What is burn-out?
Burn-out happens when constant stress has you feeling completely exhausted. This can occur when for some time you have been feeling unable to meet constant demands of the outside world. Burnout reduces your energy and productivity and leaves you feeling depressed, powerless and desperate. When you are burned out it means that you feel empty, unmotivated and you don’t care about things anymore.
The difference between having too much stress and really being completely burned out is in the factor of caring. With a lot of stress you care too much and are over engaged which leads to a lot of anxiety. When you reach burn-out you reach a final point where you can do nothing but give up and feel hopeless about it.
What causes burn-out?
Certain personality traits can contribute to burn out, like the need to be in control or being a perfectionist always wanting to achieve. In most of the cases, burn-out is something job-related. For example when you are working in a demanding work environment having to meet important expectations, deadlines and targets. Not taking enough breaks during the day or not taking time for relaxation after work can help to create burn out symptoms. Taking on too many responsibilities and not getting enough sleep can be factors too.
What are the warning signs and symptoms of stress and burnout?
A bit of stress doesn’t have to be bad. But when stress becomes so much that you are feeling tired most of the time, experience headaches, muscle pain, stomach problems/ IBS, can’t sleep, have negative thoughts, lose your motivation for almost anything, and these symptoms get worse over time, you will eventually burn out and break down. When this happens you will be wanting to withdraw from responsibilities, actions and from social interactions.
How to deal with burn-out?
When you are burn out it is very important to take your situation seriously and do something about it as it’s not going to go away by itself. Stress can cause severe health problems. You need to slow down and take time to rest. You can do this by cutting back on all activities and responsibilities. You can do this by telling others about your situation and ask them for support. Your environment needs to know about your burn-out condition so that they can help you deal with it as not to overload you with stressful requests. Now reflect and think about your situation as something clearly is not working well here. What is important to you now? What can you do to make a positive change?
Therapy can help you deal with burn out.
Don’t wait, take a step and make a change. Contact me.
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External Links to read more about Burn out, Stress and Anxiety Symptoms:
Preventing Burnout: “The unhappiness and detachment that burnout causes can threaten your job, your relationships, and your health. But burnout can be healed. You can regain your balance by reassessing priorities, making time for yourself, and seeking support.” (source: Helpguide.org)
The importance of Stress-Management: Reducing stress in your everyday life is vital for maintaining your overall health, as it can improve your mood, boost immune function, promote longevity and allow you to be more productive. When you let your stress get the best of you, you put yourself at risk of developing a range of illnesses. (source: Mbg.com)
Do I suffer from Burnout?: Burnout and stress are pretty closely linked, but they arenot exactly the same. Find out what the signs of both ongoing stress and burnout look like and how to prevent reaching breaking point. (source: ReachOut.com)
Work-related Burnout: Occupational burnout or job burnout is characterized by exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm and motivation, feelings of ineffectiveness, and also may have the dimension of frustration or cynicism, and as a result reduced efficacy within the workplace. (source: Wikipedia)
