Your boss is calling. Your child is crying. And now, your aging aunt needs help. Day by day, you feel your inner flame flicker out a little more.

Whatever your version of this looks like, it can easily lead to burnout — which is difficult to recover from, both mentally and physically.

The solution? Prevent burnout before it starts. A psychiatrist shares how.

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To prevent burnout, start every day with a personal check-in.

“One of the best things we can do every day is take our own pulse,” says psychiatrist Carla Schnitzlein, DO, residency clinic director of Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living.

So when you’re brushing your teeth or on your commute to work, take a few seconds to scan your body and that beautiful chaos inside your brain.

Ask:

  • How am I feeling today?
  • How’s my energy?
  • Am I motivated?
  • Am I looking forward to things that usually bring me joy — a hobby, spending time with family, the fact that I have a vacation coming up?

> Related: What to Eat When You’re Stressed

Learn and look for the warning signs.

“Over time, stress creates physiological changes in our body. Once you reach burnout, it can really take awhile to rebound,” says Dr. Schnitzlein. “That’s why it’s important to know the signs — so you can do something before you get to that point.”

Early signs of burnout

  • Things you once enjoyed feel like a grind
  • You’re not making as much time for yourself, your hobbies and self-care

More advanced signs

  • You’re more irritable and quicker to snap at others
  • You’re anxious or depressed
  • Sleep may be affected

Burnout in full effect

  • Overwhelmed, nonfunctioning

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As soon as you notice signs of burnout, do this.

“Many times, we have a lot of internal messages that everyone else needs us — kids, parents, work obligations. But we also have an obligation to care for ourselves,” says Dr. Schnitzlein.

1. Review your basic needs.

Are you getting enough sleep? Are you remembering to eat? Have you fit in at least some physical activity every day?

“If you don’t meet these physical needs, it’s amazing how much less resilient you are,” says Dr. Schnitzlein.

2. Talk it out with someone.

This can be a loved one, a friend or trusted community member, or a professional counselor.

They may be able to offer practical support, like being your accountability buddy for a daily exercise challenge. Either way, the simple act of venting your emotions is a surprisingly effective tool for coping with stress.

> Related: Which Mental Health Apps Actually Work? A Psychiatrist’s Top 9 Picks

3. Make this promise to yourself…

And Dr. Schnitzlein’s top tip to prevent burnout? Every day, take 30 minutes to yourself.

“This is one thing I ask all of my patients, and myself, to prioritize,” says Dr. Schnitzlein: “A half-hour in which I’m going to do something that makes me happy — read a book, work out — or at least give myself some breathing room.”

If this sounds impossible, start slow. At first, carve out just 10 or 15 minutes a day.

“It’s building that recognition that you are important too, and practicing how you set boundaries around your time,” says Dr. Schnitzlein.

In the process, you’ll discover a basic law of nature: If you keep fueling a fire, it never burns out.