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Understanding Burnout

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​​​Understanding Burnout 





What is Burnout? (HelpGuide 2023)

Burnout is a characterized by the overwhelming experience of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion due to prolonged and excessive stress. It occurs when one feels emotionally depleted and incapable of coping with ongoing demands.
As the stress persists, individuals gradually lose the enthusiasm and drive that initially prompted them to assume a particular role.

Physical signs of burnout

  • ​Feeling tired and drained most of the time
  • Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses
  • Frequent headaches or muscle pain
  • Change in appetite or sleep habits​ 

​Emotional signs of burnout

  • Sense of failure and self-doubt
  • Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
  • Loss of motivation. Increasingly cynical and negative outlook
  • ​Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

Behavioral signs of burnout

  • Withdrawing from responsibilities
  • Isolating from others
  • Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done
  • Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early


The differences between Stress and Burnout (HelpGuide 2023)​



Burnout is not only caused by work-related stress or overwhelming responsibilities; various factors contribute to its development, including lifestyle choices and individual personality traits. How you spend your leisure time and your outlook on life can be just as influential in generating excessive stress as the demands of work/ home life.​


The causes of burnout in the workplace involve experiencing a lack of job control, insufficient recognition, or rewards for one's efforts. Facing unclear or overwhelming job expectations and working in a chaotic environment.
Contributing lifestyle factors to burnout include working excessively without enough time for socializing or relaxation, lacking supportive relationships, taking on an excessive number of responsibilities without sufficient help, and not getting enough restful sleep.
The development of burnout is also influenced by certain personality traits. These include having perfectionistic tendencies where nothing feels ​satisfactory, maintaining a pessimistic outlook on oneself and the world, feeling the need for control and reluctance to delegate tasks, and possessing a high achieving, “Type A personality". 



Signs You're Burnt Out, Not Lazy (Psych2Go) ​

"There’s actually a lot of overlap between laziness and burnout that can make it difficult to differentiate between the two." (Psych2Go,2022)

Watch the video to learn more about the signs and better understand the nature of burnout. 

 




Managing Burnout

The following tips for dealing with burnout can help you cope with symptoms and regain your energy, focus, and sense of well-being.

Managing burnout through the "Three R" strategy:
Recognize: watch for the indicators of burnout.
Reversal: Counteract the harm by seeking assistance and effectively managing stress.
Resilience: Enhance your ability to handle stress by prioritizing your physical and emotional well-being.


To read more about how to manage burnout click here​ 



How to Deal with Burnout (Psych2Go)​

 






NHS Tips to Manage Stress

For more information: Access here

Click here for: Self Help CBT Techniques


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