Beat Burnout

Written by Leslie Bosch, PhD on May 25, 2022. Posted in Leadership, Resiliency.

Are you feeling emotionally, physically, and mentally drained no matter what you do to recover? It’s possible that what you are experiencing is a condition known as burnout.

In this article, you will learn the basics of burnout. After that, I’ll share some ways you can avoid and bounce back from burnout. So, if you are ready to beat burnout once and for all, keep reading!

Wonder if you are burned out or just really stressed? Take the Burnout Inventory.

Download FREE “Beat Burnout” eBook and companion workbook!

Table of Contents

What Is Burnout?

According to Psychology Today, the condition of burnout is far more than simply being overworked. Rather, it is a result of working long hours combined with feelings of cynicism and depression. These negative feelings usually result when an individual is in a job where they feel they are out of control of the situation. Either that, or it places them in situations where they may be asked to complete tasks that go against their worldview.

People can also feel burned out due to working towards a goal that they don’t agree with. Or if they feel they lack support as they work towards a specific goal.

How Do You Know If You Are Burned Out?

If you drive or walk to work every day with a sense of dread, this is a sure sign of burnout. If you feel cynicism, anger, or irritability towards your job or others, this is another sign you may be becoming burned out. You will often notice you are burned out when feelings of depression, dissatisfaction, and cynicism don’t go away for an extended period. You may also begin to have other physical or mental health problems such as headaches, fatigue, heartburn, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Burnout vs. Stress

It’s important to differentiate between regular stress having to do with work and the state of being burned out. Stress is usually temporary and easily remedied. Burnout is a long-lasting condition that may need the help of a professional to treat.

Stress is usually short-lived or tied to a specific goal. And when that goal is accomplished, the stress usually goes away. On the other hand, burnout is an extended period of stress accompanied by emotional changes. Regular stress, on its own, is not harmful. Burnout is damaging to both the individual who feels the burnout and those involved in that individual’s life.

Overall, burnout is a very dangerous period of extended stress or dissatisfaction with your job or home life. And if left untreated, burnout can lead to a host of other problems in your life. This is why you should learn to recognize the early signs of burnout and make changes in your life before it’s too late. Beat burnout today!

5 Signs You Are Burning Out

Are you worried that you may be facing an imminent burnout in your life? You may be on your way to burnout and push the symptoms to the back of your mind or ignore them. Below are five signs that burnout may be coming soon if you don’t make some changes to your life.

1. You Are Chronically Exhausted

This goes far beyond just needing a nap or an extra hour of sleep. Chronic exhaustion means you are tired all the time, even after waking up from what felt like a great night of sleep. Chronic exhaustion may leave you feeling achy and other types of physical pain as well.

2. You Are Getting Sick More Frequently

When you are chronically stressed and exhausted, your immune system will suffer, and you may find that you are battling more colds than you used to. You may also notice that you frequently have other illness symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, and even heart palpitations.

3. Feeling Like You Have Checked Out

Do you hear people talking, but you can’t seem to find the energy to listen to them? A major sign of burnout is that you are just out of energy and can’t even bring yourself to care about a task that should be easy.

4. Feeling Inefficient

If you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough, and you will never get caught up, this is a sure sign of burnout. You feel inefficient because you are low on energy and are starting to lose your passion for trying. Because you can’t seem to complete anything, your confidence will plummet, and you’ll feel that there is simply no way you can ever be efficient again.

5. Always Being Cynical

Do things that used to make you happy now seem to make you angry? If you find yourself feeling oddly cynical and angry at the people around you, even if they haven’t done anything to upset you, this is a sign a burnout is surely on the horizon.

If you notice any of the above signs in your life, it’s time to get help as it’s likely you are headed for burnout. And once you get trapped in the cycle of burnout, it can be difficult to escape. So, don’t delay, and help yourself beat burnout today.

How Does Burnout Hold Us Back?

You may have recently discovered that you are suffering from a condition known as burnout in either your professional or your private life. And you may be wondering how burnout may affect you and your future. While not only making you feel terrible in the present, burnout can also interfere with your life to the point where it holds you back from moving past it.

Burnout Steals Your Creativity

One of the main ways burnout affects your life is it damages your ability to think creatively. Because you are exerting so much mental power elsewhere, you have none left for yourself to use. This means that once you realize you are affected by burnout, you may have difficulty thinking of a way to break out of it because it will damage your creativity. This may even further your feelings of burnout as you will have difficulty seeing a way past your current situation.

