Almost all of us can relate to the feeling of stress, right? But, add another layer to that and hey presto, you have burnout. What exactly is burnout and why can people struggle with it so much? Burnout is the result of chronic and severe stress, it is a state of emotional, physical, and mental weariness. Stress, emotional and physical exhaustion and the inability to meet never-ending expectations all contribute to it.
Burnout occurs over time as it doesn't happen all at once, but it can sneak up on you if you ignore the red flags. At first, the signs and symptoms are subtle, but they worsen over time. Consider the early symptoms to be warning signs that something is wrong and must be addressed. If you do so, you'll be able to avoid burnout successfully. So, let’s take a look at those symptoms:
ü Feeling fatigued and drained out
ü Emotional eating or not eating at all
ü Experiencing hypersomnia or sleeplessness
ü Headaches and muscle strains
ü Getting sick frequently
ü Constant stomach issues
Some signs can be behavioral and emotional too i.e.:
ü Feeling withdrawn and isolated
ü Not being able to follow a set schedule
ü Excessive procrastination
ü Bouts of anger or becoming a victim of substance abuse
ü Feeling like a failure with no self-esteem
ü Cynical attitude with lack of any drive
ü Pessimistic thoughts
Identify the root cause: What should you do when getting constantly bugged by stressors? First, you need to find out where the main stress is coming from. Finding the root cause of your burnout when trying to manage it well. So, if things at work are getting out of hand, talk to your supervisor about why you're tired. If your home life is taking over your life, talk the other people in your household to see what you can do as a team to make it better. Are you pushing yourself to hard in any particular area in your life and might need to pump the brakes a bit?
Establish healthy relationships: Coworkers, friends, and family members are excellent sources to go to for help. The natural tendency of burnout is to retreat, therefore, it is easy to lose connection with others. However, even chatting to a friend or seeking advice from a family member can be beneficial.
Consult a Professional: A therapist, counselor, coach, or other mental health professionals can help you deal with burnout. I love reaching out for help when I need it. I can acknowledge that sometimes having that outside voice and opinion on what is going on for me can be really beneficial. It is important to know that seeking outside help for your mental health is no different fromtoo going to a doctor or physio and seeking outside help for your physical health. People train in these industries to know how to help people with the issues they are dealing with.
Adopt a fitness regime: Moving your body is an excellent technique to divert your attention away from the source of your exhaustion. It can also help to alleviate the underlying stress that is causing your burnout. Getting regular moving is amazing for your mental health and to help you remove yourself from an emotional stressor to just clear your head.
Use Mindfulness: Mindfulness methods such as meditation, yoga, mindful breathing, and others might assist manage burnout symptoms. Burnout is an accumulation of too many stressors, so finding the time to fall into relaxation is going to really help.
Pause and replenish yourself: Taking a week or two off from the activity that is causing you to feel burned out can be rejuvenating. It is not a long-term remedy, although it can provide immediate comfort.
Establish a healthy sleep cycle: Getting proper rest can help prevent burnout. If your stress levels keep you from sleeping properly, try improving your sleep hygiene or speaking with your health care provider about what you can do to improve your sleep. Whenever I am feeling burnout coming in, one of my number one go to’s is sleeping. The body and mind can recover when you are resting.
Choose healthy foods: The food you eat impacts your digestion, your digestion impacts your energy levels. If you are feeling burnt out and your diet isn’t the best. This should be one of the things you address. If your energy levels are not great and you notice you get rather fatigued after a particular type of food, perhaps it is time to limit how often you eat that food. It is beneficial to ask yourself when you are deciding what to eat, “Is this food going to give me energy or make me feel tired?”, “Is this food good fuel for my body?”. Do not underestimate the power of your diet when working to improve your health.
In short, burnout can start to be addressed by adopting some better habits. One of the keys is to make sure you are bringing joy to your everyday life. Sometimes you can feel burnout out simply because your life just is not bringing out any passion within you. Make it a habit to find something each day that is going to bring you joy Engaging with different people or doing some creative, or finding a new hobby that really engages you. What is one thing you can start doing this week to help you with burnout?