Burnout
If you are feeling really exhausted all the time and that second or third coffee doesn't seem to have much effect, you could be experiencing the effects of extreme fatigue or burnout. Today we will have a look into burnout, what it is, why so many of us seem to be experiencing it and what we can do about it.
What is burnout
Burnout is described as a “state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion”. If we look at all the pillars that make up our wellbeing, this shows us that burnout is where most of the entirety is exhausted and depleted. According to a survey in 2022 of workers in New Zealand, 53% are feeling burnout or extreme fatigue from work. This is quite a serious statistic which can’t be ignored.
Burnout can be caused from a prolonged exposure to severe stress during which the nervous system remains in a state of heightened vigilance or “fight or flight” response. This creates a build up of hormones and chemicals in the body that can affect our sleep, diet, emotions, increase inflammation and affect our immune system making us more susceptible to illness and disease. Burnout can easily result in a bunch of pretty nasty health issues.
Who is susceptible to burnout?
Burnout has been recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an “occupational phenomenon”. Honestly, anyone at any stage of life and work is susceptible to burnout. Students, teachers, new parents, caregivers, business owners and workers. Burnout does not only affect frontline workers in the emergency services and certain high pressure professions. It is common across a number of professions, age groups and genders. From the business owner that is trying to recover from the effect of the pandemic on their business to the daughter who is the primary caregiver to her ailing parents and even the young bright, rising star starting his new career and wants to prove himself. Anyone who has more demand on their time than time to perform than time to rest and recover.
There are numerous risk factors that could lead to experiencing fatigue or burnout. Long work hours, including working on weekends which deprives you of the crucial time you need to rest and recover physically and mentally from work and the week. Part of this could be caused from an excessive workload, being understaffed or having unreasonable expectations from employers with regards to productivity and delivery. Some industries thrive on pushing their teams beyond reasonable workload and work hours in order to please clients and deliver on unnecessarily tight deadlines. Ruth (not actual name) worked all but 3 weekends in the second half of last year with no extra time off and no overtime pay. Needless to say, she struggled with burnout and exhaustion, but because the culture of the company demanded this of her, she felt she had no choice but to push forward, and deliver the projects in spite of the mental and physical cost to her well being and overall health.
Job insecurity could also be a driving factor, many companies have made the decision to make portions of their workforces redundant on the back of the pandemic - not being secure whether you will have a job in the future can be a cause for anxiety and the feeling that you need to “prove yourself’ by being needed and not expendable. Which feeds into a cycle of pushing harder and working later trying to prove one's value to the business.
There are countless scenarios where this situation can affect people and generally, once you are on the road to burnout, you might not even know it until it is too late. Or until you experience severe pain, changes in behaviour, poor health and worst case scenario - complete exhaustion and possibly collapse. The good news is that burnout is preventable and in this article, I hope to shed some light on some early warning signs, and suggestions if you find yourself on the road to burnout.
Causes
There are different types of burnout which are caused from different circumstances and might manifest slightly differently with different symptoms. This means that how burnout is addressed would look different
While I have listed some examples above of work related causes, there could be a combination of sources of stress and causes in your life which could push you towards burnout. If you have too many responsibilities at work and outside of work. Little or no support network of friends or family. Existing health issues or trouble sleeping. Perhaps you are prone to being a people pleaser, or in control or seeking acknowledgement and recognition - combine a few of these sources and those are factors which will contribute towards burnout.
Fortunately, if we can learn to identify causes that can lead to burnout in our lives and notice symptoms in ourselves, our loved ones or colleagues, we can take steps for intervention.
Signs and symptoms:
Here is a list of sign and symptoms, which is by no means an exhaustive list of possible symptoms:
Dread waking up in the morning
Drag yourself to work or getting started with your work day
Irritable, impatient or short with co-workers, clients, friends, families and even strangers
No energy to do activities or hobbies you once enjoyed
Difficulty concentrating
Back pain
Breathing difficulties
digestive problems
Trouble sleeping
Sexual problems
Lack of appetite
If you identify any of these in yourself or resonate to any of these signs and symptoms or know someone who does, it’s best to seek assistance as soon as possible. There can be many reasons why we would ignore the signs of burnout such as feeling like we don’t have a choice, we don’t know who we can ask for help. We will be judged, belittled or ridiculed. If you have been experiencing burnout or fatigue for some time and you feel this is “normal, perhaps it is time to explore getting some help to reevaluate whatever is causing this situation in your life.
Some of the thoughts we might have that stand in the way of seeking the help and support we need:
“I’m lucky to even have a job right now. I don't want to seem ungrateful.”
“Other people have it worse than me, I should just get on with it.”
“ When this project/deadline is over, then I will have more time to relax/take care of myself.”
“[Person’s name] needs me, without me they won’t cope so I have to keep going.”
“I don’t care, I’m too tired to care. This is my life. I don’t deserve any better.”
“I need this job, I need the money, I can’t do less.”
“Everyone depends on me, I have to appear strong and in control. If I don’t do everything, nothing will get done.”
You realise you need help, what to do next
Going back to Ruth, after a huge internal debate which lasted months, she finally resigned. It was not an easy decision for her for many reasons, one of which is she feels an overbearing responsibility to her team and even though her employers disregarded not only her wellbeing but that of all team members, she felt it was her duty to be the one who looked after rhythm even when she was juggling insane hours and pressure. Deciding to walk away from a culture of overwork, disrespect and disregard for personal wellbeing seems like it should be easy from the outside but when you are in the situation, it’s not always so clear cut. Ruth has a long road ahead of healing her health and to explore options that will not put her in the same situation again. She knows it’s a process and hopefully, next time, she will find her way to a position at a company that values health and wellbeing more than the bottom line and committing to impossible deadlines.
Recognising that you need help or a change is the first step. As much as we like to think we can achieve, overcome and accomplish anything alone - we can’t. Especially in the scenario of a condition like burnout.
Find ways to turn this around by
Speak to someone at work, either your team lead, manager or someone who can help. Most companies offer some sort of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) so find out about yours. Being honest about your physical or mental health suffering is not a bad thing. It doesn't mean you are weak or unproductive.
Learn to say no to taking on additional tasks, or responsibilities both at work and at home.
Take regular breaks during the day
Reclaim your lunch hour, evenings and weekends. Those are yours.
Delegate - give someone else a chance to help you.
Delete tasks and to do items you don’t have to do.
Reach out to friends and family for help
Prioritise your health and wellbeing by taking an assessment of your life and how you address things like nutrition, sleep, exercise, rest and play. Having a balance between all these is what makes for a balanced life.
Speak to your GP
If need be, engage the services of a coach, changing your mindset is a great way to learn how to heal and not lsip back into the same old ways of doing things
Listen to inspirational relevant podcasts.
Do less - learn to relax again
Take a break - get out of your comfort zone and home and go somewhere new.
Get into nature, often. A walk in a park, on the beach or in nature is a great reset for your mind.
If you experience anxiety, depression or any other mental health related concerns seek out your local support services.
Regain balance
Recovery from burnout will be a slow process. Physically, any health issues you have accumulated will likely take a while to settle. If you have been on this road to burnout for some time, then grant yourself at least that same amount of time, if not more to heal and recover. Be patient, be curious and most of all be kind to yourself. Set yourself up with boundaries that will determine what you will and won’t agree to. What you will and won’t take on. The behaviour and thought processes that got you into this situation are likely deeply entrenched into your personality so don’t be hard on yourself if the road to recovery is not a straight line, No journey ever is. Build yourself a toolkit and support system that you can rely on when you need it. Develop practices and hobbies that don’t deplete your time and energy but build your resilience and joy. This is your journey, your life. Start today with one small change and grow from that.
This article is in no way meant to diagnose to treat signs and symptoms of burnout or any other mental health disorder. If you feel that you or someone you know, may be experiencing any issues listed here, seek support and help from a medical professional as soon as possible.
