Self Care for Burnout — is it Enough?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress that affects one’s work and home life. It can occur in any type of workplace or even in personal life, such as in the case of parents or homemakers. It affects many people at some point in their lives, especially professionals in high-stress jobs -lawyers, surgeons and the parents of toddlers for example- and is now considered an occupational phenomenon by the International Classification of Diseases.
Self-care is often touted as the best solution for burnout, but is it enough? While self-care is an important part of preventing and overcoming burnout, it’s not always sufficient. Burnout is a shared responsibility of both the individual and the organization or group the individual is operating in. Caregivers are especially susceptible, commonly experiencing it as feelings of hopelessness, detachment, and loss of patience. This can have serious consequences for both individuals, families and organizations, and prevention and treatment should involve a coordinated effort between affected parties.
Recognize the Signs
Burnout is a state of chronic stress and emotional exhaustion that can occur when the demands of a job or caregiving role exceed a person’s ability to cope. This state of emotional exhaustion impacts every aspect of life, and It’s crucial to identify stressors and burnout symptoms early to avoid severe consequences. Often, people get easily frustrated, experience misplaced anger, and either struggle to make decisions or stop caring about them entirely. From the outside, this can appear as being overly or unusually critical or cynical, a lack of energy or motivation, and an increased anger response.
Early physical signs of burnout may include headaches, fatigue and irritability, sleep problems, back and body pain, and forgetfulness, while later stages can lead to more series consequences like cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and depression. It’s important to address this early, and practicing self-care may not be enough to address the root cause of the problem.
Self-Care is Not the Solution for Burnout
Burnout is caused by excessive stress and overwhelming demands, which cannot always be addressed by self-care alone. It is essential to acknowledge that self-care can only do so much, and external factors such as workload and social culture also play a significant role in both causing and preventing burnout.
Be wary of any remedies or suggestions that downplay the seriousness of burnout. While things journaling and meditation may improve your emotional health, full recovery from burnout often requires intentional healing that includes both therapy and lifestyle/situational changes. Emphasizing self-care as the solution to burnout implies that the issue is solely the individual’s responsibility to manage. The factors that contribute to burnout in a workplace are often a joint responsibility of both the employee and employer.
In situations like a family or caregiving setting, it can be much harder to hold others accountable for their part in the issue, but it’s possibly even more necessary for the long term emotional health of you and your family.
… But you probably still need it.
While self-care may not be the solution to burnout, there is still immense value in engaging in self-care practices. Self-care is a must for mental and physical health, not because it increases what you can do for others.
Burnout does not indicate a lack of character or work ethic, rather, it is a normal human response to a stressful and demanding situation. Instead of punishing yourself for not feeling good, ask yourself what can help you feel better in this moment. While self-care activities like yoga, massage, gratitude journaling or addressing underlying mental health issues may not be enough to fully combat burnout on its own, self-compassion and care during times of stress or burnout are vital.
Take Back Control
To take control of the situation, you must shift your focus from self-blame to problem-solving. Acknowledging that you’re experiencing burnout doesn’t make you a bad professional, parent or human being. You can’t control others’ actions, but you can control how you respond to them by setting healthy boundaries.
You may be feeling helpless, cynical, and like self-care won’t make a difference right now, but taking action is crucial in preventing it from worsening.
Remember that this is a problem to be solved, and it’s not all on you to solve it (even if it may feel that way.) Seek support from loved ones or a mental health professional if needed. Taking proactive steps to prevent burnout, such as setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care, can also help alleviate its effects. By acknowledging your feelings and taking action, you can regain control of your wellbeing and prevent burnout from taking over.
This means identifying the source of your burnout so that you can create strategies to address it.
When analyzing your burnout, it’s important to avoid getting angry or pointing fingers. Instead, simply notice the times that you feel the worst, what’s happening, and who’s around you. It’s important to recognize that you can only control your own actions, not anyone else’s.
While self-care may help to bandage the issue in the short term, it’s important to avoid ignoring the problem altogether. Once you have a handle on the problem, you’re in an infinitely better place to address it. By finding the source of your burnout, you can create strategies to reduce the workload, increase support, or establish more work-life balance.
What are your options?
One of the most important things to remember is that you can only control your own actions. What you can do is create boundaries for yourself and pre-determine how you will react if a specific behavior or situation arises. This might mean seeking resources in your community for help, such as outsourcing tasks or delegating responsibilities, or simply learning when it’s appropriate to say no.
Start by examining your options and determining the source of the problem. Is it a person or group demanding too much? Your own ego not letting you delegate? Consider whether it may be a system that creates unnecessary work or conflict.
Additionally, if situational factors are contributing to your burnout, you may want to consider advocating for structural changes to address those issues. Remember, self-care is important, but it is not always enough.
Whether you choose to address the issue on an individual level or structurally, know that you have options. Whatever course of action you choose to pursue, try to stay calm and avoid pointing fingers. Remember, you’re addressing a problem, not casting blame.
Recovering Takes Time — Let Yourself Heal and Recharge
Recovering from burnout requires patience and time. Despite being in the process of change, continue with self-care routines, be kind to yourself and understand that it’s okay to slow down. It is essential to dedicate enough time and attention to rest and relaxation. Letting go of high expectations goes a long way in healing as well.
Prioritizing your own needs, including physical and mental well-being goes beyond the usual stress relief techniques. One should indulge in restful sleep, physical activity, and mindfulness practices. Engage in activities that make you happy and relaxed. It may mean stepping away from work, technology, or anything that does not serve you positively. Carve out some free time for yourself, even if it means being ruthless with your schedule. With some patience, self-awareness, and self-care, you can overcome burnout and emerge healthier and happier.
Therapy and Health Care Support
We’ll say it again: Recovering from burnout takes time, and it’s important to let yourself heal. While self-care practices like exercise, meditation, and taking breaks can help, seeking therapy, health care and professional support can be essential to managing burnout-related disorders.
Even if you’re not in the worst place you’ve ever been, seeing a therapist can help you identify causes and fix things. They can be the person to help make a plan, or just support you as you figure it out yourself. Get checked out by your doctor, and make sure that there are no long term health concerns impacting your wellbeing. Consider seeing a massage therapist to relieve any physical pain.
Remember, it doesn’t need to be a life or death problem to seek professional help. Taking care of your mental health is essential to preventing burnout and maintaining a healthy, fulfilling life.
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