Setting boundaries to recover from burnout | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: At work, one adult talks about burnout and considers clearer workload boundaries and a real break away from the desk..

EN → DE / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Setting boundaries to recover from burnout to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ich glaube, dass ich wegen dieser Arbeitsbelastung langsam ausbrenne.

ikh GLOW-buh, dahss ikh VAY-gun DEE-zuh AR-bites-buh-LAHST-oong LAHNG-zahm OWS-breh-nuh. I think I am getting burned out from this workload.
B

Hast du richtige Pausen gemacht oder nur zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt?

Hahst doo RIKH-tih-guh POW-zun guh-MAHKHT OH-duhr noor TSVISH-un OWF-gah-bun guh-VEKH-selt? Have you been taking real breaks, or just switching between tasks?
A

Ich habe meistens nur zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt, und das fühlt sich nicht wirklich wie Erholung an.

ikh HAH-buh MY-stuns noor TSVISH-un OWF-gah-bun guh-VEKH-selt, oont dahss FYOO-lt zikh nikht VEERK-likh vee air-HOH-loong ahn. Mostly switching tasks, which does not really feel like rest.
B

Das würde erklären, warum der Druck immer weiter zunimmt.

dahs VUR-duh air-KLAY-run, vah-ROOM dair droogk IM-uh VY-tuh tsoo-NEEMT. That would explain why the pressure keeps building.
A

Ich fühle mich schuldig, wenn ich aufhöre zu arbeiten, während die Frist näher rückt.

ikh FYOO-luh mikh SHOOL-dikh, ven ikh OWF-hur-uh tsoo AR-bye-tun, VAIR-unt dee frist NAY-uh RURKT. I feel guilty stopping when the deadline is close.
B

Eine Grenze zu setzen ist keine Faulheit, wenn sie dir hilft, dich zu erholen.

EYE-nuh GRENT-suh tsoo ZET-sun ist KYE-nuh FOWL-hyte, ven zee deer hilft, dikh tsoo air-HOH-lun. A boundary is not laziness if it helps you recover.
A

Vielleicht sollte ich meiner Führungskraft sagen, was vor der Frist realistisch ist.

fee-LYKHT SHOL-tuh ikh MY-nuh FYOO-roongs-krahft ZAH-gun, vahss fohr dair frist ray-ah-LIS-tish ist. Maybe I should tell my manager what is realistic before the deadline.
B

Sag klar, was du bis dahin schaffen kannst und was mehr Zeit braucht.

ZAHK klahr, vahss doo biss dah-HIN SHAH-fun kahnst oont vahss vair tsite browkht. Be clear about what you can finish by then, and what needs more time.
A

Ich werde heute zum Mittagessen meinen Schreibtisch verlassen.

ikh VAIR-duh HOY-tuh tsoom MIT-tahk-ESS-un MY-nun SHRYBE-tish fer-LAH-sun. I will take lunch away from my desk today.
B

Das ist ein kleiner, aber hilfreicher Schritt, um deine Energie zurückzugewinnen.

dahs ist eye-n KLY-nuh, AH-buh HILF-rykh shrit, oom DYE-nuh eh-nair-GHEE tsoo-ROOK-guh-VIN-un. That is a small but useful step toward getting your energy back.

