This little thing called ‘mid-year burnout’ is wreaking havoc on people across the United States. Five to six months into the year, around the end of summer, comes this feeling that most people don’t anticipate. After writing down all those goals for the year, with an assessment during summer, it may become clear, few, if any, of the goals, have been met to that person’s standards. When it comes to addiction recovery, it can feel anxiety-producing, even triggering, to think they have not been meeting their goals in recovery. Mid-year burnout can take recovery down and out if an individual is not careful. There are ways to prevent that from happening, with some helpful tips and tools.

Physiological Shifts

When midway comes in the year, it is natural people want to take stock of where they have landed. Some people may have experienced personal issues, poor health, lack of employment, family crises, or a challenging year in recovery. Perhaps it is the first year or the year following relapse. There is no real reason for people to feel burn-out, other than they look at their calendars and begin to feel a burden, a sense of aggravation, stress, and frustration they are not where they hoped. By mid-summer, many people feel the slump and struggle to get over the hump leading into cooler temperatures, weather changes, and facing what is ahead in their lives. People may struggle for physiological reasons, as well, including poor health, mental health disorders, and the feeling they are less optimistic than they want to be about the rest of the year. The brain can change and begin to feel overwhelmed with stress and anxiety about the past, present, and future. That is when it is time for a reboot.

Finding a Fix

When thinking about a ‘fix’ for mid-year burnout, it is not that straightforward. Some of these tips can help people struggling with a slump in summer to boost their confidence, self-esteem, and motivation to keep moving forward:

Don’t buy into cultural norms that say more (bigger) is better. Go at a personal pace that works and don’t focus on achieving everything at once
Don’t try to do everything on the list
Revise goals with trusted advisers, sober companions, and people who hold you accountable
Figure out what work-life balance looks like and start moving towards that with new goals
Just do what absolutely has to be done now and tweak the rest (pushing back goals for later or revising)
Focus on health and sobriety as primary, everything else is secondary

Another goal to have if burn-out feels like it is here on top of you or maybe coming is to plan a little getaway or vacation, and even some shorter getaways that help you recharge and recuperate some time to yourself. A more balanced schedule that is grounded in priorities and healthy expectations will protect against attempts to harm an individual and enable them to feel more in control of their lives. More openness can lead to realization others are struggling and will help you move past burn-out to healing. Oceanfront understands you work hard for sobriety and recovery, but you need more support. We are here to help you if you struggle or need extra help. We are here if you need help for the first time ever with addiction. We will be here to walk with you through the challenges you will face. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 888-981-4295