Fear of a Burnout
Life is Hard
Life in contemporary society can feel so incredibly overwhelming at times. More and more we are pulled in multiple different directions. People, tasks and responsibilities demand much of our time and energy. This can feel like a constant strain and drain on our resources and leave us feeling depleted and strung out. Between work, family, friends, and trying to find some time to relax, it can feel like there is “never enough” of us to go around. This profound feeling of being spread so thin can lead to burnout which causes the already daunting proposition of living to become even trickier. We may become fearful that we are on the cusp of “losing it” and hitting a period of “burnout” that it can be challenging to bounce back from. It can be helpful to keep an eye out for some indicators that we might be experiencing burnout.
Signs of Burnout
When we experience burnout we may see signs that present as psychological and/or physiological symptoms. We may notice ourselves holding more negative attitudes; perhaps, it becomes harder to see potential benefits or positives in our day to day life and we struggle to prevent anxiety spirals into worst case scenario lines of thought. We may find ourselves feeling sharper, more irritable. Perhaps a once seemingly inconsequential event like your Jewels almond milk coupon not working leads to a “crash out” and the next thing you know you’re having a blown-out argument over a 50 cents! We could also find ourselves feeling foggy, struggling to complete simple tasks or maintain clear lines of thoughts. We could potentially be disengaged finding it hard to invest in things we once cared about.
The signs might be something we feel in our bodies. We might notice feeling tired all the time, no matter how much sleep or “recharge” periods we get. We might be getting sick an unusual amount I don’t think I noticed anyone sneeze in my face on the train? Perhaps our bodies have a tightness or pain that we just can’t seem to shake. Maybe our body is craving less healthy ways of coping. We could have an increased desire for unhealthy food how many times have I doordashed this week? Or perhaps we’re drinking more it’s thirsty Thursday somewhere right?
We may also notice some signs in our relationships, a desire to pull away from friends and family and isolate ourselves. Maybe we are getting feedback at work about a decline in performance. This is made all the more complicated by an increase in procrastination, finding it so challenging to simply try and get things done. When we notice some (or all!) of these signs, it is important to, despite the potential pull to procrastinate, try and take some steps to help ourselves out.
What can we do?
1. Switch up your routine! Find a new activity to engage in. Take a different way home. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Part of burnout is feeling locked into a seemingly never-ending cycle, so introducing some novel activities can help shake things up.
2. Put it on the shelf. Is there a part of your life that you are noticing is especially draining? Maybe it’s a sticky project at work, a tedious home improvement task, or a friend that takes up a lot of your energy I honestly cannot hear Patrice talk about the drama on her softball team for one more second!! Is there some drain in your life that you could hit pause on for a little while?
3. Self care. Activities that can help us “get back in to our bodies” can be highly effective ways of dealing with burnout. Meditation in the morning can help us recenter ourselves and get in touch with our thoughts. A nice long walk or vigorous weight lifting session can help us reconnect with our bodies. An infusion of fruits and veggies into our diet could help clear up a little of the brain fog.
4. Talk therapy. Therapy can be an excellent way of navigating burnout. We can navigate the complicated and overwhelming feelings and experiences in a space that allows us to parse out what may be contributing to the burnout. Often, it’s not just one thing but A LOT of things going on in our lives that contribute to the burnout, and exploring these parts of our lives with a therapist can be an incredibly helpful way to find a way out of the burnout cycle.