Staying Happy and Healthy: How to Deal with Burnout
If you’re feeling mentally and physically exhausted, overwhelmed by the prospect of work or working, and cynical about your role as an employee or student, you may be experiencing burnout.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is an occupational phenomenon that occurs due to chronic work-related stress, and is characterized by 3 main dimensions: intense exhaustion, cynicism or mental distance from you work, and a decreased ability to perform.
Burnout is more than just generalized stress or exhaustion; instead, it is characterized by an extended period of stress that feels unsolvable, and often causes internalized feelings of apathy (“it doesn’t matter if this isn’t my best work, I just need to do the bare minimum”), hopelessness (“what’s the point in even trying to do my work properly?”), and guilt (“why can’t I just push through and get this done?”). Over time, these feelings can lead to reduced sense of accomplishment and even the loss of personal identity.
Causes of Burnout
- Burnout is primarily caused by workplace or school system factors that disempower the employee or student. Some common causes of burnout include:
- Extreme time pressures: having to perform tasks or assignments in a short period of time increases the likelihood of burnout
- Increased work load: taking on too much work or being assigned many tasks at the same time causes feelings of hopelessness
- Lack of agency or control: having little to no decision-making power about deadlines, workload, and resources all contribute to feelings of helplessness
- Lack of clarity in role: being unsure about what is expected of you and your work causes feelings of discomfort and exhaustion
- Lack of social support: feeling unsupported in both your work or academic life as well as your personal life can accelerate the symptoms of burnout
Symptoms of Burnout
Symptoms of burnout can be physical or emotional, and it’s important to pay attention to any changes in your mental, emotional, or physical health. Physical symptoms can include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue or low energy
- Stomach aches and other gastrointestinal problems
- Insomnia
- Use of food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better
Emotional or mental symptoms can include:
- Depression
- Irritability/impatience
- Lack of concentration
- Apathy/lack of care
- Exhaustion
- Sadness or anger
Make sure to pay attention to your emotions and moods throughout your day or week; if you are experiencing a combination of the above symptoms, you may be experiencing burnout.
How to Deal with Burnout
To help treat burnout, it’s helpful to make meaningful changes to your work, school, or social environment to optimize stress relief and self-care. Some ways to alleviate job or school-related burnout are:
- Talking to a supervisor or human resource department about creating a healthy workplace environment
- Talking to a supervisor about their expectations for you or possible compromises to your workload or schedule
- Contacting your company or school’s employee assistance program to see what services the offer
- Taking regularly scheduled breaks from work; taking time to recuperate from work helps to deal with exhaustion and calm down your brain
- Create smaller goals to assess what you must get done immediately and what can be pushed until later
Helpful self-care habits include:
- Having a nutritious diet
- Exercising
- Creating a healthy sleeping schedule
- Engaging in meditation or mindfulness throughout the day
- Seeking support from co-workers, friends, and family
Regardless of your occupation or field of study, it’s important to be aware of your stress levels and establish healthy life habits and work boundaries to combat burnout.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/08/974787023/burnout-isnt-just-exhaustion-heres-how-to-deal-with-it
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout
https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-burnout-symptoms-and-causes-3144516
