An Experience Of Burnout
The alarm goes off.
It’s almost a relief as you’ve been awake for what feels like hours running through everything that is going wrong, and everything you have to do at work.
You try to be mindful and live in this moment of being in a comfortable bed so your body and mind can at least rest, but the sense of agitation and dread doesn’t leave you.
You are exhausted.
You drag yourself up, you’re irritable with everything and contemplate calling in sick. Afterall, you feel sick.
Your dog, who you utterly adore, needs to go out - you want to scream at him for having to meet this basic need.
Your partner asks if you can help them this evening, you snap back that you’re not around just to do stuff for them!
The house is messy, you shout into the ether that you’re sick of living in this pig sty.
You hate who you’ve become but you can’t seem to change it, you resent everything, especially work. You just don’t have the energy to find another job. Every time you do find something else you’ve already told yourself you wouldn’t be able to do that job.
You want to change your lifestyle, but you need your salary just to maintain what you have.
You drag yourself through the day, trying to avoid people and just waiting to make some huge mistake that will show how pointless you have become. You can’t focus on anything.
Lunch time comes and you head to the bakery grabbing a cake and coffee. Your throat feels thick and it's sore to swallow, you can tell you have another cold coming. It only seems like 2 seconds since you finally got rid of the last one.
When you are finally released from work you head home where all you want to do is curl up on the sofa, ignoring the gym membership that you’ve stopped using - you can’t be bothered and you’re just too tired.
Your friends text, but you don’t text back, you’ve got nothing to say anymore.
You know something has to change before your family stops forgiving your outbursts, you feel so stuck and trapped.
This is just one experience of burnout - it can be all consuming.
What Is Burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. You can be left feeling useless, and even empty. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give. This can lead to further difficulties when you feel people want or need something from you, for example family, friends or colleagues. What can begin as work stress can impact your whole life through burnout.
Although burnout might be linked to health conditions, for example depression, it isn’t in itself a medical diagnosis. As we are all different, we all respond in different ways to the same external situation. This can be because of our underlying personality, previous experiences, and how we might internalise the situation.
The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it's important to manage burnout right away.
Spotting Signs Of Burnout In Yourself
Although burnout affects people differently, the below symptoms can indicate burnout -
- Feeling a sense of dread about going to work.
- Change in sleep pattern and habits.
- Struggling to get started once at work.
- Not taking as much care over your appearance.
- Struggling to focus on tasks.
- Being less organised and structured.
- Feeling tired and lethargic.
- No longer doing things you enjoy outside of work.
- Doubting your abilities.
- Feeling irritable and less tolerant of people, particularly work colleagues.
- Increase in alcohol, smoking, comfort eating to temporarily feel better.
- Physical health complaints without an obvious cause, such as headaches, colds, stomach upsets.
Even though the above are common symptoms, if you feel as though you might be burning out take yourself seriously and reach out.
Why Do We Get Burnout?
Although our individual personalities and histories can impact our resilience to burnout, there are common work experiences that can lead to burnout and it can truly sneak up on you!
It probably seems obvious, but working long hours with poor work / life balance can lead to burnout. You might find you no longer do things you enjoy, and stop doing the activities that you know help keep you physically and mentally well such as exercise, cooking good food and seeing friends.
Having not enough to do at work can lead to burnout, just as having too much to do can. It is sometimes referred to as “rustout” and doesn’t give you a sense of value and purpose in your role whilst you generally feel bored in your work. Boredom can be quite exhausting.
Not feeling as though you are clear on your role and what you need to do can increase the chance of workplace stress and burnout. As can not believing you have any control or input into your role or workplace.
Relationships also play a part in workplace stress and burnout, conflicts with colleagues and managers that are unresolved create a difficult worklife.
What Can Help?
One effective way to combat burnout is through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is an evidence based talking therapy that helps you identify your cognitions, feelings (emotional and physical) and behaviours. Your therapist works with you to understand your unique negative cycles and how these can be changed.
You set your goals by discussing how your life will look once you overcome burnout. Your therapist helps you identify your individual patterns, and possibly how earlier experiences might have contributed to your current beliefs, then works collaboratively with you towards your goals in a gradual, step-by-step process whilst helping you develop practical strategies to manage stress with different coping mechanisms.
If you're feeling the effects of burnout, it's crucial to seek help. CBT offers a structured approach that can provide relief and a way forward. Remember, it's not just about work, it's about finding a balance that allows you to thrive in all areas of your life.
Self Care
In addition to CBT, it’s never too late to self-care. This is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and can help prevent burnout. To keep burnout at bay and keep yourself as well as possible, the following self-care strategies can support the health of your body and mind:
- Identifying stress - learn to identify your body's stress signals and take proactive steps to manage stress. This could include activities like going for walks, yoga or keeping a stress diary.
- Set Boundaries - establish clear personal limits to prevent an unmanageable workload. This helps communicate to others what you need and expect, safeguarding your time and energy.
- Protecting your work-life balance - strive for a balance that allows you to manage your work and personal life without sacrificing one for the other. This balance is key to feeling motivated and energised.
- Prioritise Self-Care - engage in activities that improve your physical and mental health. This could range from eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated to enjoying hobbies and socialising with friends.
- Exercise and move regularly - Physical activity is not only good for the body but also for the mind. It can be a powerful stress reliever and mood booster. It’s important to find what exercise feels good to you, exercising in ways you don’t enjoy can have the counter effect of creating more stress on the body.
- Take regular breaks - short breaks throughout the day can help prevent stress accumulation. You might set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and move, even if it’s just to make a drink. Longer breaks or holidays are also essential to disconnect and recharge, so ensure you are booking your annual leave allowance throughout the year.
- Maintain a support network - having a reliable support network can provide emotional assistance and practical help during stressful times. Sometimes just chatting to a work bestie and laughing at how crazy work feels can be the release you need and mean you feel less alone in the work whirlwind.
- Engage in mindfulness practices or simply taking a quiet moment - Mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises can help centre your thoughts and reduce stress. Or just taking a quiet moment to still your thoughts and allow yourself to take next steps from a place of calm.
- Hobbies and leisure activities - allocate time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, which can increase your vitality and overall well-being.
- Prioritise good sleep - try to have a consistent sleep schedule to give your body the rest it needs to recover from daily stresses.
- Consider options - if your current role or workplace is causing you significant, prolonged stress that isn't changing, then consider other work options. It isn’t failing to make the decision to move on.
By incorporating these self-care strategies, you can create a buffer against burnout, ensuring that you maintain your well-being and continue to thrive both professionally and personally. Remember, self-care is not a luxury; it's a necessity for a sustainable and fulfilling life.
Experiencing burnout is not a sign of weakness, it can happen to anyone, so please don’t suffer in silence. I can help you navigate towards a future where work feels rewarding again, and life outside of work is in balance. To find out more about us working together please book in for an initial consultation.
