Ways to get your spark back after burning out
You didn't lose your spark overnight, and you won't find it that way either. It’s a process, not a pivot. Here are some ways you can rebuild and feel like yourself again.
In a culture that prizes high-functioning endurance, we often mistake being "busy" for being "okay." You might still be meeting every expectation, yet you feel like you’re watching your own life through a foggy window. As Dr. Thema Bryant wisely notes, “Pay attention to your patterns. The way you learned to survive may not be the way you want to continue to live. Heal and shift.”
Recovery begins when we stop rewarding ourselves for how much we can endure. Recognising that you want your spark back is the first step, but remember: this journey is rarely linear and won’t look the same for everyone. It’s simply about finding the small, honest shifts that finally allow you to breathe.
Rest is your foundation for recovery
We talk about rest all the time, but actually doing it? That’s the hard part. When you’re burnt out, "hitting pause" isn't a luxury—it’s a necessity. It means stepping away from the pressure to be "on" and giving your mind permission to stop processing, performing, and solving. The goal is to find "low-stakes" activities that don’t drain your battery. Here are a few ways to let your system settle:
Change of scenery: Head out to a nearby park or quiet cafe without an agenda
Gentle movement: Release physical tension through slow walks or light stretches
Low-effort hobbies: Doodling, knitting, reading, puzzles
Offline hours: Put your devices in another room for a couple of hours or even a day
People watching: Observe the world passing by without the need to participate in it
Sensory rest: Dim the lights, take a warm shower
Learning to walk with less
It’s a strange paradox: the very things we’re proud of, like our sense of responsibility and accountability, are often the same things that end up weighing us down. Most of us have spent years "living heavy" without even noticing it. We were taught that's what being a responsible adult looks like.
Take a deep breath and ask yourself: How much of this weight is actually mine to carry, and how much of it am I holding just because I’m afraid of what happens if I let go?
Sometimes "living light" means acknowledging that you have reached your capacity. We spend so much energy worrying about future conversations or problems. Try to leave those in the future. You don't need to carry tomorrow's stress today.
Reconnect with your inner child
Who were you before the world told you who to be?
Think back to your own childhood: What was the one thing you did purely because you loved it? It might seem tacky to lean into nostalgia, but it’s often the fastest path back to a spark you thought you’d lost. When you were a child, life was all about the experience. Bringing back that sense of play in adult form is one of the most healing things you can do for a weary soul. You are allowed to do things that serve no purpose other than making you smile. It’s okay to put down the weight of the world, it’s okay to be a beginner and most importantly, it is okay to play.
Take it a day at a time. Reflect and pen down any moments in your life that made you smile. Visit those activities again and see if it helps you.
Movement as a form of medicine
When your energy is low, the idea of exercise can feel like an impossible chore. Taking a walk on the days you least want to creates a profound shift in your perspective. In fact, according to the Journal of Affective Disorders, staying active can reduce your risk of burnout by over 60%. Whether it’s a brisk 25-minute session or just some light movement throughout the day, every bit of activity acts as a protective layer, helping you reclaim your energy from the inside out.
Focus on your own journey
It is so tempting to look around and wonder why everyone else seems to be burning so brightly while you feel dimmed. However, we rarely see the full story behind someone else's story, so measuring your progress against theirs is never a fair fight. Use it as a motivator, but make sure that you focus on your own path. Your spark is unique to you, and it doesn't need to match anyone else's to be enough.
“Returning back to self is a daily, intentional act. The world will attempt to pull you in many different directions. You've got to choose to return to your core every single day.”
― Ash Alves
Think of your spark as a flame that needs occasional tending rather than a fire that burns on its own. Even as you finish reading this, pick one tiny action to take. If it doesn’t work, try something else tomorrow and repeat the process until you find it. The spark isn't gone; it’s just waiting for you to strike the match.
References
Cheng, K. (2025, August 13). 25 minutes of daily exercise can cut burnout risk by 62% – here’s how to make it work for you. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/a65663798/exercise-burnout-risk-mental-health-study/
Hohlbaum, C. L. (2021, October 4). Bouncing Back From Burnout. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/the-power-slow/202110/bouncing-back-burnout
Kim, E. S., Oh, D. J., Kim, J., Oh, K.-S., Shin, Y. C., Shin, D., Cho, S. J., & Jeon, S.-W. (2025, June 16). The association between physical activity and burnout among healthy Korean employees: Identifying recommended physical activity ranges. Journal of Affective Disorders, 389, 119665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.119665