‘Burnout’ is a relatively new term coined in the early 1970s by Herbert Freudenberger and fast forward to today, this term is not unheard of. Burnout as described by Freudenberger, is said to be, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results”.
In other words, burnout is when you feel exhausted from overworking and undervalued by those around you that it starts to affect your productivity in life. In most cases, it stems from the workplace but it is not limited to just that. There could also be other contributing factors such as being a stay-at-home parent or a caregiver.
Burnout affects the way you see and make decisions in all areas of your life.
One of the best ways to manage burnout is to understand it well, including its signs and symptoms. Here’s a burnout checklist for you and important tips on how to manage it.
Stress or burnout: What’s the difference?
A simple way to differentiate between feeling stressed or burned out is to know that they are total opposites. Being stressed up is associated with feeling overwhelmed such as feeling overly pressured from too much physical and mental demands in life. It is sometimes described as you’re drowning in life’s responsibilities. Nonetheless, you’ll know that this feeling will go away once everything is under control.
Burnout on the other hand, is about feeling empty and exhausted. You’ll experience a lack of motivation and feel drained. It’ll feel difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Now, one important factor to note is that, according to the Help Guide, you would typically be aware when you’re under a lot of stress but when it comes to burnout, you may not notice it creeping in.
Know how burnout feels like
You don’t have to wait to feel burned out before understanding all about it. As a matter of fact, it’s best to know its signs so that you will be able to take action as soon as you can. Here are some signs of burnout that you should be alert of:
#1 Exhaustion is real
Do you feel like it’s almost impossible to move a muscle? Perhaps waking up every morning for work is getting more difficult as the days go by?
Burnout takes a toll on your physical and mental health. You’ll feel a lack of energy and you’ll find yourself dragging your feet to complete a task. This is all because you’re feeling completely exhausted and worse, the exhaustion doesn’t seem to subside. This is the most prominent sign of burnout.
#2 Becoming cynical
Another prominent sign of burnout is cynicism. If you suddenly find yourself turning cynical and losing your motivation to work, this is another red flag.
For example, if the reason behind why you’re feeling burnout is because of your job, you’ll start to withdraw yourself from it such as being absent from work and having the intention to leave the company.
#3 You’re starting to hate your job
Are you starting to feel that nothing is right with your job? Your colleagues get on your nerves, your bosses don’t seem to be helpful and it’s never ending misery on your end. At the end of the day, you feel like it’s never enough for you and you’ve not accomplished anything! As the days go by, you start to feel numb and doing things may start to look meaningless.
#4 Everything is a trigger
Burnout is not just about physical tiredness. It is also about emotional exhaustion. When you’re emotionally drained, it can be difficult to regulate your emotions.
Therefore, you might feel like everything around you is just getting on your nerves. Even something as simple as your colleagues inviting you to join them for lunch, could get you feeling angry.
Outright anger is another red flag of burnout.
#5 It’s difficult to focus
Your to-do list is getting longer but as hard as you try, it’s difficult to focus on getting your work done. Your mind wonders continuously and in the end, nothing is completed.
Believe it or not, having trouble concentrating is another sign of burnout that you might not realise. You might think that it’s just one of those days but if it’s more often than it should and you’re also experiencing other burnout signs, then the cause is probably that.
Dealing with burnout
If you’re feeling any or all of the above signs, you are not overreacting. As a matter fact, you should definitely start listening to your body and learn how to navigate through a burnout. Burnout can happen at any time and as mentioned earlier, it creeps in silently. You might think that burnout is ‘just another phase’ and it’ll resolve on its own but you’re wrong. If you choose to continue with it, it’ll only cause further damage to your overall health. Here are some ways to deal with it.
Open up to others
We know it’s not easy to gather all the energy in you to think about speaking to others and discuss with them about the way you’re feeling.
Acknowledging burnout is not a sign of defeat. As a matter of fact, it shows nothing but strength and do know that you’ve got the strength in you to cope with this.
Opening up to others will help you to calm your nerves and find a good balance in life again. To make the best out of all the strength that you’ve gathered to speak out, we encourage you to speak to someone who is a good listener and will not express any judgement. Some individuals you could consider include those that are closest to you such as your best friend, a colleague you can trust or you connect with a community that can help you deal with burnout.
Shift your mindset
If your job is the reason why you’re feeling burned out, one of the most effective ways to deal with it is to try and find a job that you love. As cliché as it sounds, burnout is about feeling undervalued. If this is the case, you might want to consider changing your work environment.
Of course, for many, it’s not a decision that can be made at the spur of the moment, as there are responsibilities and bills to pay. Don’t worry, there are also other solutions you can try to help you navigate and deal with a burnout. They include:
- Try to find some value in your work. Ask yourself – What was the reason that encouraged you to take up your job?
- Make friends at work. Being able to chat with others and joke in your workplace can do wonders in helping you relieve stress at work. Plus, you might be helping a colleague cope too.
- Take a break especially when you’re starting to feel exhausted. This is the reason why there are annual leaves and no one loses more than you if you do not take them.
Rethink your priorities
It might feel like it’s so much to juggle when you’re dealing with burnout but let’s put it this way. The reason why you’re feeling such is because something in your life is not working out as it should at the moment. However, you can navigate through it and find your purpose in life again.
We’re not asking for much but perhaps it’s time to rethink your priorities and dedicate some ‘me time’ for this. You could journal, rethink about your dreams and what you hope for. Perhaps along the way you may have neglected some things that were making you happy and so, when you dedicate some time alone to think, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to rediscover your life and to also learn more about yourself.
Besides rediscovering yourself, you should also consider:
- Setting boundaries. It’s difficult but it’s okay to say “no”. Stretching yourself thin will only make the situation worse. As a matter of fact, saying “no” shows that you’re listening to your body.
- Do a technology detox. Gadgets and devices are great but it can also affect the way you see things such as comparing yourself to others based on the image they’re portraying on social media, which in some cases may not be entirely real. A detox will help you unwind and rest your eyes.
- Get active. Exercising is one good way to relieve stress and to also improve your physical health.
When you’re experiencing burnout, it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel but do know that, it is possible to deal with it and things in your life will be better soon. Don’t forget to listen to your body because rightfully so, you are in charge of your health.
