Burnout

Burnout is a buzzword that has been making its way around the internet and the mainstream media over the past two years. Many people hear the phrase and think “hmm, that could be me” but what many sources are not talking about is what burn out actually is, how you can recognize it, and what you can do.

Starting from the beginning, what actually is burnout? Burnout is “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can lead one to feel hopeless, cynical, and resentful. While it’s often spoken about in relation to jobs, burn out touches all arenas of a persons’ life. Three subtypes of burnout have been identified. These include overload burnout, under-challenged burnout, and neglect burnout.

If burn out is caused by stress, how is it different from just feeling really stressed? Unlike burnout, stress if a temporary state of being characterized by overwhelm and potentially having too much on your plate and may be tied to a specific goal. Burnout is chronic and often feels like it cannot be ameliorated.

How might you know you’re experiencing burnout? Symptoms of burnout occur in all three arenas- physical, emotional, and behavioral.

Physical symptoms include: 

• Feeling tired

• Having difficulty sleeping

• Experiencing a change in appetite

• Dealing with headaches or muscle pain

• Lowered immunity and frequent illness

Emotional symptoms include: 

·        Lacking motivation 

·        Experiencing feelings of self-doubt 

·        Failure or loneliness 

·        An overall feeling of dissatisfaction 

Behavioral symptoms include: 

·        Social isolation 

·        Not performing your responsibilities 

·        Anger outbursts

·        Procrastination

·        Using substances to cope

While it’s not uncommon these days to feel burnout (see my self-care post about ways that systems to do not support wellness), burnout prevention is directly tied to self-care. That can include strong boundaries, and engaging in behaviors connected to your specific type of burnout.

For many people, burnout is insidious and it’s hard to know that you’re on the path to burnout until you’re already there. Given that, what can you do if you’re already burnt out?

·        If burnout is connected to your work, reevaluate if your work is connected to your why. If it isn’t, look at your options and include your supervisor in a conversation around if there is a path to better align your why with your duties.

·        Turn to others. Connect with your loved ones, talk to your coworkers, invest in new friendships and community.

·        Reevaluate your priorities. It might be valuable to set stronger boundaries with work and take some time off, engage in something that uses a different skillset than your work, turn off from technology, get quality rest, and incorporate movement into your regular routine.

If you’re feeling burnt out and are having difficult accessing ways to get out of that feeling. Click the button below and let’s get a conversation started.