Nieces and nephews…I’m exhausted. And chances are good that you’re probably pretty exhausted too. Between looming deadlines, stressful jobs, hectic class schedules, and feeble attempts at trying to maintain a healthy social life amidst all of the aforementioned chaos, it’s easy to feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends.
If you often find yourself feeling as though you’re struggling to keep your head above water, what you may be experiencing is burnout. But don’t worry, because Auntie Tiffany is going to help you learn how to spot, treat, and prevent burnout. So, shake yourself awake so we can work on lifting some of that weight off your shoulders.
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What Is Burnout
Burnout is the overwhelming state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged and unending stress. Although it’s usually associated with work, burnout can also be attributed to the stress of parenting, caretaking, or even romantic relationships.
This feeling is so prevalent in today’s society that in January of 2022, the World Health Organization officially categorized burnout as a diagnosable syndrome – Which isn’t hard to believe, given the glorification of “hustle culture.” But while Lifestyle Gurus and moguls glamorize the idea of stacking side hustles, pulling all-nighters and “grinding,” overworking yourself is neither a badge of honor nor something to be flaunted for clout.
(She preached while downing her second cup of coffee at 12:42am... Whatever! Do as I say, not as I do.)
Aaanyway… 😅
Burnout is most commonly caused by taking on more than you can handle, a lack of recognition for your work, or a lack of support when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Have you ever seen those videos of someone running on a treadmill that is clearly going too fast for them? At first glance, they seem like they’ve got it together. But, when you look a little closer, you notice that their stride isn’t quite keeping up. Eventually, frantic legs begin to wildly shoot out from under them until you hear the inevitable *THUD* as they lose control and are sent flying.
Yeah, burnout is kind of like that.
Its symptoms can include chronic fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, irritability, a compromised immune system, depression, self-alienation, and a lack of productivity.
(The cyclical irony of ‘a lack of productivity’ being a symptom of a syndrome caused by feeling unproductive is just downright cruel).
With that being said, let’s talk about what you can do right now if you’re already feeling the effects of burnout.
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How to Alleviate Burnout
If you’re one of the millions of people who are or have struggled with burnout, you’ll be happy to know that there are ways to dig yourself out of that abyss of fatigue and stress – though, you’ll have to be willing to do some introspection and step outside of your comfort zone a bit.
The first step in curing your burnout is understanding how you got there in the first place.
As I stated before, there are several potential causes for burnout and it’s important that you take the time to identify yours. Are you in a toxic work environment? Do you have too much on your plate? Are you feeling like you’re giving your all into something that doesn’t truly fulfill you? Or could it be that this feeling is self-inflicted? Maybe you just need to fine tune your time management skills?
Step back and take an honest look at your situation to try and identify the underlying problem. If it helps, take out a piece of paper and write down all of your pain points. Nothing is too small or unimportant. Once you’ve got a working list, try to find patterns that may help you to realize what the true cause of your stress is.
*If you’re having issues with the atmosphere or the workload at your job then consider speaking to your manager or someone in Human Resources, if you’re comfortable doing so.
*If you’re struggling to meet deadlines, then take inventory of how you spend your time each day. Find the areas where you can cut the fluff and think of ways to optimize certain tasks to help you save time.
*If you’re feeling unfulfilled, then maybe it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate what you really want. Sometimes burnout can be an indicator that you need to make some drastic changes in your life.
(Check in next week for our post on "Finding Your Passion”).
The next step in conquering burnout is taking immediate action to remove or lessen the stressors in your life. Try these tips:
•Get more sleep – Contrary to popular belief, you can’t recoup lost sleep at a later date. Both your body and your brain benefit from a full and consistent sleep schedule. While you sleep, your body works to repair its muscles, organs, and cells, as well as regulates and lowers the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body.
Getting a full night’s sleep is detrimental to stabilizing your mood, processing the events of the day, and allowing you the necessary time to recover, mentally and physically.
Ways to Improve Your Sleep
•No screens 30 minutes before bed (phones, computers, TV, etc.)
•Only use your bed for sleeping (though there is *ehem* one exception)
•Keep your room cool, quiet, and dark when sleeping
•Avoid large meals, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol before bed
•Stick to a sleep schedule
•Take a 5-15 minute break from your work or studying every hour – It is scientifically proven that taking a break every hour or so helps to improve concentration, creativity, and focus. It also helps to keep you from slamming your head against the keyboard out of frustration. Take time to get up, stretch, take a quick walk, or meditate to put some distance between you and any stressful projects you may be working on.
