Burn-out 2020
Understanding and dealing with Burnout
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.
What Causes Burnout
Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those both play a role. Burnout most often occur when a person is not in control of how a job is carried out, at work or at home, or is asked to complete tasks that conflict with their sense of self.
Equally pressing is working toward a goal that doesn't resonate, or when a person lacks support. If a person doesn’t tailor responsibilities to match a true calling, or at least take a break once in a while, they could face burnout, as well as the mountain of mental and physical health problems that often come along with it, including headaches, fatigue, heartburn, and other gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as increased potential for alcohol, drug, or food misuse.
How do you know if you are burned out?
Physical and mental exhaustion, a sense of dread about work, and frequent feelings of cynicism, anger, or irritability are key signs of burnout. Those in helping professions may notice dwindling compassion toward their patients/clients. Feeling like you can no longer do your job effectively may also signal burnout.
What is the difference between burnout and stress?
By definition, burnout is an extended period of stress that feels as though it cannot be made better. If stress is short-lived or tied to a specific goal, it is most likely not harmful. If the stress feels never-ending and comes with feelings of emptiness, apathy, and hopelessness, it may be indicative of burnout.
Burnout Recovery: Strategies to Help You Reset
Your brain and body can only handle feeling overworked and overwhelmed for so long.
If you consistently experience high levels of stress without taking steps to manage or reduce it, exhaustion eventually takes over, leaving you emotionally and physically burned out.
You may begin to feel less motivated since it seems like nothing you do matters.
Since burnout happens gradually, you might not notice symptoms immediately. But once it takes hold, it can affect your ability to function across all aspects of life.
Recognize the signs
Key signs of burnout include:
forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating
diminished pride in your work
losing sight of yourself and your goals
difficulty maintaining relationships and being present with loved ones
frustration and irritability with co-workers
unexplained muscle tension, pain, fatigue, and insomnia
Find the source
It’s tough to make changes when you don’t know exactly what needs to change, exploring contributing factors or sources of stress in your life can help.
Identify immediate changes you can make
You might recognize a few ways to lighten your load right away.
Talk to people you trust
If you feel unsure how to begin sorting through the causes of burnout and how to look for ways to ease your stress, try to talk to someone you trust. It can be especially helpful to learn from the experiences of others who managed to overcome similar challenges.
Examine your options
Unfortunately, addressing burnout isn’t always straightforward. But this doesn’t have to mean it will hold you down forever. You may not see an easy road to recovery, but a little exploration may unearth some kind of path or insight that could help you.
Take back control
Burnout can make you feel powerless. You might feel as if your life is rushing past and you can’t keep up.
If outside factors contributed to burnout, you might blame these circumstances and have a hard time seeing what you can do to change the situation. You may not have had control over what happened to bring you to this point, but you do have the power to take back control and begin to recharge.
Set boundaries
Setting limits on the time you give to others can help you manage stress while recovering.
Practice self-compassion
Reaching a point of burnout can bring up feelings of failure and a loss of purpose or life direction. You might feel as if you cannot do anything properly or you’ll never achieve your goals. When you reach a point of burnout, you have probably pushed yourself past the point of what most people would realistically consider themselves capable of for some time. Grant yourself the same love and support. Remind yourself you don’t have to be perfect, and that it’s OK to need a break.
Pay attention to your needs
Taking charge of your physical and emotional health is key to burnout recovery.
Remember what makes you happy
Severe burnout can drain you and make it hard to remember what you used to enjoy.
You may have lost your passion for a career you once loved and feel angry and resentful when you get to work each day.
Perhaps you no longer care about your favourite hobbies, or you’ve stopped responding to texts from friends because you lack the energy for conversation.
You might even feel perpetually irritated and snap at your partner or family without meaning to.
To counter these feelings, create a list of the things that bring you joy. It might include things like:
long walks with your best friend
reading a book
listening to music
spending time with loved ones
Talk to a Counsellor
Confronting burnout is not easy, especially when it’s already taken a toll on your personal relationships and quality of life. A Counsellor can offer professional guidance by helping you identify causes, explore possible coping methods, and navigate any life challenges contributing to burnout.
Burnout can provoke feelings of helplessness and can also play a part in feelings of depression, so it’s particularly important to talk with a counsellor/therapist if you:
feel hopeless
have a persistent low mood
experience thoughts of hurting yourself or others
Resetting yourself after burnout can be a lengthy process, but by choosing to address it, you have already taken the first step.
We are here for you
For Professional Confidential Counselling contact us on
Gauteng & Other regions: 0861 776 227 admin@procare.co.za
Western Cape: 021- 8 730 532 procwc@procare.co.za
Read more:
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-recovery#therapy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/basics/burnout