How Did I Get Here?
Let me explain…I work a very high stress professional job, I mother three kids, then run my own business, and my husband travels a lot for work. I was so run down. Every swimming lesson and softball game was my responsibility. Everyday tasks like cleaning my home felt intolerable and impossible. Everything at work was blowing up, and I was losing sleep trying to keep up in my business after my kids went to sleep.
That sounds like a recipe for disaster doesn’t it? I should know better. My day job is mental health after all, and I was killing my own. The day was coming when I would crash and burn. How could I balance all the things I love without losing my mind?
Addressing Burnout
This is a classic case of burnout, and once you are there it isn’t easy to come back. Burnout is a word used to describe physical and emotional exhaustion. It can occur because of a particular circumstance such as stress at work, or there can be a variety of contributors as was true in my situation. Getting to burnout takes time and recovering from it does too. If you are trying to accomplish too much and not allowing yourself to relax or enjoy the little things slowly the exhaustion starts to build. After a while symptoms of burnout start to show their ugly face.
Some of the symptoms of burnout can include:
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- Insomnia
- Lowered immune function
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Unexplained physical symptoms
The Root Cause
The first step to addressing your burnout is recognizing its cause. It is very common for burnout to be discussed in terms of occupation or a job you have grown to hate. However, it can be more complicated than that, and can also occur in a variety of other situations. Take a good hard look at what is causing you stress. An easy place to start is figuring out what situations seem to bring on symptoms.
If you are having trouble identifying what is causing burnout try keeping a journal to identify trends. Once you have identified the cause(s) you can start working towards healing.
How To Recover From Burnout
The very first thing to do is realize you didn’t get in burnout mode in one day, so recovery will likely be a gradual process too. Having patience with yourself is an important aspect of your healing process.
Set Limits
Reduce the urge to take on new responsibilities. Sometimes saying no is the right thing to do. Taking on even more obligations is not going to help you recover from burnout.
Reduce Your Responsibilities and Work Load
For some people this might entail quitting a job they hate or reducing work hours. In other cases, it may reducing social commitments. Take a look at your schedule and determine what you can eliminate to allow yourself time and space.
Ask For Help
There is no shame in asking for support, seeing a therapist, or soliciting family members and friends to help you during your recovery process. Needing help is not a sign of failure, it is a sign of strength and bravery for seeking it when you need it most.
Increase Self-care Activities
What makes you feel rejuvenated and reduces your stress? Carving out time to take care of yourself is no different that taking time for personal hygiene or paying your bills. It is part of a well rounded lifestyle. You might think of self-care as a bit cliche. A bubble bath can’t possibly solve the world’s problems right? Well, self-care is a lot more than a bubble bath and looks different for everyone. For me, it is spending time on the water. It melts my stress away. Identify what works for you and do more of it!
Practice Positive Thinking
Practicing gratitude and positive thinking can help when times are tough. Remembering what is going well can help you readjust your outlook and provide a boost of hope when you are down on your luck and feeling like your world is falling apart.
Reassess Your Personal Goals and Priorities
If you are doing things that are causing burnout and they aren’t in alignment with your personal goals, values, or priorities eliminate what you can! Perhaps this means a change in career, hiring someone to help with kid’s activities, or taking a vacation you’ve been longing for.
In Summary
You must address your burnout. In order to do this, you need to identify the cause and take action to address it. Healing from burnout takes time because you arrived at burnout following long-term stress. Be patient with yourself as you heal from burnout and experiment with different coping skills and actions that will lead to recovery.
Personally, I am still in the midst of recovering from burnout. Looking back I find it crazy that it took as long as it did to get burnt out in the first place! I feel very blessed to have created the time and space to recover and heal. I hope that if you are currently burnt out that you are able to find the cause and take action to get on the road to recovery.
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