Burnout

Burnout

Dear Tacit,

What causes burnout?  And can it happen with life in general or is it just a work thing?

Signed Burnt Out

Dear Burnt Out,

Yes, you can experience “burnout” relative to many different aspects of your life.  It impacts all of the relationships you have in your life – with work, school, your partner, your family, your friends – and even with yourself.

Burnout is the state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that you might feel if you have been experiencing prolonged and excessive stress. It often occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the constant demands and pressures being placed on you. As the stress continues, you begin to lose interest and motivation, which can affect your productivity and energy levels.

Burnout is caused by a combination of internal and external factors.  When you are being overloaded with expectations and responsibilities (are too busy and under too much pressure); or when you feel a lack of support in certain aspects of your life; when you are being bullied or have a lot of conflict/drama happening in your world; or when you are feeling underappreciated or with little control over the what’s happening; you are more likely to develop burnout.

If you are a perfectionist and tend to be overly critical of yourself (and have unrealistic goals); or if you have a hard time saying no and maintaining a healthy balance in your life; or if you have a “driven” personality (A type personalities, people who need a sense of control, etc); or when you need external validation/recognition to make you feel “good enough”; you are more likely to develop burnout.

Burnout looks different for everyone, but there are some common symptoms:

Physically – you may struggle with ongoing feelings of fatigue and a lack of energy; with insomnia (which is ironic, given how tired you might be feeling); with frequent illnesses (this is because your immune system is weakened due to high stress levels); and generalized complaints such as headaches, muscle pain, or gastrointestinal problems (all symptoms of high cortisol, which happens with burn out).

Emotionally – you are probably struggling with a sense of failure and self-doubt; you may be feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated; you have likely started to pull away from others (you just don’t have the energy to socialize) and that adds to the loneliness you may be feeling; you will have low (or no) motivation (even for things you enjoy); and your general outlook on life will start to get more cynical and negative.

You may also start to withdraw from responsibilities; procrastinate and take longer to get things done; use food, drugs, marijuana or alcohol to cope; or seem short/take your frustrations out on others more.

If you think you are struggling with burnout, there are steps you can take before you experience a big crash.  The most important thing is to try to recognize the signs as quickly as possible – take action before the problem becomes severe.  The longer you try to “power through”, the more likely it is that you will have to change your circumstances completely, in order to recover.

Talk to friends, family, or a professional about your feelings and stressors. Learn to say no and set limits on what you will/can and will not/cannot do.  Prioritize activities that promote relaxation and well-being, such as exercise, hobbies, and adequate rest.  Find a sense of balance in your life (this includes healthy levels of work; responsibilities; relationships with others; relationships with self/self care – sleep, food, water, and activity; downtime/boredom; relaxation and fun; etc).  Be willing to create this balance and then maintain it long-term (as a new lifestyle), or the burnout patterns will return.

Learn how to effectively organize and prioritize the tasks of your day/week in such a way that it reduces the stress you are feeling.  You will have to change your habits because if you don’t do something different, you will continue down the path you are already on (remember the definition of crazy – doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results)!  Step away from toxic relationships/environments – and focus on knowing and meeting your needs in a whole/total way.  That is trickier said than done.  But it is the starting point for preventing, minimizing and/or recovering from burnout.

Take care!

Do you have a question you would like us to address? Please feel free to reach out to us at counsellors@tacitknows.com. Your answer will be provided confidentially. 

Want to start your counselling today?
Make an Appointment