Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by extended stress, such as the ones experienced at work.
However, there are ways of coping with it.
Everyone goes through stressful times in life, but sometimes it goes beyond a basic need for a break.
The term “burnout” has been around for a couple of decades, and it is a very common occurrence (especially in the last few years).
If you believe you are experiencing burnout, know that you are not alone and that there are options for not only preventing but also managing the level of being overwhelmed.
What Is Burnout? How Much Do We Know About It?
In 1974, psychologist Herbert Freudenberger was the first that came up with the term “burnout.” Simply described, it’s a state of exhaustion — which can be both mental and physical — that is the direct result of consistent or prolonged stress.
What Does Burnout Look Like?
Burnout is not the same as general stress caused by life circumstances or work.
The main difference is that those who are experiencing burnout may find it difficult to feel as if their stress has subsided.
Burnout looks and feels different from a stressful day or week, and while everyday stress is often followed by recovery and returning to a sense of normality, people who experience burnout may often not return to a steady-state.
People’s burnout experiences vary, and even if the world around changes, returning to normality when we’ve experienced burnout, refers to the ability to stay healthy and sane during such crisis.
Burnout usually impacts our ability to relax on the weekends or our days off and often includes a sense of dread or hopelessness when it comes to our jobs.
People who are burnt out may:
– begin to feel hopeless about their work environment
– dread going to work
– feel as if they’re “drowning” or barely able to keep their heads above water
– develop a short temper
– experience signs of depression
– have trouble sleeping
– often fantasize about leaving their jobs
What Are The 12 Stages Of Burnout?
Herbert Freudenberger presented a 12-stage burnout model, ranging from early warning signals to more serious consequences.
These stages are frequently mentioned, even though they haven’t been fully examined.
The 12 phases of burnout that have been proposed are as follows:
– excessive drive or ambition
– pressure on self to work harder
– neglect of your own needs
– dismissal of your problems (“displacement of conflict”)
– lack of time for your needs outside of work
– denial and impatience
– withdrawal
– behavioral changes, including impatience or aggression
– detachment from reality (depersonalization)
– inner emptiness or anxiety
– depression
– mental or physical collapse
Who Gets Burnout?
Burnout can occur for anyone who’s in a stressful environment, including school or an emotionally draining romantic or platonic relationship. Most commonly is associated with work, especially direct service jobs.
Burnout in the workplace is now defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
There can also be a class component to burnout. Many people experiencing burnout have jobs where taking an extended break isn’t an option.
There may be no leave policy due to life circumstances or job restrictions, and time off cannot be taken without a serious and perhaps catastrophic impact on their families’ financial stability.
As a result, many employees are unwilling to discuss with leadership about burnout. This fear is compounded for folks of marginalized experience due to a long history of workplace retaliation.
What Should You Do If You Think You Are Burnout?
It’s tough to deal with burnout once it’s started, but there are methods for dealing with burnout even if you’re in the middle of it.
Take a break
Schedule a break or a vacation, If possible, to create some space between you and your stressful environment.
Because being burnout can lead to workplace mistakes, mental health providers stress the importance of taking a break, especially for those within a medical profession.
The caregiver must have time to care for oneself in order to be able to continue caring for others.
In terms of work-related burnout, communicating your experience of burnout to your superior is the most important thing, in order to get support and discuss possible changes to your workload.
Talk to a mental health professional
This is also an option if you are dedicated to getting better and taking care of your mental health.
You can schedule a meeting time each week with someone who can help you manage your symptoms.
It is recommended that you visit a mental health professional, if burnout is causing severe depression, suicidal thinking, chronic insomnia, or any other disruptive mental health symptom.
If you’re not sure if you can afford treatment, remember that there are options for getting help at a lower or free cost.
