What is Burnout, What Does it Look Like, and What Does it Mean?
THE BURNOUT SERIES
PART 1: WHAT IS BURNOUT, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
By now you’ve probably heard of burnout. In our culture of wellness and self-care trends, we are often told that if we buy this new lotion, pay for a massage or a facial, or attend a retreat we can cure our burnout. And while that may be true, these quick fixes don’t often address the underlying causes of burnout and address the lifestyle changes that can help us reduce and prevent further burnout.
March at the New York City Psychotherapy Collective is all about recentering the lifelong work of building, maintaining, and growing our self-care practices. In honor of that attention and focus, we will be doing a 2 part burnout series here on the blog to examine one of the biggest challenges in our self-care and wellness journeys.
WHAT IS BURNOUT? AND WHAT CAUSES IT?
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged and/or repeated stress. Often burnout is connected to poor work conditions and boundaries, however it can also occur in a variety of areas of life including parenting, relationships, friendships, and caretaking. Burnout can lead to feeling checked out from your responsibilities and beginning to resent them. This feeling comes, in part, from the impact that extended stress has on our brain; it impacts our lateral habenula. This impact can contribute to feelings of pointlessness, resentment, and to feel “checked out” (to learn more about being checked out, look at this blog post).
While there are a number of causes of burnout, some important ones to pay attention to are:
A sense of lack of control in your work and responsibilities
When your work/activities feel in conflict with your sense of self
Goals are not aligned with your values and do not resonate with you personally
Overworking yourself and not taking restful and intentional breaks
WHAT DOES BURNOUT LOOK LIKE?
So now you know what burnout is and what causes it, how can you identify it? The primary symptoms of burnout are:
Exhaustion - mental, physical, and emotional
Cynicism, irritability, anger, & reduced compassion - you may be more prone to feeling these emotions when faced with a task or asked to help. If your job or your responsibility involves emotional support of others (parenting, caretaking, or working in a helping profession) you may notice that you are feeling less compassionate towards the people you are supporting
Sense of dread (especially when asked to do a task or beginning your work!)
Low efficacy - you may feel less effective and confident in your ability to conduct your responsibilities well and adequately meet expectations
BURNOUT VS. DEPRESSION
Often, burnout and depression can share symptoms. It is important to distinguish the difference between the two, as the approach to managing these symptoms are different based on what it is you’re struggling with. Burnout and depression can both impact daily life and functioning, sleep, memory, mood, interest in activities, pleasure in activities, and energy levels. However, the biggest distinction is that the symptoms related to burnout are typically temporary and can be reduced or disappear when you engage in self-care and wellness practices or take a break. Depression, on the other hand, doesn’t always have a cause. It can be triggered by a specific stressor, however it often continues long after the stressor is gone. If you believe that what you’re facing may be depression, then we recommend you reach out to us at the New York City Psychotherapy Collective for professional help here!
WHAT DO I DO?
Eliminate the stressors (ha, just kidding! If only it were that easy). Unless you are in an incredibly toxic environment that you can fully remove yourself from, managing burnout comes from lifestyle changes that enhance your ability to maintain boundaries and engage in intentional self-care. In part 2 of The Burnout Series, we will walk you through how to build self-care and wellness practices to reduce burnout and invest in you!
Follow the steps below to get started:
Click here to share some information about you so that we can match you with the perfect therapist for your needs.
Have a low-pressure, 20-minute call with your therapist to make sure they are the right fit.
Schedule your first session and start on your journey to feeling better right away.
We offer specialized services for related issues like Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and Therapy Specifically for Young Adults. We can help you feel less overwhelmed, more relaxed, and more like the self you want to be.