Burnout - It Doesn't Have To Be Like This

cassandra james, dei manager

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“I wake up and immediately wish the day was over so I could go back to sleep”.  “"I get nightmares and experience night terrors. Things I enjoy doing, like running or reading, don’t bring me joy because I can’t turn my mind off” “I normally don’t get headaches, but I started needing painkillers every day. Bursting into tears when someone asked me to do even a small extra task.”

What do these statements have in common? They have all been said by someone suffering from burnout. I’m sure we’ve all heard the term burnout, or maybe even used it ourselves, but what exactly is burnout.  Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or repeated stress. It's often characterized by feelings of exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of reduced accomplishment. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s important to recognize how burnout can impact your mental health. Burnout can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, such as exhaustion and withdrawal. So, what does burnout look like, how can you spot it? 

What leads to burnout? How did we get here. There are many factors, and it’s not just work related. We are more connected to each other now than we have ever been.  The constant contact and communication can feel overwhelming. Being tethered to your phone with the endless alerts can have you on edge.  How do you manage then?  I have turned off my news alerts, because I found that I was always nervous when I saw a breaking news alert notification. I also utilize the Do Not Disturb function on my phone, this way I don’t feel the necessity to be there for everyone all the time.
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Stress is a part of life that we’ll all experience. The issue comes when that’s all you experience.  We are not meant to live in a state of perpetual fight or flight. That’s why it’s important to recognize the signs of burnout and have a plan of action when they start to manifest. I’ve told you what I do when I start to feel overwhelmed; how do you manage your burnout?