2024 feels like it is flying by and has been very fast paced. The usual slowness of winter has not seemed to find its way into my life this year, and so I found myself giving in to the quickened pace only to realize it is not serving me well. I am burned out.
When we are feeling burned out we struggle with creativity, play, connection, and joy. Our body goes into a fight, flight, freeze, or collapse mode. We might notice more anger and wanting to fight others (literally or figuratively), we might feel like we want to escape and run away, we might feel frozen and paralyzed in our daily lives or with decision-making, or we might feel like all we want to do is simply stay in bed or sit on the couch and never move.
These are some more signs of burnout:
Feeling more tired or exhausted
Feeling overwhelmed more often
Noticing more irritability
Having less patience
Feeling more tearful or overall more emotional
Experiencing a change in sleep pattern - difficulty falling or staying asleep, or oversleeping
Decrease in motivation
Isolating from others, including not responding to texts, phone calls, emails, and other sources of communication
Increase in numbing behaviors - things like scrolling through social media, watching TV, substance use
Change in eating behaviors (e.g., eating out more often, eating less, eating more, eating more of certain foods)
Difficulty experiencing pleasant emotions such as joy, gratitude, and love
Difficulty feeling a sense of calm in your body; feeling restless
Lack of connection to your body
Feeling numb emotionally and/or physically
Before I go any further about burnout and ways to manage this, I want to acknowledge that the list above can also be signs of underlying and more serious mental health issues, depending on various factors such as duration and severity. So if these are things you have been experiencing for longer periods of time, especially years, or are symptoms that are significantly impacting your daily functioning, I would recommend consulting a mental health professional.
If you are experiencing burnout, know you are not alone. Burnout is real, especially in our capitalist society where productivity is idolized and even worn as a badge of honor, usually at the cost of our well-being and health. Burnout can also be the effect of the individualism that is touted in Western and White culture. This can lead us to feel we need to do everything on our own and that to ask for help is a sign of weakness or failure.
Since you might be reading this because you’re experiencing burnout, I’ll move on to discussing what you can do if you’re feeling this way. First, find a burnout remedy that works for you.
The key ingredients of a remedy to burnout include:
Rest that includes the body and mind
Connection to body
Quieting the mind
Being in the present moment
Connection to something greater than yourself (e.g., nature, spirituality, other people)
Ways to combat and recover from burnout can be achieved through many different activities. Here are some examples:
Taking a nap
Meditating
Yoga
Going for a mindful walk - make sure you aren’t filling in the walk with distractions that don’t allow time for rest and play
Engaging in a hobby
Connecting with nature
Socializing with someone you care about
Physical touch, such as a hug or cuddle with someone safe or getting a massage
Spending time with a pet
Tuning into how you feel in your body
Closing your eyes and reducing outside stimuli
Taking a few slow deep breaths
Taking a vacation or time off work - and filling that time with things that brings restoration, joy, and relaxation
Reiki or acupuncture session
Exercise, physical activity, or movement of some kind
Engaging in a spiritual practice
How do you know you’ve found a good remedy to burnout and aren’t just engaging in numbing behaviors? Here are some signs during and after the activity that can indicate you’ve found a helpful burnout remedy:
Feeling more grounded, at peace, calmer, and more content
Noticing more feelings of gratitude and love
Feeling more connected to your body, including feeling in your body
Your thoughts have slowed down and/or have changed in a pleasant way
Feeling more alive
A decrease in anxiety, worry, restlessness
Gaining perspective, seeing the bigger picture or what truly matters
An increase in creativity and play, or an increase in desire to create or play
Another important thing to be mindful of when choosing a burnout remedy is that it is best if the chosen activity has minimal or no short-term and long-term side effects. For example, I’ve often had people talk about using certain substances as a way to help them relax or “feel better.” I don’t believe that all kinds of substance use is bad and understand it can be complex. I do believe that certain types of substance use and behaviors can come with negative side effects that overall may outweigh the benefits of its use, such as health and relational consequences. It is helpful to weigh the pros and cons of these types of coping strategies to examine if they are a good fit for the purpose of helping to manage burnout. What is effective may vary depending on the person and their circumstances.
It’s important for our health and well-being to avoid being in a burnout place for long periods of time. We might not be able to change our life drastically and suddenly, or be able to take frequent vacations, but there may be room for smaller changes and ways to make more time for rest and play.
If you are unsure about how to move forward and get out of the burnout experience, or want some support during this time, reach out to me. I can help people with guidance on small or big changes they can make to help reduce burnout in the short-term and long-term.
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