As the year winds down and the holiday season approaches, you may feel a quiet urge to pause, to stop everything and just have a moment to yourself. After a full year of nonstop demands, we’re often hesitant to name what we feel most deeply: burnout.
As a therapist who experienced burnout firsthand this year, I want to share something with you. By the time we recognize it, burnout has quietly settled into our lives at work, at home, with friends and family — often without us even noticing. Burnout is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion. It’s usually the result of prolonged stress and feeling overwhelmed. It can show up as constant dread, fatigue, withdrawing from social connections, irritability, trouble focusing, physical discomfort and a sense of heaviness in the body.
Here are four practical ways to intentionally restore yourself this month if burnout has been creeping in during 2025.
- Take the weight off your plate
You’ve been doing everything, but that doesn’t mean you should or that you need to do it all perfectly. Take a moment to think about what can be removed or reduced on your plate. Whenever possible, share the load with a friend, family member or co-worker. The weight you’re carrying contributes to burnout, and without letting some of it go, you can’t fully recover.
- Make time for intentional rest
Rest is essential for recovery, but it isn’t just physical. There are seven types of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social and spiritual. To feel truly grounded, we need to replenish ourselves in all of these areas. This month, try to schedule at least one activity for each type of rest. Inviting all seven into your life can help repair the strain that burnout has caused.
- Boundaries need no apologies
We often view boundaries as saying no to others, which can ignite guilt and make us shrink in the process. Try shifting your perspective: boundaries are a way to say yes to yourself — yes to your capacity, your needs, your comfort and your peace. You don’t need to apologize. Give yourself permission to put yourself first without apology.
- End the year soft, not strong
Ending the year “strong” can add pressure we simply cannot handle when burnout has drained us. Instead, focus on being softer with yourself. How can you look back on the past 12 months with compassion? What can you be proud of, even if things didn’t go as planned? Give yourself space to acknowledge your efforts and resist the pressure to achieve more. Consider success as simply finishing 2025 with new awareness and practices that support your well-being.
Amma Gyamfowa, Social Work (MSW) ’18, is a mental health therapist, registered social worker, community researcher, writer and speaker. With over ten years in social work and counselling, she supports diverse communities across Canada. As an expert in Black mental health and founder of Womanist Healing Counselling Services, Amma creates culturally affirming resources that help individuals, organizations and communities heal, thrive and connect.
Really enjoyed this blog and the concept of finishing the year soft – that statement alone made me take a deep, compassionate breath. 🙂