Word by Word

Ich “Ich” means “I” and is the speaker referring to themself as the subject of the statement. It appears at the start of “Ich glaube” and can also appear as “ich” inside a sentence.
glaube “glaube” means “think” or “believe” here and presents the speaker’s personal assessment. “Ich glaube, dass ...” is a common pattern for stating an opinion followed by information.
dass “dass” means “that” and introduces the content of what the speaker believes. It connects “Ich glaube” with the clause ending in “ausbrenne.”
wegen “wegen” means “because of” and identifies the cause of the speaker’s burnout. It introduces the cause phrase “wegen dieser Arbeitsbelastung” and is commonly used before a noun phrase naming a reason.
dieser “dieser” means “this” and points to the specific workload being discussed. It appears directly before “Arbeitsbelastung” to identify that particular workload.
Arbeitsbelastung “Arbeitsbelastung” means “workload,” especially the amount of work creating pressure. In “wegen dieser Arbeitsbelastung,” it names the cause of the speaker’s difficulty and is useful in conversations about work demands.
langsam “langsam” means “gradually” or “slowly” here and shows that the burnout is developing over time. It modifies the process in “langsam ausbrenne” rather than describing a speed of movement.
ausbrenne “ausbrenne” means “burn out” in the speaker’s statement. It is the form of “ausbrennen” used with “ich” inside the clause “dass ich wegen dieser Arbeitsbelastung langsam ausbrenne.”
Hast “Hast” means “have” in the question “Hast du richtige Pausen gemacht?” It begins a question about whether the other person has taken real breaks and is used together with “du” and “gemacht.”
du “du” means “you” when addressing one familiar person. Here it is the person being asked about taking breaks and switching between tasks.
richtige “richtige” means “real” or “proper” here and emphasizes that the pauses should be genuine breaks. It directly describes “Pausen,” distinguishing them from merely changing tasks.
Pausen “Pausen” means “breaks,” such as periods away from work. In “richtige Pausen gemacht,” it is the activity being asked about and is useful when discussing rest during a workday.
gemacht “gemacht” means “taken” in “Pausen gemacht,” although its basic meaning is “made” or “done.” It is the form of “machen” used with “Hast” to ask whether the breaks were taken.
oder “oder” means “or” and presents an alternative in the question. It contrasts taking real breaks with “nur zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt.”
nur “nur” means “only” or “just” and limits the activity to task switching. In “oder nur zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt,” it suggests that no genuine rest took place.
zwischen “zwischen” means “between” and describes movement or switching from one task to another. It appears in “zwischen Aufgaben” and is commonly used before the things being compared or alternated.
Aufgaben “Aufgaben” means “tasks.” In “zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt,” it names the different pieces of work between which the speaker keeps switching.
gewechselt “gewechselt” means “switched” in “zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt.” It is the form of “wechseln” used with “habe” to describe the speaker’s completed task-switching.
habe “habe” means “have” in “Ich habe meistens nur zwischen Aufgaben gewechselt.” It works with “gewechselt” to describe what the speaker has done and is commonly used with a completed-action form.
meistens “meistens” means “mostly” and shows that task switching was the speaker’s usual activity. It limits the statement without saying that it happened absolutely every time.
und “und” means “and” and joins the statement about switching tasks with the speaker’s reaction to it. Here it connects two related clauses.
das “das” means “that” or “it” here and refers back to the preceding task switching. In “und das fühlt sich nicht wirklich wie Erholung an,” it makes that previous activity the subject of the next statement.
fühlt “fühlt” means “feels” in the expression “fühlt sich ... an.” Together with “sich” and “an,” it describes how something is experienced.
sich “sich” is part of the expression “fühlt sich nicht wirklich wie Erholung an,” meaning that something feels a certain way. Here it refers back to the activity being evaluated, not to a separate person.
nicht “nicht” means “not” and negates the idea that switching tasks feels like real rest. It appears before “wirklich wie Erholung” in the sentence.
wirklich “wirklich” means “really” and emphasizes the difference between task switching and genuine rest. In “nicht wirklich,” it strengthens the statement that the activity does not feel like proper recovery.
wie “wie” means “like” here and introduces the comparison with “Erholung.” The expression “wie Erholung” describes what the activity feels like.
Erholung “Erholung” means “rest” or “recovery.” In “fühlt sich nicht wirklich wie Erholung an,” it names the restorative experience that task switching does not provide.
an “an” completes the separable expression “fühlt sich nicht wirklich wie Erholung an,” which means “does not really feel like rest.” It is placed at the end because it belongs to the verb expression “sich anfühlen.”