Among those possibilities there are:
– faith and religion-based help
– community mental health centers
– employee assistance programs
– support groups
– therapists with sliding scale options or reduced rates
– therapists in training
If for some reason, you are alone in this and have no support system to give you a hand and to help you get up – please feel free to reach out to us. We would be delighted if you wrote us. We might have suggestions and prayers as support for you as you go through your difficult situations.
We also recommend a great therapist and a counselor, so if you are interested to know more please write us via the About Bloogit, with the words: “Hey, I wanna know more about the counselor you are recommending on your site,” and we’ll get back at you as soon as possible.
What Are Some Strategies For Coping With Burnout?
If you are deep person who seeks meaning in everything you do, than your job has to mean something to you – has to be purposeful. If that’s the case with you than finding another job, if possible, is the best option for you.
Nevertheless, if taking time off or leaving your job aren’t options for you, know that there are ways to help manage burnout symptoms:
– Remind yourself that your work is just work and not who you are or your whole life.
– Before you enter your home from work, think about it how you want to spend the time.
Do you need time alone or do you want to spend time with your family? Answering these questions can help you manage your stress to not throw negativity on your loved ones.
– Asking for what you need. It’s good to inform the ones you lived with, children, husband, roommates, for what you need, when you get home after work. If you need some time to unwind after work or just to spend time relaxing or do self-care, don’t feel bad about letting them know you need time for yourself. That will help you come to a good mood to interact with them later on.
– Setting aside a schedule time for work venting can be fun, creative and also very helping.
Think about what are your hobbies and interests that you enjoy doing, that you find yourself relaxing and loving? It can be drawing, or running or going to the gum, or simply calling your trustworthy friend to talk with them about particular work frustration, and what you experienced on work that day.
Do you have other strategies that you use to cope with burnout? What do you love doing? what do you do for fun? You can answer it to yourself, write it on your journal, or you can also share it with us in the comments bellow to encourage someone else.
Venting from your work tasks can be energizing and also will help your brain better deal with work obligations tomorrow.
Is It Possible To Prevent Burnout?
Prioritizing your mental health on a daily basis, rather than just try to recover, is a great way to avoid burnout.
Also you might want to think about setting some boundaries
It’s healthy and beneficial for you if you know your limits, how much you can give and how much you can’t. It’s good to know we need space from everything sometimes, learning to set limits in our life and keep healthy boundaries both at work and at home.
Learning to say No when you feel exhausted or overwhelmed is another way of saying yes to yourself. The world can wait and everything in it. Learn to relax and not take too much burden on your shoulders.
During the pandemic, people felt like the whole company is on their shoulder. But you should know it is not your fault. Take a deep breath. It’s not all your responsibility.
We are not meant to save the whole world, but do our best to make a small change where we are.
And that starts with ourselves.
Participate in things you love and enjoy
This can be done solo or with others.
In order to have the appropriate people around you who will look out for your best interests and are honest people to lend a hand as you navigate the challenging times, we advise you to pray to God and ask Him for the right people to come in your life, in the name of Jesus.
Socializing is part of our lives.
With the right people in your life you can enjoy doing things that are fun and relaxing, which will make it easier for you to recover from burnout.
Take care of your physical body
Taking care of your physical body can relax your brain and increase your mood.
Not skipping meals, doing some exercises, drinking more water, taking more showers, are few ideas to get you started.
Exercises, and getting proper sleep, can help you manage stress too.
According to one study, aerobic exercise can help reduce burnout.
If you want to get some exercise but aren’t sure what to do, walking can be a decent choice, because it can help reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels in the body.
Let’s Summarize
Burnout is widespread and may have a significant influence on how we approach our relationships and job, but there are ways to manage and prevent burnout.
Navigating the effects of burnout is extremely common in work environments, especially those that are “helping professions” or within the direct service field, but these aren’t the only folks who can find themselves burnt out.
Whether it’s from an emotionally draining relationship, school, or job, consider taking the time to discover which boundaries you need to really stay relaxed and healthy.
If there are any other questions, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.
