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. It’s safe to say that after the last 16 eventful (and at the same time event-free) months, almost everyone feels burnt out in one way or another. In a Harvard Business Review survey earlier this year, 85% responded that their wellbeing had declined, and exhaustion and cynicism are on the rise. Collectively we’ve been working overtime, home-zoom-schooling, working-from-home, unemployed, estranged from family, and grappling with change after change. So what exactly is burnout and how do we deal with it?
What’s the Difference Between Stress and Burnout?
Burnout may be the result of stress over time, but it isn’t the same. You can think of stress as a problem of too much: too many demands on your physically and mentally at one time. However, usually while under stress, we are still able to conceptualize of a future time when we’re less stressed, or we can see ways in which to offload some stresses.
Conversely, burnout is the feeling of not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. When we experience burnout, we often don’t see any hope of positive change. Typically we’re aware of being under a lot of stress, but we don’t always notice burnout when it’s happening.
Let’s get one myth out of the way: burnout isn’t just from your job. Other factors contribute to burnout, including lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands.
Warning Signs of Burnout
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a gradual process. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.
Some signs that you may be on the way to burnout:
Every day is a bad day
You’re exhausted all the time and can’t even find the energy to care about your work or home life.
The majority of your daily tasks feel boring or overwhelming.
You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.
Pessimism, irritability, self-isolation
Forgetfulness or diminished concentration/attention
Burnout can affect you internally — mentally, physically, and emotionally— and externally — your relationships, home, work, and personal life. How do you know if you’re burnt out? Here are some symptoms
How to Recover from Burnout
Targeting the root causes of burnout can help you recover. Building up resilience by taking care of your physical and emotional health can help combat burnout as well.
Reach out
Social contact is nature’s antidote to stress and talking face to face with a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. While sometimes we avoid opening up because we fear being a burden to others, most friends and loved ones are flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to “fix” your stressors; they just have to be a good listener, someone who’ll listen attentively without becoming distracted or expressing judgment.
Cultivate relationships
Strengthen the relationships you have that are supportive and affirming and limit your contact with people who are negative or drag you down. Connect with a cause or community that’s meaningful to you. Volunteering or giving back in some way gives us a sense of purpose and a place within our community.
Change the way you think about work
Quitting a job to pursue something we love is far from being a practical solution for most of us. We’re grateful just to have work that pays the bills. But no matter your situation, try to find value in your work like how you help others, providing useful goods or services, or your relationships with your coworkers. Keep a good work-life balance, and take time each day to think about the aspects of your life that are meaningful.
Reevaluate your habits and priorities.
Take some time to think about what is really important to you, and commit to prioritizing those things. Say “no” to anything that doesn’t align with your priorities. Create a new habit that supports your peace of mind, like making a ritual of your breakfast routine before you look at your phone in the morning. Less technology and more sleep are good habits to start that can have an immediate positive affect.
Look after your health.
Start an exercise routine or change your existing routine. Rhythmic exercise moving arms and legs (aka Living Room Dance Party) has been shown to boost mood, increase energy, and relax body and mind (and yes, we count the dance party as your workout for the day). Support your mood and energy levels with a healthy diet. Minimize sugar and refined carbs, drink alcohol only in moderation, and pay attention to the foods that make you feel great! Make sure to stay current with your medical appointments and get the treatment you need. Massage and acupuncture have both been shown to effectively reduce stress chemicals in the body and help the body regulate stress response by downregulating the parasympathetic nervous system.
If you are struggling with stress, burnout, anxiety or depression, you are not alone! All of the providers at Equilibrium can connect you to resources that can help! We also recommend Lines for Life which offers 24/7 helplines, specialized support, and referrals to local mental health professionals.