würde “würde” means “would” in “Das würde erklären.” It presents the explanation as a possible consequence of the situation and commonly appears with an infinitive such as “erklären.”
erklären “erklären” means “explain” in “Das würde erklären, warum ...” It introduces the reason clause explaining why the pressure continues to increase.
warum “warum” means “why” and introduces the reason for the explanation. In “warum der Druck immer weiter zunimmt,” it asks which development is being explained.
der “der” means “the” and identifies the specific pressure being discussed. It appears directly before “Druck” in “der Druck immer weiter zunimmt.”
Druck “Druck” means “pressure,” here referring to work-related pressure that keeps increasing. The phrase “der Druck immer weiter zunimmt” describes a continuing rise in that pressure.
immer “immer” means “always” or, in “immer weiter zunimmt,” “increasingly” or “more and more.” Together with “weiter,” it emphasizes that the pressure continues to rise.
weiter “weiter” means “further” or “continuously” in “immer weiter zunimmt.” It shows that the increase in pressure carries on.
zunimmt “zunimmt” means “increases” in “der Druck immer weiter zunimmt.” It is the form of “zunehmen” used in the clause explaining the continuing development.
fühle “fühle” means “feel” in “Ich fühle mich schuldig.” It describes the speaker’s emotional experience and is used with “mich” and an adjective describing the feeling.
schuldig “schuldig” means “guilty” here and describes the speaker’s feeling about stopping work. In “Ich fühle mich schuldig,” it follows the expression for describing how the speaker feels.
wenn “wenn” means “when” or “if” and introduces the situation in which the speaker feels guilty. Here it begins “wenn ich aufhöre zu arbeiten,” referring to stopping while the deadline approaches.
aufhöre “aufhöre” means “stop” in “wenn ich aufhöre zu arbeiten.” It is the form of “aufhören” used in the clause about stopping work and is commonly followed by “zu” plus an activity.
zu “zu” introduces the infinitive “arbeiten” in the construction “aufhöre zu arbeiten.” Together they express the activity that the speaker stops doing.
arbeiten “arbeiten” means “work” in “aufhöre zu arbeiten.” It is the infinitive naming the activity that is being stopped.
während “während” means “while” and introduces the situation occurring as the deadline gets closer. It connects the speaker’s action with the approaching deadline.
die “die” means “the” and identifies the specific deadline under discussion. It appears before “Frist” in “die Frist näher rückt.”
Frist “Frist” means “deadline” or “time limit.” In “während die Frist näher rückt,” it names the time boundary that is approaching.
näher “näher” means “nearer” or “closer” in “näher rückt.” It shows that the deadline is becoming closer in time.
rückt “rückt” means “approaches” in “die Frist näher rückt.” It is the form of “rücken” used to describe the deadline moving closer.
Eine “Eine” means “a” or “one” and introduces the boundary being discussed. It begins the noun phrase “Eine Grenze zu setzen.”
Grenze “Grenze” means “boundary” here, especially a limit on work or availability. In “Eine Grenze zu setzen,” it is the limit that the speaker may establish to support recovery.
setzen “setzen” means “set” in “Eine Grenze zu setzen.” It describes establishing a boundary and is used here as the infinitive after “zu.”
ist “ist” means “is” and links setting a boundary with the evaluation “keine Faulheit.” It states what the action is or is not considered to be.
keine “keine” means “no” or “not a” and negates the noun “Faulheit.” In “keine Faulheit,” it says that setting a boundary does not count as laziness.
Faulheit “Faulheit” means “laziness.” In this dialogue, it is the negative label that the speaker rejects for setting a boundary.
sie “sie” means “it” here and refers back to “Eine Grenze.” In “wenn sie dir hilft,” the boundary is the thing that helps the other person recover.
dir “dir” means “to you” and identifies the person who benefits from the help. It appears with “hilft” in “sie dir hilft, dich zu erholen.”
hilft “hilft” means “helps” in “sie dir hilft, dich zu erholen.” It is the form of “helfen” used with the person benefiting and the recovery action.
dich “dich” means “you” as the person who recovers in “dich zu erholen.” It is used with “erholen” to describe the person experiencing recovery.
erholen “erholen” means “recover” in “dich zu erholen.” Together with “dich” and “zu,” it expresses the purpose or benefit of the boundary.
Vielleicht “Vielleicht” means “maybe” and softens the suggestion that follows. In “Vielleicht sollte ich ...,” it presents the idea as a possibility rather than a firm decision.
sollte “sollte” means “should” or “ought to” in “Vielleicht sollte ich ...” It expresses a suggestion about what the speaker considers doing next.
meiner “meiner” means “my” in “meiner Führungskraft.” It identifies the manager as belonging to the speaker’s work context.
Führungskraft “Führungskraft” means “manager” or “supervisor.” In “meiner Führungskraft sagen,” it is the workplace person whom the speaker plans to inform.
sagen “sagen” means “say” or “tell” in “meiner Führungskraft sagen, was ...” It describes communicating information to someone and is followed here by a clause beginning with “was.”
