As I sat in a counselling and psychology class recently, learning all about burnout, the realization that burnout has been an unfriendly companion of mine for a long time hit me like a ton of bricks.
The funny thing though, is that quite a few of my classmates could relate to this reality of burnout being a part of their lives especially within the past year. You see, there is a thin line between stress and burnout and many of us have crossed over into burnout without acknowledging or accepting it. We keep pushing and thinking I just need to get past this rut, but not actually dealing with the real root of the problem.
Burnout is a very real and common phenomenon that many of us have faced at some point in time of our lives and maybe even faced with right now.
World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
The three symptoms included in the list are:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings negative towards one’s career
- reduced professional productivity
The truth is burnout can be caused by a number of factors, and not just work related stress.
Stressful, high pressure or even monotonous work environments can definitely be a cause of burnout. But what about that demanding boss or the lack of recognition for your good work effort?
What about your life outside of work, could that also be contributing? A poor work, life and socializing balance can be quite dangerous.
“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” they said. Well they were right.
High expectations from people in your life and taking on too many responsibilities can also certainly leave you exhausted.
An obvious cause is not getting enough sleep but maybe you’re also feeling very unfulfilled in life or you don’t have enough close, loving and supportive relationships at home and work.
On top of that, your personality type could also be contributing to your burnout. Striving for perfection or having a negative world view of self and the world or having a driven type A personality with a need to be in control combine in a perfect recipe for burnout.
Boi was I in potta, because within the past year and a half, I could definitely relate to most of these.
For persons like me, we are much more at risk for falling into the trap of burnout. Especially if in certain professions such as health care, doctors, nurses, as well as counselors, pastors and lawyers.
Can you relate to any of these causes? Are you aware of the slippery slope that you may be on?
Burnout may present its ugly head in various ways. I’m going to list a few of the symptoms and I want you to be real honest with yourself. Okay?
- Have you been feeling tired all the time, no matter how much you sleep, take your vitamins and exercise?
- Have you been emotionally exhausted, moody, sad, or just generally frustrated or apathetic?
- Have you been getting sick easily? Having recurrent flu like symptoms or your body just feels weak and tired?
- Have you been withdrawing yourself from people and finding it more difficult to maintain your relationships?
- Do you find it hard to “look on the bright side of life”?
- Finding it difficult to get out of bed, missing work or just not as efficient?
- Do you feel helpless, depressed, numb or lacking in motivation to do things?
If you can say yes to half or more of these questions then sis/bro, you are burnt out!
And you know what?… it’s okay to admit it. BUT the next step is to put one foot in front of the other and walk towards the light. I’m not going to just leave you in the dark but I’m here to help you as I myself am on the road to recovery from burnout.
Next month in part 2 of this blog, I’m going to share some practical tips and truths that have been helping me and I hope will also help you to manage, overcome and even prevent burnout in the future.
In the meantime, I want to encourage you to “think about your why” this coming week.
Have a great weekend everyone and don’t forget to get some rest and relaxation.
Yours truly,
Dr. Esther Trotman (a.k.a Star)
References:
Sylvan R Puckerin (2014). Advanced Holistic Counselling & Psychology: Beyond the Next Next Next Level, Manual Level 3. Grace and Truth Critical Incident Training & Consultancies
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