Feel like you’re on a stress hamster wheel? You’re not alone. Between work emails, laundry cycles, social plans, gym classes, meal planning and Christmas present shopping, it can often feel like we’re overwhelmed by tasks on a daily basis. With nine in 10 adults in the UK experiencing extreme or high stress in the past year, according to Mental Health UK, it’s not surprising so many of us are hitting burnout as 2024 draws to a close.

“Burnout is really easy to overlook because we are brought up in a culture that normalises and celebrates being overly busy,” says Tamu Thomas, life coach and author of Women Who Work Too Much. “Being somebody who always shows up for other people and always takes on extra tasks is rewarded. We get told that we’re committed, we’re ambitious, we’ve got a strong work ethic. But all of this is a road to burnout.”

According to Thomas, early burnout symptoms include a pervasive sense of tiredness, feeling like we need to ‘earn’ fun things, and seeing life as repetitive – “like everything is a shade of grey”, she explains. Sound familiar? Luckily, Thomas has some help with these four top tips she recommends everyone approaching burnout does to curb stress and start thriving…

PRIORITISE MICRO-BREAKS

“All of the micro things we do over and over again have a compounding impact. So, when you are making a drink, whether you work from home or you work in an office, focus on only making and drinking that drink. And I know that we are all entitled to a lunch break every day, but it can often feel like a luxury. But it shouldn’t be. Say to yourself: I’m going to dedicate 20 minutes to eating my lunch, without a hand on my keyboard. It’s micro-breaks like this that make a big difference to how you feel.”

MAKE ROOM FOR BRAIN FLOPS

“Try reading a fiction book on your lunchbreak. Don’t read a non-fiction book while you’re having lunch, because your brain will be all over the place. What you want is your brain to be in a flow state of imagination and creation, because that gives it an opportunity to rest. Let your brain flop rather than looking at a screen or working yourself up into stress in your free moments.”

BUILD IN BUFFER TIME

“Avoid booking in back-to-back meetings. We often don’t give ourselves any space in between appointments, but even if you just create a buffer of 10 minutes before your next meeting, it makes a big difference. Even going outside and gazing at the sky for five minutes in between meetings enables your nervous system to calm, because you’re seeing a wide open space.”

SET A BREATH REMINDER

“You spend a lot of time shallow breathing, with your breath right up in your chest, so it’s important to take some time to do some deep breathing. It doesn’t have to be any particular method, but if you want one: breathe in for four, hold for four, exhale for four, inhale for four, and repeat that cycle. Also, use your technology to support you. When I first started this, I would have reminders set six times a day on my phone. The reminder would just say: breathe. Then, whatever I was doing, I would just take a pause and do four rounds of breathing – just to give my nervous system some nourishment.”