Skyros Blog
How to beat modern life burnout and find space to breathe again
In today’s world, burnout isn’t just about working too hard.
It's the constantness of everything, emails, news alerts, social media, messages, expectations.
We’re flooded with information, emotionally battered by world events, and caught in the pressure to always be on, responding, coping, achieving.
Recognising and gently addressing burnout is no longer optional, it’s essential for your health, your happiness, and your future.
The Hidden Burnout Triggers of Modern Life
Burnout today often stems from:
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Information Overload – Constant news updates, social media notifications, and digital distractions keep our brains on high alert.
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Emotional Fatigue – Being exposed daily to global crises and bad news creates background stress we barely notice until we feel depleted.
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Always-On Culture – Remote working, smartphones, and social expectations make switching off feel almost impossible.
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Performance Pressure – The subtle (and not so subtle) push to always be achieving, improving, hustling, and “living your best life.”
Burnout now is about mental exhaustion as much as physical tiredness. It's losing the feeling of agency over your time and attention.
Practical Ways to Start Rebuilding Yourself
Here are small but powerful shifts you can make to begin moving out of burnout and back into a calmer, more centred life:
1. Create Digital Boundaries
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Set phone-free times (even just an hour a night).
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Turn off unnecessary notifications.
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Check news just once or twice a day, not hourly.
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Unsubscribe from an unuseful email, stop yourself drowning!
Protect your mental energy the same way you protect your physical energy.
2. Reclaim Your Morning
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Resist reaching for your phone first thing.
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Spend your first 10 minutes on breathwork, stretching, or simply sitting quietly.
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Start your day on your terms, not the internet’s.
3. Practise Mindful Consumption
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Choose what you take in, don’t let endless scrolling shape your mood.
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Curate uplifting, informative, or joyful sources rather than reactive doom scrolling.
4. Make Space for Stillness
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Meditate, walk slowly without music, or simply lie down and do nothing for 10 minutes.
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Let your brain have quiet time, it’s not lazy; it’s recovery.
Stillness gives the mind space to rewire itself out of panic mode.
5. Prioritise Real Connection
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Reach out to someone you trust, not through scrolling, but through real conversation.
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Join communities (like retreats, classes, or groups) where real conversation matters more than online status.
Human connection reduces anxiety and gives meaning to our days.
6. Find Your Joy Again
Burnout can make you forget what actually lights you up.
Give yourself permission to explore small, everyday joys, whether that's singing, painting, being outside, swimming, or simply laughing with new friends.
Places like Atsitsa Bay on Skyros Island are designed to help you do exactly that.
There, joy comes through movement, creativity, nature, and community, not through pressure or performance. It's a reminder that joy isn't something you have to earn; it's something you can live.
Remember: Burnout Is Not a Personal Failure
As Dina Glouberman, founder of Skyros Holidays and author of The Joy of Burnout, reminds us:
"Burnout is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a sign that something needs to change. And when you listen to what your burnout is telling you, it becomes a gateway to a new and better life."
Your tiredness, your overwhelm — they’re messages, not flaws.
When you honour those messages, you can begin to build a life that sustains you, rather than drains you.
Where Skyros Holidays Comes In
Sometimes, to really reset, you need more than a few good habits — you need a real break from modern life.
Skyros Holidays offers retreats where:
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Your phone is optional, not essential.
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Meals are shared, not rushed.
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Days are filled with creativity, movement, conversation and deep rest.
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Nature, simplicity, and community replace noise and hustle.
Our wellbeing courses — from emotional resilience and yoga, to creative writing and art, are designed to help you rediscover what truly makes you feel alive.
If you're ready to reclaim your time, your mind, and your joy, Skyros could be the first step back to yourself.
→ Explore our Summer 2025 Wellbeing Courses
The perfect course if you are feeling like this is, Visioning Your New Life with Dina Glouberman (Skyros Centre, 7–20 June)
You don't have to live exhausted. You can choose something gentler, richer, and more real.No wonder so many of us feel exhausted, disconnected, and overwhelmed.
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