Do you suspect your job or other responsibilities might be taking a toll on you? Do you feel like you might be burned out—but also feel a little unsure of what burnout actually is? Are you convinced you are, in fact, burned out, but don’t have any idea what to do about it?
We are here to help. After all, warding off burnout is important for protecting your mental health over time. To determine whether you are experiencing burnout, take a few minutes to answer each of the following questions.
- Do you find yourself physically and emotionally exhausted all of the time—even after taking a little time off?
- Do you have trouble finding the motivation and energy you need to get your work done?
- Do you feel cynical at work rather than inspired?
- Do you feel disengaged from your job?
- Have you found yourself feeling more irritable and prone to frustration, anger, or impatience than you normally do?
- Is it difficult to concentrate for an extended period of time?
- Has your productivity decreased?
- Have you lost any sense of enjoyment or achievement at work?
- Are you experiencing more frequent headaches, stomach issues, or getting ill more often due to a compromised immune system?
- Have your sleeping or eating patterns changed? Are you sleeping too little or too much? Are you eating too little or too much?
- Does it seem as though there is simply no way to ease or lessen the stress you feel or to truly relax?
- Do you feel trapped, anxious, detached, disconnected, or numb?
If you answered “yes” to a lot of those questions—or even to all of those questions—the odds are good that you are experiencing at least some degree of burnout. That is bad news for your mental wellbeing, so it is a good idea to take corrective action sooner rather than later.
You need a plan to deal with burnout. Fortunately, we can help with that.
Here is a Five-Step Plan to Help Extinguish Burnout
Symptoms of burnout do not develop overnight—and you cannot expect them to disappear overnight. But you can take steps toward a better relationship with your work and other responsibilities that can, over time, lessen the fiery grip of burnout. Here is how to get started.
- Step 1: Identify the Causes of Your Burnout. Figure out why you are experiencing burnout. Is your workload too heavy? Do you have difficult relationships with co-workers or supervisors? Is it hard to meet expectations—or to know just what the expectations are? Having a sense of the source of your burnout can help you take corrective action. For example, if you and a coworker always seem to be at odds, perhaps you can find a way forward that brings you more into alignment with one another.
- Step 2: Prioritize Self-Care. Never underestimate the importance of sleeping restfully, eating healthily, exercising regularly, and engaging in hobbies or other activities that you truly enjoy. Also, learn to value setting boundaries. A boundary does not mean you don’t want to work hard or contribute. It just means that you understand the necessity of maintaining your well-being.
- Step 3: Seek Steady Support. Your support system might include family members or close friends. Or it might include your therapist or a support group. No matter who you turn to for support, talking about difficulties you are experiencing and considering potential solutions can be powerful tools in the battle against burnout.
- Step 4: Reevaluate Your Work-Life Balance. The idea of work-life balance can be a little misleading. After all, work is a big part of your life. Still, the idea of work-life balance can help you make good choices that can reduce feelings of burnout. When thinking about how to make work meaningful again, lots of options are on the table. You could learn new skills through professional development. You could ask to take a leave of absence. You can commit to leaving on time and not working over the weekend. The key is to find changes that work for you—and for your employer. And if your employer simply won’t be flexible, it is okay to explore other employment opportunities, too.
- Step 5: Implement Stress Management Techniques. Stress management simply could not be more important. Add a couple of quick walks to your day. Don’t eat at your desk (but do take a lunch break). Practice mindfulness. Find small ways to add joy to your workday. Reducing stress boosts your mental health and prevents burnout.
Reviewing and pursuing these steps anytime burnout starts to flare up can help you keep your cool and lessen—or even prevent—the symptoms listed in the early part of this entry.
Our Commitment to Care Keeps Us from Burning Out
At Peak View Behavioral Health—located in Colorado Springs, Colorado—we are committed to providing personalized mental health treatment to every person we serve. We listen carefully because we know no two people have identical stories, and we build an evidence-based approach to treatment from what we hear. We dedicate ourselves to helping individuals find renewed balance so that they can embrace hope as they move forward in life. If that sounds good to you, we are always here to help.
