4 Ways to Deal with Burnout
Many hours and years of our lives are devoted to working – on top of work, we juggle our personal lives. It is challenging to ensure work-life balance. This is all the more a challenge if commuting to and from work takes up a portion of our day. With the reality of work taking up a large part of our lives, it is vital that reflect on what sustainable work looks like. It is imperative that we prevent burnout and take time to recover from burnout if we are experiencing burnout.
In writing this blog post, although suggestions are provided on ways to deal with burnout in relation to work, burnout can result from chronic stress related to other aspects of life and these suggestions can be adapted for other types of burnout.
Although this article is written about ways to deal with burnout on an individual level, tackling burnout does not fall solely on an individual - tackling it on a societal level is as important. Although not addressed in this article, varying levels of privilege and systemic oppression are factors to consider in regards to challenges that come with dealing with burnout.
What is Burnout?
According to the World Health Organization, burnout happens when you experience a prolonged and chronic state of stress that is not successfully managed. According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the 3 dimensions that measure burnout are:
Feeling depleted of energy and exhausted
Experiencing increased mental distance from your job, feelings of negativism or cynicism towards your job
Feelings of reduced professional accomplishment
Signs you are Experiencing Burnout
Burnout manifests itself in various ways and can be different for each person. Here are some signs:
Constant feeling of dread: You dread going to work the moment you wake up. Although it is common to feel the Sunday Scaries, experiencing dread constantly can be an indicator of burnout.
Physical symptoms: You may experience symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, stomach issues, fatigue, and muscle tension, to name a few.
A sense of overwhelm: You find it hard to keep up with unrealistic deadlines and pressures.
Difficulty focusing/concentrating: You find it difficult to focus and may lose motivation. Simple tasks now feel insurmountable.
Causes of Burnout
Feeling undervalued & under-appreciated: your work is not given recognition it deserves
Unrealistic deadlines and pressures: this can lead to working overtime and this leaves you with less downtime to unwind from any stressors
Unclear job expectations: it may be anxiety-inducing to not know what is expected of you as the goal posts seem vague and may constantly shift
Wearing Multiple Hats: with less time allocated for each role, this could lead to the stress of not doing each role as well as you would hope to
Dysfunctional Work Dynamics/Toxic Workplace: experiencing bullying or micro-managing leads to experiencing a lack of safety
Lack of control: having no flexibility in terms of making your own decisions or contributing ideas can lead to a loss of a sense of autonomy.
4 Ways to Deal with Burnout
When you are heading to a destination, it always helps to have a map. Without a map, you may still arrive at your destination, but not without twists and turns. Similarly, when dealing with burnout, it is so important to create a plan for dealing with burnout as it acts as a map for your journey in navigating burnout. Read on for suggestions on ways to deal with burnout:
Give Yourself Permission to Rest
You may feel unsettled if you choose to rest as you do not want to be unproductive. You may also worry that you are being lazy and this brings up feelings of guilt. I invite you to consider the idea that rest does not equal laziness or lack of productivity. May you give yourself permission to consider ways in which you can rest.
According to Saundra Dalton Smith, author of Sacred Rest in which she writes about the 7 types of rest, a life without periods of rest will not endure the daily grind. Consider the examples given for 7 types of rest below:
Physical rest: passive rest looks like having adequate sleep and napping; active rest looks like going for a massage, stretching and breathing exercises
Mental rest: if your mind feels clouded with thoughts before bedtime, write down your thoughts in a journal
Sensory rest: take time to look away from the bright screen of your laptop - replace it with a calming sensory source such as calming music
Creative rest: take in the beauty of nature by going on a short walk or take the time to enjoy art displays in your office
Emotional rest: tune into your emotions instead of bottling them up - spend time with people that you feel safe with and with whom you can express your feelings freely
Social rest: surround yourself with life-giving and supportive relationships
Spiritual rest: engage in a spiritual practices that anchor you such as journaling or prayer
Complete the Stress Cycle
When you are done with your work day or if you have quit a previously stressful job environment, the stressor may be removed but the stress remains stored in your body if you have not had the chance to release the tension. This may lead to your sympathetic nervous system being activated and staying in a flight, fight or freeze state until you regulate your nervous system and bring it back to calm.
By releasing any stored tension, you are letting your body know that it is safe in the present moment and that it is no longer under threat/danger. To complete the stress cycle, tune into any tension/body sensations, and engage in physical movement. As Aundi Kobler, author of Strong Like Water so beautifully writes, “we have to let our bodies metabolize—or what you and I usually call move through the sensation—in order for it to fully process.”
Go on a walk: engage with nature using your 5 senses. Use the language of noticing to name aloud things you see, things you can feel, things you can smell, things you can hear and things you can taste. For example, say aloud, “I notice a bird perched on the tree”
Jog on the spot, run or bike
Place a hand on your heart as you take in deep belly breaths
Sway back and forth gently as you push your feet gently into the ground
Engage in progressive muscle relaxation: Tense the muscles in your body by working your way up from your feet to your face and release the tension one muscle at a time while taking in deep belly breaths
Set Healthy Boundaries
It is important to protect your time and energy both at work and outside of work:
At Work:
Leave work on time. If you are working from home, use clear transition markers – for example, go on a walk at the end of your work day and change into home clothes.
Consider taking mini breaks during the day.
Identify things that are within your control – this allows you to take back some sense of agency in the midst of feeling any lack of autonomy.
Outside of Work Hours:
Refrain from checking your work inbox and avoid responding to work emails if possible.
Remind yourself that even if you have free time, it does not mean you are obliged to make yourself available to others.
Say no to things that are not urgent, not important and not life/energy-giving. Identify what depletes your energy and take energy depleting things off your plate. Say yes to things that are life-giving.
Reach out for Support
You do not have to face burnout on your own. It can feel isolating to experience burnout. The aloneness can sometimes add to the already difficult experience. Know that you are not alone. It is so important to have a community of support - reach out to a supportive friend and/or reach out to a burnout therapist. Let others bear the burden with you.
At Anchored Hearts Counselling, we would be honoured to support you through Burnout counselling. As a counsellor who has walked alongside many individuals like you, I would be glad to support you in creating an individualized plan to cope with burnout.
We will move towards rewiring your nervous system by bringing it back to a state of regulation, internalized safety and calm. In burnout therapy, we will take a closer look at what is causing the burnout and by identifying what can be shifted. Through therapy, you will move towards a sense of clarity, relief and hope.
May some of these suggestions support you as you create your own unique map for navigating burnout.
Stress and Burnout therapy in Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Vancouver can help you with move from surviving to thriving and regaining a sense of wholeness. Let’s do this together. We look forward to connecting with you and to hearing from you!
Sources:
Strong Like Water book by Aundi Kubler
Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton Smith
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/
https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
https://www.healthlinkscertified.org/uploads/files/2022_11_16_19_56_57_Maslach-burnout-inventory-english.pdf
https://hbr.org/2021/03/how-to-measure-burnout-accurately-and-ethically
