24 Supportive Texts To Send Someone Struggling With Burnout

Taking time to rest is just as important as checking things off on your to-do list. If your friend is a worker bee, they may not give themselves enough breaks during the day. Remind them that it's OK to turn their phone off for 15 minutes (heck, even an hour) and hit pause on their workload.

Although you may be tempted to give your friend solutions, try asking them what they need. Perhaps they'd like to go on a walk later, or maybe they need some words of encouragement. Let them know that you're there to support them, no matter what.

Validation is the name of the game. Sometimes, just affirming your friend's feelings and letting them know you see them and how thin they're stretched can be healing in and of itself.

When someone's in the middle of a major burnout funk, they may need a gentle reminder to take some time for themselves. Did they eat lunch? Did they go outside? Take a hot shower and listen to their favorite song? Remind your friend that it's OK to take care of themselves before anyone or anything else.

Maybe your friend is ready for a career change or thinking of applying to grad school. Or perhaps they just want to complain about their cleaning-averse roommate for a while. Let your friend know you're there to help problem-solve or listen.

Give your friend some encouragement, and let them know you are there for them in the long haul.

When your mental health is off, it's natural for your physical health to be a little off, too. Remind your friend how much you care about them and how important it is to take care of their body.

After looking at a computer for hours on end, a little outside time can be a literal and emotional breath of fresh air. Offer to speak to your friend in real-time, and suggest they get some sunlight.

It can be easy to feel defined by what you do for work or how you're doing in school. Let your friend know they are more than just a job or transcript and that work or school doesn't define them.

If your friend feels the weight of the world on them, they may feel shameful about having burnout. Let them know that no one is expecting them to be miserable over work or school and that they aren’t letting anyone down by taking care of themselves.

If your friend has a million projects coming up, they may appreciate space to talk through an idea or just to complain about their annoying desk-mate Sarah and her cashew habit. On the flip side, they may need a break from work talk, and not want to be hit with any questions. Put the ball in their court and let them decide how much they share.

A little validation goes a long way. Rather than jumping for advice or trying to fix your friend’s problems, just let them know you’re sorry and further, that their burnout is real and valid.

Burnout can trigger a major fear of failure. Remind your friend that taking care of themselves doesn't make them a quitter.

Sending some love and positivity lets your friend know that you’re thinking about them and want them to be well. If burnout is making your friend question their creativity or drive, let them know how proud you are of them for everything they do.

You might process stress with bad movie marathons and tons of gummy candies. Your friend might process stress by being left alone and taking a bath. Ask what they need before jumping in with an over-the-top girls night in proposal.

Burnout can make you forget how special and important you are to those around you. Remind your loved one that you care about them outside of progress reports and meetings.

Sometimes burnout comes with guilt about resting. Let your friend know that it’s not just OK to take a break, it’s actually healthy to. No one can hustle around the clock.

If your friend is ready to take time off school or to switch jobs, they may want your help looking at their resume or scrolling for job postings. Yet, if they’re just in their feelings, they may just want some validation. Ask if they need to vent or want help with something.

A spontaneous trip to an amusement park or heck, even a dive bar, may help your friend relax. Yet, if they’re not so big on surprises, showing up at their house could cause more stress than fun. Ask if they’re down to clown, then plan an adventurous day trip far away from Microsoft Outlook.

Coworking together and sharing a yummy lunch may help your friend get out of a work rut. Still, if they don’t want to think about work, or talk about their burnout, they may appreciate just having a friend around.

Your Type-A friend may not be used to dealing with uncertainty. Remind them that it’s OK to take things day by day, and that burnout can linger for a while. Contrary to what their overbearing manager might be saying, they don’t have to fix it all by EOD.

Sometimes work can feel like the most important thing on the planet. Remind your friend that they are more important than their 9-5, and that taking care of themselves comes first.

Sometimes you just need to be noticed. If your friend is known for having it all together, they may struggle to articulate that they’re dealing with burnout. Let them know you see them and you care about them.

You don’t have to have all the answers, you just have to be there. Let your friend know you love them and want to support them, it will go a long way.