Burnout Keeps You From Your Goals

Besides damaging your creative thinking, burnout also steals from your energy and passion. And if you don’t have any energy or passion, it’s unlikely that you will be able to pursue your goals effectively. You may end up tossing aside a goal you were already working on (such as a fitness goal) because you don’t have the energy to work towards it anymore. And if you aren’t working towards a goal that makes you happy, this can further your feelings of hopelessness and depression, which are a major contributor to burnout.

Burnout Keeps You From Trying Something New

This one may seem a little weird because the whole point of burnout is long-lasting stress which won’t go away. Doing something new or different shouldn’t be easy. And in this way, burnout is self-perpetuating because once you are stuck in the cycle, you’re too tired, and well, burned out, to try anything new to break the cycle. This means your feelings of burnout will keep you in the same place, going around the same wheel—and still feeling horrible about it.

Overall, we should take feelings of burnout very seriously because the condition can hold you back for years to come. It does this by destroying your creativity, passion for your goals, and energy to try something new. Once you are in the cycle of burnout, it is difficult to escape, so it’s better to beat burnout and avoid it altogether.

How Can We Avoid Burnout?

Burnout is a serious condition caused by extreme long-term stress in either a person’s individual or professional life. Once you are stuck in the cycle of burnout, it can be difficult to escape, so it’s better to avoid it altogether.

Have Creative Outlets

Suppose you work in a job where you are told what to do and when. Your burnout might be partly caused by not using your creativity. To help keep this from happening, make sure you maintain some sort of creative outlet. This could be as simple as a DIY house project, experimenting in the kitchen, or even just journaling each day. Just make sure you let yourself be creative in some aspect to stop burnout in its tracks.

Take Care Of You

Sometimes when you are in a high-stress, tough job, it can be difficult to find time for yourself. But this time for yourself is necessary. A job is just a job. If you need a day to take care of yourself, take it. If you need a spa weekend retreat, go for it. Whatever you decide to do, remember your body is not a machine, and you need to take care of yourself before you can work to take care of others.

Find Support

Another way to help prevent burnout is by having a good support system in place. If you don’t feel you currently have one, go out and find one! This may be easier than you think, especially if you are looking for a creative outlet mentioned above. Look for clubs or organizations which participate in activities you desire and join one. Spending time with like-minded individuals will do wonders for your mental well-being, especially if you are doing a hobby you love at the same time! You can even hire a stress relief coach!

Identify What You Need From Work

If your burnout results from something you are not getting from your work to feel fulfilled, it’s time to figure out just what you need to stop the burnout. Once you realize this, bring it up to your boss or supervisor. They may have ideas to help make your job more meaningful for you. And even if they can’t, you now know what you need to look for in another job.

Burnout is a serious condition that can cause long-lasting mental and physical damage to your body. This is why you should do everything in your power to avoid burnout by staying creative, taking care of yourself, finding support, and, most importantly, identifying what you do need to beat burnout and keep it from happening.

Can You Bounce Back from Burnout?

If you have found yourself feeling burned out, you’re probably feeling pretty hopeless about your situation. But don’t worry, because as bad as the condition may feel, there are ways you can bounce back from it.

Yes, You Can!

One of the main aspects of burnout is the fact that it is a condition caused by outside influences and your own emotions and actions. Since you can control your own emotions and actions quite easily, this means you can do things that will help you bounce back from burnout. You have to know that you hold power over your life and the power to stop burnout from controlling you.

The Physical Symptoms

If you have a particularly bad case of burnout, you may be feeling some physical symptoms as well, such as fatigue, stomach upset, or you may be getting sick more frequently. The good news is, once you work on managing your stress levels, these physical symptoms should disappear, and you’ll be back to the way you were before burnout began to wreak havoc in your life.

You Just Have To Try

Although bouncing back from burnout may seem like a daunting task, if you break it down, you’ll find it isn’t too bad after all, especially because you will likely feel slightly better immediately. The first step of overcoming burnout is to step away from what is causing your burnout. So, if this is a job, or your home life, the minute you begin to take a break, you will likely feel refreshed and be able to face the problem in front of you in a new light—and it won’t seem as bad as it did before.

Start Today

Burnout is bad, and it won’t just go away on its own. Therefore, to bounce back from your burnout, you must start today. The longer you delay facing the condition of your burnout, the worse you will feel and the harder it may be to face your condition.

Although burnout is a dangerous condition, there are several ways you can beat turnout and bounce back from it. First, you have to acknowledge that the physical symptoms will go away as you heal. Then you have to work towards putting a stop to your burnout. This condition won’t go away on its own, so it’s best you start working to conquer your burnout right away.