Overcoming Spiritual Burnout

By Aria Camo

The author lives in the United Arab Emirates.

When I returned from my mission, I felt so much pressure about what to do next.

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an illustration of a sad woman with a depleted battery above her head

I loved my mission. But when I came back home to the Philippines, I faced lot of anxiety because of something I call “spiritual burnout.”

To me, spiritual burnout means feeling completely drained after giving all you can. This affected my life to the point where I would stay in my room all day because I was so exhausted.

As a returned missionary, I felt pressure from my family, friends, and community regarding my life decisions. I felt like the people around me had a lot of thoughts about the choices I was making and what I should be doing—it was overwhelming. I hid how I was feeling from everyone because I didn’t want to disappoint them.

Over time, the pressure became too much for me to bear.

I felt the way Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described:

“Sometimes spiritual breakdowns come so gradually that we can scarcely tell what is happening. Like layers of sedimentary rock, spiritual pain and grief can build over time, weighing upon our spirits until it is almost too heavy to bear. For example, this can happen when our responsibilities at work, home, and church become so overwhelming that we lose sight of the joy of the gospel. We might even feel as though we have no more to give or that living the commandments of God is beyond our strength.”

Even though I felt this way, I was able to find peace as I turned to Heavenly Father for guidance. Here are three ways I did it:

1. Letting Go of Others’ Expectations

The expectations of others made it hard for me to find the peace I needed to transition back to life at home as a returned missionary.

So I prayed about what direction I should take for my future and told Heavenly Father about the pressure I was feeling. As I worked to invite the Spirit into my life, I felt prompted to take a leap of faith and move to the United Arab Emirates to work. This inspiration was super unexpected, and a lot of people in my community were shocked when I followed this prompting.

I suddenly felt so much hope! I felt that through the Spirit, God was leading me in a direction that would bring me the healing I needed.

Learning to let go of expectations other people had for me and focusing on Heavenly Father’s guidance allowed me to move forward with hope and faith.

Elder Uchtdorf also taught, “We will find spiritual healing as we step away from the shadows of the world and into the everlasting Light of Christ.”

2. Freeing Myself from Comparison

When I returned home from my mission, I also struggled with comparing myself to others.

Elder Uchtdorf addressed the dangers of comparison, saying: “We spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others[.] … This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does.”

I was too focused on what other returned missionaries were doing, which made me feel like I wasn’t progressing much at all. But asking Heavenly Father for help with changing my focus and actively striving to do so allowed me to worry less about what others were doing. Instead, I focused on my unique path and the steps I could take each day toward my spiritual and temporal goals.

3. Being Spiritually Proactive

Moving to Dubai taught me the importance of being proactive. Whatever our circumstances, we can be proactive about making changes and seeking Christ wherever we may be.

Although the gospel seemed tedious when I returned home from my mission, engaging myself in it was actually the answer to my feelings of burnout. I found greater peace and healing as I made an effort to be part of my ward and to make time for the Lord each day.

President Russell M. Nelson testified of this concept, saying: “We need daily experiences worshipping the Lord and studying His gospel. I plead with you to let God prevail in your life. Give Him a fair share of your time. As you do, notice what happens to your positive spiritual momentum.”

When I face spiritual burnout, I now know that the way to find peace is to maintain spiritual momentum. One way we can do this is by shifting our focus to the Savior and letting go of others’ expectations.

When I do this, I find the peace I need to move forward on the covenant path—one step at a time.