•Use the "Top 3" Method – Each morning, make a “Top 3” list of the 3 most important things that you need to accomplish that day. Prioritize only those tasks and consider any additional achievements to be “extra credit”. The goal is to feel accomplished but not overwhelmed, so don’t stress out about crossing off everything on a mile long to-do list.
The final step in conquering burnout is to rest.
In this case, resting doesn’t just mean getting some much needed sleep (although that is a huge part of your road to recovery), but it also includes giving your mind and body what they need to recover and recharge. This type of rest is about taking some time away from work, or school, or the kids, or your spouse, or your caretaking duties and spending that time on yourself.
I know that may sound selfish… but that’s because it is. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of others. As a matter of fact, taking care of yourself IS taking care of others.
Do you remember those old “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” Snickers commercials? (My favorite is the one with Betty White playing football. If you haven’t seen it, check it out here because you’re totally missing out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAnLtqWDhc )
Well, stress works the same way. If you’re overworked, tense, and irritable it spills over onto the people you care about and affects the way you interact with them.
Take a day off from work. Hire a babysitter. Ask your family or friends for support. Do whatever you need to do to get a day to yourself to simply relax. Don’t worry about work or the things that are weighing you down – simply do what makes you feel happy and recharged. Your family and friends will understand (and if they don’t, that may just help you in identifying step one of this process).
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How to Prevent Burnout
Now that we’ve given ourselves some room to breathe, let’s work on putting some practices in place to prevent future burnouts.
Taking a day off may give you a temporary feeling of relief, but when you come back to your regularly scheduled programming the underlying issues still remain. In order to REALLY treat burnout, we have to implement some healthy practices and beliefs to stave off the feeling altogether.
I know…easier said than done. But that’s why you have me here to help. 😊
Here are some lifestyle changes and tips to minimize your risk of burning out:
•Don’t let your vacation time go to waste – For some reason, at least in the USA, there is a negative stigma around taking vacation time. We worry that we’ll be seen as lazy or not invested in the company, but the truth is that you’ve earned that time away BECAUSE you’ve worked hard (aaaand because some jobs legally have to provide it – but that’s even more reason to take it).
Give yourself a break from the rat-race. Even if you don’t have some fancy or elaborate trip planned, use those days to just relax and enjoy some stress-free time to yourself or with friends and family. You’ve earned it, so use it; And don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for doing so!
•Get a hobby - Find an outlet that makes you happy and make time for that each week. I know that sounds counter-productive right now. You may be thinking, “Where the hell am I going to find time for a hobby when I barely have time for the things I’m already doing?!” To which I’d say, “Uh… why are you yelling at me?”
I’m all too aware of the fact that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, but you should consider this as a mandatory item that you need to work into your schedule. Not only will a positive and engaging hobby give you a healthy outlet to relieve stress, some hobbies could actually help you live longer.
•Take some things off of your plate – Write down all of the commitments and projects that you currently have and see where you can (safely) make cuts. Go into this process knowing that the cuts are necessary for your mental health and try not to find rationalizations for keeping things as they are.
Sometimes simply rearranging your commitments just isn’t enough to give you the break that you need. We need a long term solution that keeps you from becoming overwhelmed again in the future, so don’t feel guilty about letting some things go. Slowing down isn’t the same thing as quitting. If anything, it will help you to produce better quality work or present a better version of yourself in the areas that actually matter.
•Learn to say no – Tell me, how much of your stress is the result of being too available for others, or taking on commitments that you just don’t have the time or energy for in order to help someone else? You can’t always jump on the grenade for someone else’s sake. Though it’s nice to offer your time or accept requests for help, you’re doing yourself a disservice by stretching yourself so thin.
Good people will understand the need for you to take a break or put your needs first, and if they don’t then they may have just helped you with the step above. There’s a reason why flight attendants tell you to put on your oxygen mask before helping others.
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The Takeaway
While burnout can be a debilitating problem to grapple with, it can also shine light onto areas where you could improve your quality of life; whether it’s helping you realize that you need to pursue something more fulfilling, that you need to make more time for your loved ones, or simply that you need to make more time for yourself.
Just remember that your self-worth doesn’t directly correlate with your ability to produce. Taking care of both your body and your mind are necessary to live a balanced and low-stress life.
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