Breaking Point: Navigating Burnout in a 24/7 World

Have you ever “burned out”? Are you currently “burned out”? Burnout hurts. It hurts deeply. We feel so trapped. Trapped between the obligations we feel we must do (work/school/career, family, friends, etc.) and finding enough time for ME. For the things I love. The things that make ME, ME. Time to rest, to really rest. To rest my physical body, to rest my mind, to not have to make a decision (decision fatigue). Alone time. Time to recharge my batteries. Time to explore things I’m curious about. When we’re burned out, all of that seems like a distant oasis. We imagine what it might be like, we may even dream about it, but it’s always off in the distance, beyond one more mountain of obligations.

And then, slowly, it starts to become too much. We start to behave differently. Not like the person we want to be. We become short with, or even lash out at, family, friends, the clerk at the grocery store, co-workers. Slowly tearing away at the social fabric of our relationships.

We often think our place of employment (or school) is the main problem. We have a job we really love and are passionate about. Everything at work seems so important, nothing can NOT be done, postponed, put off. We feel it’s the kind of job that is making a real difference in the world. But it seems to take a little more of our time over the weeks/months/years. Like the dripping of rain wearing away a sidewalk. Where will this extra time come from? Our families? Maybe a little. Our friends? Yea, it’s becoming easier and easier to say no to them. Ourselves? That’s it! I’ll stop doing the things I love. I will stop reading, stop working out, stop journaling, stop meditating, stop taking the time to eat right, etc., etc.. What could go wrong?

The Mayo Clinic defines burnout as, “a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” Symptoms include physical and emotional exhaustion, becoming more cynical (we start to dislike the people around us), feeling useless, and, if we’re experiencing all the above, it should not be too surprising that we feel depressed.

Additional harms include;

• Physical harms

  • Feeling tired and drained most of the time

  • Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses

  • Frequent headaches and/or muscle pain

  • Change in appetite or sleep

• Emotional harms

  • Sense of failure and self-doubt

  • Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated

  • Detached, feeling alone in the world

  • Loss of motivation

  • Increasingly cynical and negative outlook

  • Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

• Social (relationship) harms Source

  • Taking out our frustrations on others

  • Getting easily annoyed by a partner or children

  • Losing interest in shared activities

  • Can result in lower libido

• Behavioral signs of burnout.

  • Withdrawing from responsibilities

  • Isolating ourselves from others

  • Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done

  • Using food, drugs, and/or alcohol to cope

  • Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.

There are two key areas of our lives we should assess that could be attributing to our burnout, our work and ourselves. Regardless of which area or areas may need attention, we are going to have to make some lifestyle changes, perhaps some big ones.

If burnout is happening at work, again, chances are you really love your job. While not necessarily a bad thing, we can love something in an unhealthy way. Unhealthy for everyone involved. If we’re burned out, we’re probably not doing a very good job. No one is winning in this scenario. Are there unrealistic expectations being placed on us at work? Or, are we taking on too much and need to learn to say “no”? Or a combination? Regardless, if we are feeling burned out, it’s time to meet with our supervisor and discuss. They may be able to provide resources and support (even if I’m the one who needs to learn to say no).

But we also need to take an honest look at ourselves. We have to ask ourselves - “am I taking care of myself away from work? Really taking care of myself?” I use the wellness wheel as a framework to think about the various parts of my life and look to see if they are in balance. The areas include Emotional, Social, Physical, Occupational, Intellectual, Financial, Environmental, and Spiritual. If one area is out of balance, the wheel doesn’t work properly.

I have a free personal wellness assessment if you’re interested. No obligation required.

Here are some things we can do to relieve the stress that comes with burnout based on how much time we have.

If you only have 5 minutes:

• Go for a walk

• Listen to a favorite song

• Short breathing exercise

• Journal about the best part of our day (start a gratitude journal)

If you only have 15 minutes:

• Go for a walk

• Take a power nap (these really work, but takes practice)

• Write a list of goals for the week (include self-care)

• Declutter our space

If you have 30 minutes:

• Go for a walk (can you tell I really like walking as an activity?)

• Take a warm (or cold) shower

• Call a friend

• Read a chapter from our favorite book

Burnout hurts. It hurts deeply. It hurts us physically, emotionally, and socially. I encourage you to take whatever steps you need to start moving toward a healthier and happier you.

Photo by Vlada Karpovich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stressed-woman-between-her-colleagues-7433871/