Having been through burnout several times in my career, I know it's challenging to see how close you are to the edge.
As you said:
- It's important to understand why you are pushing yourself.
- Breaks are important, if not critical. Changing pace by working on another project is not always enough.
- Rest and relaxation are vital.
- Exercise is necessary.
Here are my thoughts on avoidance and recovery from burnout ...
- Avoidance is the first approach. If you see it coming, changing something in your life is always easier than fixing things once you're over the edge.
- Once I've reached that burnout stage, I try to tackle the issue before it impacts my performance (toward whatever the goal is). I actually spent three weeks playing video games once rather than working (this was not a quick response).
- I have a few people in my life that can "kick my butt" and get me moving again. These are friends and/or co-workers that I am comfortable enough to take the "abuse" as something necessary. I approach them and talk things through and develop a plan of recovery.