Feeling exhausted? Feeling like every day is hard? Finding it hard to care about anything? You may be experiencing burnout, and it's got nothing to do with spinning a car's wheels.
Burnout is a bit of a buzzword, but what is it and what can you do about it? Let's dive into understanding and managing this buzzkill of a feeling.
Alrighty, let's dive into what burnout is
Burnout is when you feel emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted after being continually exposed to stressful situations with no reprieve. Common stressors that contribute to burnout include working long hours, high-pressure environments, demanding study commitments, caring for other people, and generally having too much on our plate.
Some personal traits can also leave us vulnerable to developing burnout including perfectionistic tendencies, a pessimistic worldview, wanting to be in control, and difficulty setting boundaries.
The signs of burnout differ from person to person but generally involve things like:
Feeling exhausted.
Finding it hard to concentrate or do basic tasks.
Feeling like you've had the life sucked out of you.
Losing motivation and/or passion, even for things that you love.
Being easily irritated at anything or anyone.
Negative thinking and a glass half-empty outlook.
Having trouble bouncing back from illness due to the impact that prolonged stress has on our immune system.
Yikes, okay, burnout sounds awful. So, how can I avoid it?
Yeah burnout sucks, but thankfully there are ways to avoid going down this slippery slope. It's about recognising when you're under a lot of stress so you can make healthy changes, and it's also about looking after yourself to reduce the chance of burnout rearing its ugly head:
Keep physically healthy. By getting plenty of good sleep, eating healthy, and staying active with exercise, you're taking care of your physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Take breaks and regular time out from work, study and family commitments.
Practice saying no and setting healthy boundaries with other people and with your time.
Remember to treat yourself and make time for the things that energise you!
Focus your energy on the things that you can control or influence, and let go of the things outside of your control.
Reevaluate your priorities and consider what changes you may need to make so that you're not stretched so thin.
Identify your early warning signs that stress is taking a toll, so that you can make some healthy changes as soon as possible.
Ask for help. There's absolutely no shame in leaning on your family and friends for support when times are tough.
If you have any questions or need extra support, we're here to help you anytime in any language. Simply start a chat with us via the home screen of the Sonder app.
Information sourced from: ReachOut, Healthline, and HelpGuide.
Image credit: Captain America: Civil War
All content is created and published for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional.