For many of us, the past 14 months have been legitimately some of the hardest. We have had to adapt and pivot in every area of our lives on a continual basis. So, when you hear about the vast numbers of people experiencing burnout in their careers not to mention their personal lives, it isn’t all that surprising. Working from home, dealing with grief and fear, going back to work in person, managing staff during a continually evolving pandemic, monitoring children’s education from home, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera is a whole boatload of tinder for burnout. Here are some ways to help you determine if you are in fact headed towards combustion, and how to fight it before you go up in flames.
What is it?
Burnout is essentially exposure to high stress situations that lead to physical, mental and even emotional exhaustion. This year has certainly provided the “high stress” conditions. In these conditions, we not only experience fatigue, but it goes beyond that to where our gas tanks are completely empty, and we have no reserves to handle additional stressors that continue to come our way. Here are some of the signs that you might be headed towards or currently experiencing burnout:
Increased irritability
Lack of motivation
Lack of focus
Getting sick often
Increased use of substances
Isolation from others
Things you typically love have lost their luster
Forgetfulness
Decreased quality of work
Lost sight of goals
Unable to or a lack of desire to make plans for the future
Stages of Burnout
Many healthcare professionals agree that there are stages that people go through in this downward spiral to burnout. By knowing and recognizing them, individuals can stop the process and take back control of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Turning into a workaholic > Ironically, one of the key stages is excessive workaholism. Many think that if they just work harder, they will eliminate these feelings of burnout.
Neglecting self care > Maybe you have lost your motivation to do the things you love to do, or you have noticed that you no longer care to look your best, to exercise, to eat healthy, to shower.
Inability to handle conflict > If you find yourself running as far and fast as possible from conflict, this may indicate you are experiencing burnout.
Disengagement > This may come in the form of isolation, a lack of ability to care about projects, your business, even your relationships.
Emptiness > Maybe you just feel a complete void or feel you have absolutely nothing left to give... this is a major sign that you are in full-fledged burnout.
Exhaustion > If you are experiencing mental and physical exhaustion and feel you are about to crash, you are plain and simply, BURNT OUT.
Solutions
Now that we have dispensed with the bad news, there is some good news. You can survive burnout, and like a phoenix, rise from the ashes better and more beautiful and motivated than ever.
See a professional
Seeking professional help goes against the grain for many because it has been ingrained to handle our problems ourselves, and frankly, we have told ourselves that we are wusses if we can’t handle things ourselves. But, that is pretty much a bullshit mentality. We wouldn’t try to fix problems with our kidneys or our hearts by ourselves, so we shouldn’t seek to fix our brain health ourselves either. If you see that you are headed towards burnout, see a therapist. They can help you get to the root cause of the burnout and empower you to change the trajectory of your life.
Prioritize
Take a very close look at your list of to do’s. Find items on that list to simply eliminate. Sometimes we think we have to do something, but in reality, it might not make a difference whether we do or not. Ask yourself what is actually going to happen if you don’t do it. Divide your To Dos into several categories Need to Do, Have to Do, Want to Do… what can you give away to someone else (see “delegate” below), or just… not do at all.
Sleep
Get lots and lots of sleep when you are able. Of course, when you are feeling burnout, you may not be able to sleep well at night, so carve out time when you can catch some ZZZZ’s. If you are able to take naps, then do it. If you can sleep in on the weekends, don’t schedule anything so that you can.
See your best friend
There is the old adage that a problem shared is a problem halved. Call a friend and get together for a good old-fashioned hang out! And if you can do it in person, DO IT.
Delegate
This is where you can get your power back! It is an important step for getting high on life, rather than it burning up. Give some of your responsibilities away to others. For example, marketing your business is essential for its maintenance and growth, so one way to eliminate burnout, is to give Anneomaly Digital the opportunity to plan and handle your business’s marketing efforts. We have a team that can handle your social accounts, update and write your content, deliver data on its effectiveness, and get you results.
Times of uncertainty can really throw humans into a tailspin. The past year plus has been full of uncertainty, so it stands to reason that many of us are burnt out. (Heck, people who aren’t burnt out are the weird ones). So, give yourself some love that you have made it this far, and continue to make yourself a priority so you can rise from the ashes!