was “was” means “what” and introduces the information the speaker wants to communicate. In “was vor der Frist realistisch ist,” it refers to what is realistic before the deadline.
vor “vor” means “before” and places the realistic situation in time relative to the deadline. It appears in the phrase “vor der Frist.”
realistisch “realistisch” means “realistic” and describes what can reasonably be achieved before the deadline. It is used in the clause “was vor der Frist realistisch ist.”
Sag “Sag” means “say” or “tell” and gives direct advice to the other person. In “Sag klar,” it introduces guidance about how to communicate the workload.
klar “klar” means “clearly” here and describes the desired way of communicating. “Sag klar” asks the speaker to state plainly what can be finished and what needs more time.
bis “bis” means “by” or “until” and marks the endpoint connected with the deadline. In “bis dahin,” it helps specify what can be completed by that point.
dahin “dahin” means “by then” or “to that point” and refers back to the deadline already being discussed. Together with “bis,” “bis dahin” identifies the time by which something may be finished.
schaffen “schaffen” means “finish” or “manage” in “was du bis dahin schaffen kannst.” It describes what the person is capable of completing by the stated time.
kannst “kannst” means “can” and expresses the person’s ability to complete something. It appears with “du” and “schaffen” in “was du bis dahin schaffen kannst.”
mehr “mehr” means “more” and indicates that an amount greater than the available amount is needed. In “mehr Zeit braucht,” it modifies “Zeit.”
Zeit “Zeit” means “time.” In “was mehr Zeit braucht,” it is the resource needed for the work that cannot be completed by the deadline.
braucht “braucht” means “needs” in “was mehr Zeit braucht.” It is the form of “brauchen” used to say that something requires more time.
werde “werde” means “will” in “Ich werde heute ... verlassen.” It expresses the speaker’s intention to leave the desk at lunchtime.
heute “heute” means “today” and identifies when the planned action will happen. It gives the time reference for leaving the desk for lunch.
zum “zum” introduces the activity “Mittagessen” in “zum Mittagessen.” In this sentence, it identifies lunch as the occasion for leaving the desk.
Mittagessen “Mittagessen” means “lunch.” In “zum Mittagessen,” it names the meal during which the speaker plans to leave the desk.
meinen “meinen” means “my” in “meinen Schreibtisch.” Here it identifies the desk belonging to or used by the speaker, not the verb meaning “to mean.”
Schreibtisch “Schreibtisch” means “desk.” In “meinen Schreibtisch verlassen,” it is the place the speaker plans to leave in order to take lunch away from work.
verlassen “verlassen” means “leave” in “meinen Schreibtisch verlassen.” It names the action the speaker intends to carry out after “werde” and is used with the place or object being left.
ein “ein” means “a” or “one” and introduces “kleiner ... Schritt.” It begins the noun phrase describing the lunch break as an action toward recovery.
kleiner “kleiner” means “small” and describes the step as limited in size or scope. It appears in the phrase “ein kleiner, aber hilfreicher Schritt.”
aber “aber” means “but” and contrasts the step’s small size with its usefulness. It joins “kleiner” and “hilfreicher” in the description of the step.
hilfreicher “hilfreicher” means “helpful” or “useful.” In “ein kleiner, aber hilfreicher Schritt,” it emphasizes that the action can support the speaker even though it is small.
Schritt “Schritt” means “step” and refers to a practical action toward a larger goal. Here it describes leaving the desk for lunch as progress toward recovering energy.
um “um” means “in order to” and introduces the purpose of the step. It appears in “um deine Energie zurückzugewinnen,” explaining what the action is intended to achieve.
deine “deine” means “your” and identifies the energy as belonging to the person being addressed. It appears directly before “Energie.”
Energie “Energie” means “energy.” In “deine Energie zurückzugewinnen,” it is the resource the person hopes to regain after taking a real break.
zurückzugewinnen “zurückzugewinnen” means “to regain” or “to get back” in “deine Energie zurückzugewinnen.” It expresses the purpose of the step and is the form of “zurückgewinnen” used after “um.”

Grammar Points

sich erholen

dich zu erholen

dikh tsoo air-HOH-lun

to recover

The reflexive pronoun changes with the person: dich means “yourself” when addressing one person.

näher rücken

näher rückt

NAY-uh RURKT

draws closer; approaches

This separable verb splits in a clause: the verb appears as rückt and näher moves to the end.

German Vocabulary

Arbeitsbelastung noun
AR-bites-buh-LAHST-oong workload
Aufgabe noun
OWF-gah-buh task Aufgaben
aufhören verb
OWF-hur-un to stop aufhöre
ausbrennen verb
OWS-breh-nun to burn out ausbrenne
Druck noun
droogk pressure
Erholung noun
air-HOH-loong rest; recovery
langsam adv
LAHNG-zahm slowly; gradually
Pause noun
POW-zuh break Pausen
richtig adj
RIKH-tikh real; proper richtige
schuldig adj
SHOOL-dikh guilty
wechseln verb
VEKH-seln to switch; to change gewechselt
zunehmen verb
tsoo-NAY-mun to increase; to build zunimmt

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

task

Show AnswerAufgaben

pressure

Show AnswerDruck

break

Show AnswerPausen

to burn out

Show Answerausbrenne