “stable”

For both options:

• Track what drains you vs. what energizes you
• Say no to at least one thing each week that doesn’t serve you
• Invest in your physical health – it’s the foundation for everything else
• Give yourself permission to want something different

The scariest part isn’t making changes – it’s admitting you need them. But that inner voice saying “this isn’t right” isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom trying to guide you home to yourself.

What Actually Helps With Overcoming Burnout and Depression

Forget the bubble bath self-care. Here’s what moved the needle for me:

1. Start Ridiculously Small

When I was at my lowest, my “win” was drinking a glass of water before coffee. That’s it. Pick something so tiny you can’t fail at it. Build from there.

2. Get Honest on Paper

Journaling saved me more times than I can count. Not just pretty gratitude lists – raw, honest brain dumps. What’s draining you? What patterns keep showing up? Getting it out of your head creates breathing room.

Try this: “What do I need right now, just for today?”

3. Redefine Success

Stop measuring your worth by your productivity. Start counting: Did I rest for five minutes? Did I say no to something that didn’t feel right? Did I check in with my actual needs?

4. Address the Physical Symptoms

Your body isn’t overreacting – it’s giving you data. That persistent tension, the digestive issues, the sleep problems? They’re not character flaws. They’re alarm bells.

5. Build Micro-Habits

Instead of overhauling your life, pick one tiny habit. Stand outside for three minutes. Write one sentence in a journal. Play the same calming song each morning. Small shifts compound.

6. Learn to Say No

This was terrifying for me. But every time I said no to something that drained me, I created space for something that actually mattered. Start with one small no this week.

7. Give Yourself Permission to Change

Maybe the bravest thing you can do is decide what’s enough for you. Not for your boss, your family, or Instagram. For you.

The Messy Reality of Recovering From Burnout

Recovery isn’t a straight line. I’ve backslid more times than I can count. Some days my only accomplishment was getting out of bed. That counted.

Progress looks like:

• Recognizing the warning signs earlier
• Having one bad day instead of three
• Asking for help before you’re drowning
• Remembering what joy feels like, even briefly

FAQ: Common Questions on Getting Through Burnout and Depression

Your Next Steps

Overcoming burnout and depression isn’t about forcing a bright side or pretending you’re okay. It’s about meeting yourself right where you are, taking the smallest possible step, and giving yourself real credit for every tiny win. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re doing life wrong—it just means your body and spirit are asking for a different kind of care.

You’re never alone in this. Trust me, I spent years looping through exhaustion and shame, thinking if I just pushed harder, I’d finally feel better. What actually helped was dropping the pressure to be perfect, letting rest matter, and getting honest about what I really needed long before burnout broke me open. Sometimes that was a five-minute walk outside. Sometimes it was scribbling a single sentence in my journal. If you want support for those hard days, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite self-care ideas for a bad day—all built from my own mess, not from a textbook.

Let yourself ask gentle questions like: “What do I need right now, just for today?” or “What’s one thing I can say no to?” These quiet moments of reflection are where real change begins. For ongoing support and new ways to explore your mindset, 365 journal prompts for mental health can help you get honest without the pressure.

Thank you for reading and for showing up for yourself—no matter how rough it feels. Small shifts, massive impact. Keep listening to that part of you that wants something better. You deserve it.

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