Burnout
*This blog is not meant as a diagnostic tool, a lens through which to label yourself, a judgement on what you’re currently experiencing or a definitive list of what burnout could look like. It is a few themes that I have noticed through my extensive work with clients.
I wonder how many times you’ve said to yourself: “I’m fine, I’m just a bit burnt out” or to someone else “be careful, you’ll burn yourself out”. You’re certainly not alone in this. The phrase has worked its way into our common speech and as a result has lost a little of its true meaning. That is definitely not to say that sometimes we can feel like we’re running on empty or that we have nothing left to give. Or we might see a friend spinning a gazillion plates and worry that they’re doing too much. However, burnout is a little more…
I don’t particularly buy into diagnostic tools and ‘labels’; suffice it to say that if you come to me saying you feel burned out, then you’re burnt out and we’ll look at what that means to you. However, in a world where we like things to fit neatly into a certain box; burnout is actually recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO), not as a medical condition but as a phenomenon. A host symptoms of unmanaged stress over the long term, and emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. Unlike stress, burnout can result in a feeling of hopelessness, being unable to motivate oneself and detachment or withdrawal from the source. Burn out can impact both work and personal life meaning that both effectiveness and relationships may be affected. It can also mean that an individual is more likely to experience mental ill health; conditions like depression or anxiety or long-term physical health conditions. In short; burnout is your body’s way of telling you, “I can’t keep doing this” or “I can’t keep dealing with things like this”
It is important to look at the differences between burnout and stress and burnout and depression. Stress is usually shorter term, temporary and may affect sleep and energy during this time. Burn out is much longer in its presentation and can affect all areas of life. In comparison to depression, burnout can be associated with a specific aspect of either the environment or a situation. Relief can come about when that environment or situation is removed. Depression may be present regardless of circumstance.
What causes burnout?
The causes of burnout very much depend on the circumstances that you find yourself in and the life circumstances around that- the list of causes could be endless depending on how YOU experience them. Commonly when people enter the therapeutic space citing burnout as the reason, this might look like workplace stresses, caregiving, parenting or managing a chronic illness. Some things that can influence the way we experience those situations are the circumstances surrounding it: social and economic factors and the relationships and support that you have around you.
So as an example of this- someone who has a nourishing relationship, a supportive family, a solid and active social life and a comfortable standard of living may be able to withstand an employment with a lot of pressure compared to someone who doesn’t have these things.
In therapy we might peel back the layers to see what these areas might hold for you. Digging deeper into what has influenced the burnout we might see:
- Workload vs restload
- Control over a situation or outcome and the ability to do something about it (autonomy)
- The imbalance in amount of effort put in and the recognition and reward given
- Whether you feel a sense of community, relationship and belonging
- Whether a feeling of mutual fairness and respect exists between the people involved
Underpinning some of this though is the feeling or perception that it leaves you with- feeling undervalued, overworked; not heard or seen even though you have verbalised how you are feeling will exist for some whereas for others their bench mark might be higher or lower.
Of course, as with most things, there are many elements interacting that can lead to burnout but commonly it is the parts of the brain that are responsible for the stress response. Principally:
- Amygdala processing fear and anxiety and the emotional significance of these, then triggering defence= to what intensity the stress is perceived
- Hippocampus- it brings together the sensory information with past experiences and determines the realness of the threat and also how familiar it is. A feedback loop is created control the stress based response- either making it bigger or smaller based on situational factors
What symptoms might I see?
This not an exhaustive list, you may be experiencing something that I don’t have here but these are the most common. Similarly, you don’t need to be seeing each one on the list to be experiencing burnout. Your experience of burnout will be as individual as you are. The symptoms can be separated into 4 main categories:
Physical- avoidance (either of the thing causing the burnout or of things you used to enjoy, reduction in efficiency in completing tasks, always feeling like you are on the back foot or needing to catch up, extra time off (if its work based, harder to do when you have family or caring responsibilities), taking fewer holidays or rest time (or completing normal tasks while you’re doing these)
Emotional- loss of interest/enjoyment in things you used to love, overwhelm, doubting your self and your ability, dip or loss in motivation, exhaustion, helplessness, withdrawal from the thing causing the burnout or from support mechanisms you had/have in place.
Behavioural- stomach issues (e.g. loss of appetite, permanent knot in the stomach, nausea), pains in the joints or muscles, headaches, issues with sleep, high blood pressure and exhaustion.
Cognitive- viewing things through a negative lens, taking on or feeling that all the responsibility is yours to carry, jumping to conclusions, viewing successes as things that are attributable to someone else but taking problems, issues or failures as only yours, worst case scenario thinking, detaching and worrying.
How can I help myself?
There will be as many things that help people to manage their burnout, as there people experiencing burnout. Whatever works for you can be added to the list. As with anything that encompasses mental health- the things that help are as unique as the person’s experience of the symptoms themselves. Here are some common themes from my experience as a therapist:
Making adjustments reducing your responsibilities- this might look like asking colleagues to take some of the strain, restructuring your day to include non-negotiable breaks and rests, it might look like asking others in the house to help with chores, it might look like reducing visits to a care home or hospital. Asking for what you need is OK; it’s more than ok, its necessary.
Setting boundaries- decide what you are willing to do and not do (within reason) in whatever situation has caused your burnout, allow yourself to say no/not now if needed
Seeking support- it’s an oldie but goodie, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Ask for help- whether that is help from a friend colleague or family member or reaching out to professionals- often we can’t do it alone. Human beings are, by their very existence, social beings. We need and thrive on connection- don’t try to navigate this alone.
Making rest and self-care a part of your day- regular breaks, making sure you get as good a night sleep as you can, find activities that bring you joy and feel restorative for you, eating well.
Being active- gentle exercise (especially in nature) is amazing for mental and physical health, boosting mood and reducing stress.
Others- Mindfulness, breathing, yoga style movement, creative outputs
There will be hundreds of other things in the mix when it comes to helping yourself to recover from burnout. Deciding what feels right for you will take time, effort and practice until you find the right mix. What works for one person wont always work for others. The value in deciding what works for you (not for Joe Bloggs at work, Nana Pat or Gary down the White Rose but you), not only makes it more likely that you will stick with it but it can also help you feel empowered because you have taken control over how you handle your recovery.