How to Use Acceptance (ACT) Techniques for Navigating Burnout

Find Peace Without Forcing Productivity

Burnout isn’t just a bad day—it’s a full-body, full-mind depletion that can make even basic tasks feel overwhelming. It’s that sense of being constantly "on" and yet strangely numb, exhausted, and disconnected from yourself. But what if the way out isn’t pushing harder—but softening, accepting, and choosing with intention?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a compassionate, science-backed framework for navigating burnout. It invites us to stop fighting our inner experiences and instead build a new relationship with them—one that includes awareness, flexibility, and values-based action.

Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means letting go of the internal struggle long enough to respond with clarity and self-respect—a practice I encourage and implement myself as an online burnout therapist in Denver. Let’s explore how these techniques can help you find your way back to energy, meaning, and self-trust.

1. Acknowledge Your Burnout Without Judgment

One of the most common responses to burnout is denial or self-criticism. You might find yourself thinking:

• “I shouldn’t feel like this.”

• “Other people are handling more—I just need to toughen up.”

• “I don’t have time to slow down.”

But this inner resistance doesn’t help you heal—it deepens the depletion. Acceptance begins with recognizing your reality without shame. It’s a radical act of self-respect to say, “This is hard, and I need care.”

🧘‍♀️ Try this:

• Shift your language. Instead of saying, “I shouldn’t feel this way,” try:

  “I notice I’m feeling really drained right now.”

• Name your experience honestly: fatigue, numbness, dread, frustration.

• Give yourself permission to pause. Not because you’ve earned it, but because you’re human.

  
  

💡 Why it matters: Naming your experience without judgment allows your nervous system to soften. You can’t begin to respond wisely to burnout until you stop pretending it’s not there.

2. Defuse from Unhelpful Thoughts

Burnout tends to invite a flood of harsh, inflexible thoughts:

• “I’m failing.”

• “If I stop, everything will fall apart.”

• “I just need to keep pushing.”

These thoughts feel urgent and true—but they are often just the mind’s reflex under pressure. ACT teaches cognitive defusion, the practice of noticing thoughts without getting hooked by them.

🧘‍♀️ Try this:

• When a harsh thought arises, say:

  “I’m noticing my mind is telling me the story that I’m falling behind.”

• Visualize placing that thought on a leaf and letting it float downstream.

• Remind yourself: Thoughts are not commands—they’re just mental events.

  
  

💡 Why it matters: Defusion gives you space to choose how you respond instead of automatically reacting. It helps you step out of the mental fog of burnout and reconnect with your wiser self.

3. Make Room for Discomfort Instead of Resisting It

Let’s face it—burnout feels awful. It’s tempting to distract, avoid, or suppress these feelings. But paradoxically, the more we resist discomfort, the more it persists. ACT-specific exercises encourage “expansion”—making space for discomfort without letting it take over.

🧘‍♀️ Try this:

• Sit quietly and gently scan your body. Where do you feel the fatigue or tension?

• Instead of bracing or shrinking away, breathe into that space.

• Say to yourself:

  “This is here, and I can make room for it.” “I’m allowed to feel this and still treat myself with care.”

  
  

💡 Why it matters: Making room for discomfort teaches emotional flexibility. It keeps you from getting stuck in avoidance and invites a more grounded, accepting presence.

4. Reconnect with Your Values

Burnout can leave you feeling directionless, like you’re running on fumes with no sense of purpose. You may forget why you even started your job, your role, or your mission.

Values are your internal compass—they remind you of who you are and what matters most. Acceptance helps you break the burnout cycle and clear the mental noise so you can reconnect with that inner wisdom.

🧘‍♀️ Try this:

• Ask yourself:

  “What kind of person do I want to be—even in hard times?" “What really matters to me at work? At home?”

• Identify one small value you can express today—maybe kindness, honesty, creativity, or rest.

• Example: If balance matters, maybe that looks like logging off at a reasonable time.

  
  

💡 Why it matters: Values-based action gives your day meaning, even if your energy is low. It shifts the focus from just surviving to living in alignment, even in small, powerful ways.

5. Take Committed, Gentle Action

Acceptance doesn’t mean passivity—it means choosing to act with intention. But when you’re burnt out, the idea of change can feel exhausting.

That’s why rely on ACT in my online therapy practice in Colorado. It emphasizes committed, small steps—actions that reflect your values but don’t overwhelm you.

🧘‍♀️ Try this:

• Choose one tiny action that feels kind and doable:

  • A 10-minute walk

  • A nourishing meal

  • Turning off notifications for one hour

• Set no expectations beyond being present.

• Afterward, ask yourself:

  “Did this bring any relief?" “Would I like to do more of this tomorrow?”

  
  

💡 Why it matters: These small acts reawaken a sense of agency. They remind you that healing isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about gentle, consistent care.

🌿 A New Way Forward: Final Thoughts From A Therapist

Burnout recovery doesn’t come from pushing harder or trying to be perfect. It comes from stepping out of the internal war and choosing to meet yourself with compassion, honesty, and intentionality.

Acceptance techniques help you:

✅ Acknowledge pain without drowning in it

✅ Unhook from harmful thought loops

✅ Stay present with discomfort instead of resisting it

✅ Realign with your purpose and values

✅ Take kind, intentional action—without pressure

Burnout may be part of your story, but it doesn’t have to define your future. With each small moment of awareness, compassion, and choice, you move toward something deeper than productivity: a life that feels true, grounded, and sustainable.

💬 Feeling Burnt Out & Ready for Support in Denver?

If you're navigating burnout and tired of trying to “push through” on your own, you don’t have to keep carrying it alone. I'd be happy help guide you on your healing journey through my online Denver therapy practice. Sometimes, the most powerful step you can take is simply reaching out.

✨ I offer one-on-one consultations for professionals and high-achievers who are ready to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and begin a new chapter of healing—grounded in compassion and clarity.

📞 Let’s talk. If you’re curious about working with a burnout therapist in Denver, CO, or want to explore what support might look like for you, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation.

👉 Click here to schedule your consult. Or email me directly at jennifer@drolsonmadden.com—I’d be honored to hear your story.

💻Other Therapy Services I Offer Online In Colorado

If you’re struggling to cope with the emotional toll of burnout, therapy can be a powerful way to reclaim your sense of balance and rebuild your inner strength. In my Colorado-based telehealth practice, I offer a range of therapy services designed to meet the unique needs of clients navigating stress, anxiety, and life transitions. While I specialize in burnout and stress management, I also provide support for anxiety disorders, trauma recovery, and those experiencing life transitions. In addition, I work with clients facing relationship challenges and offer comprehensive mental health assessments and individual therapy sessions tailored to your goals. I invite you to browse my website to learn more about my background, explore useful insights on my telehealth blog, and connect with me when you feel ready to begin the journey toward healing.

About The Author

Dr. Jennifer Olson-Madden is a licensed psychologist and expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), dedicated to helping clients achieve purposeful and successful outcomes through inspired and committed action. With over 15 years of licensure in Denver, CO, and more than two decades of experience in mental health, she specializes in treating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, chronic stress, depression, and executive dysfunction such as ADHD. She not only practices ACT professionally but also integrates its principles into her own life daily.