Dealing with Burnout
Burnout can happen to any of us, - even overachievers - and it's become especially common as we hit the year anniversary of the pandemic. Burnout is simply emotional exhaustion - we've spent too much time focused on tasks that do not match our core values or meet our needs. It can range from mildly annoying to incredibly defeating, and it is sometimes difficult to resolve. If you are in a position where you have to muddle through burnout, here are some things you can do to make it a little easier to manage:
Burnout means your needs aren’t being met
What needs aren't being met in your life right now? Humans are biologically hardwired to need safety, significance, connection, autonomy, growth, and fun/variety in our lives. When we go a long time without one or more of those needs being met, it increases our emotional exhaustion. Take a look at your life and career. If you're feeling burnt out, chances are one or more of those needs aren't being met.
Once you know what isn't being met, figure out a plan to meet them. You may not be able to meet all of them in one place. For instance, your job may be safe, but not very fun. If that's the case, figure out where you can increase the fun and variety in your life outside of work. Can you find ways to feel more autonomy in your job? In your life? What about significance? Where can you make yourself important? How can you find ways to grow as a person, not just as a worker? Once you know what you are missing, find ways to increase them in your life.
Set and keep strong boundaries
Boundaries are our rules for life. They state what is okay and what is not okay. Boundaries help us to maintain autonomy over ourselves and help us live the life we want. A lot of high-achievers feel burnout because we are giving too much to too many people. This happens when we neglect our own boundaries.
Decide what your boundaries are. Maybe you only work during certain preset hours. Maybe you give yourself up to 24 hours to respond to emails (or 2 hours, if the idea of 24 hours is unsettling). If you have people in your life who are draining, set a boundary on how much time you will spend with them. Set boundaries on things you don't want to do. If you don't enjoy large crowds, tell your friends and family that you won't spend time with them in large crowds anymore. Then find something you do enjoy and offer to spend more time doing that. With strong boundaries, you can gain more autonomy and spend less time doing things that drain your energy.
Do something you enjoy every day
Once we are in a state of burnout, it feels impossible to do things we enjoy. Burnout can drain all of our motivation. But, it's important to engage in things that we love, things that fulfill us, and things that meet our needs. Start small. Maybe you have a piece of chocolate every day and eat it without guilt. Maybe you spend 10-15 minutes a day reading about your favorite sport team without guilt. You could spend time doodling, writing, listening to music without other distractions, playing with your pets, talking to your kids. Find a way to spend at least 5 minutes each day engaged in something you love. This will increase dopamine, help meet your needs, and will help reduce burnout.
How anxiety treatment can help with burnout
Anxiety treatment focuses on developing skills to recognize difficult emotions and manage them. Even though there are many causes of burnout, the tools and techniques used in anxiety therapy will help people who are experiencing burnout to learn to manage their emotions. Therapy for anxiety also offers a safe environment to let out some of the frustration that goes along with burnout.
If you have questions about burnout or are curious about how working with a trained, compassionate therapist can help you overcome burnout, click on the contact button below. You can ask me a question or schedule your free 15-minute consultation. There’s no obligation, so why don’t you reach out today?