We all have patterns of thought, feeling and behavior that don’t serve us. These patterns are so dominant that we arch ourselves to continue on, even when running on empty, but recover can only start after we stop them.

Ask yourself if your goal is unreachable, why you’re afraid of not reaching it and what would happen if you gave up. Share your answers with someone who has your best interest at heart, as a reality check and listen carefully to what they have to say. You are likely to find out you have options and that failure is not the end.

When you hit burnout, you become numb to the world; it’s difficult to feel joy and gratitude, which is what keeps you fueled in the face of challenges. So recovery means getting adequate rest and reestablishing joy to your life.

While recovering do things that make...