As a therapist I talk a great deal about self-care. I can go on and on about how great a self-care routine can be for mental health, or even what to assess for with self-care. I’ll talk about it all. There is one detail that won’t get the limelight as much, even though it has an important connection to self-care: burnout. I wish I could say that burnout is a glamorous maxi challenge from RuPaul’s Drag Race, but it is far from fabulous. Burnout is what we are trying to prevent by maintaining our self-care. Essentially, burnout is when we reach physical and mental/emotional exhaustion. Originally associated with feeling overworked in workplace environments, I like to think that burnout can occur in any aspect of our lives.
So, what might be some signs of burnout?
1. Emotional and Mental Symptoms
Burnout can impact your emotions and mental wellness through exhaustion. Like having a difficult time following along with conversations for example. I will tend to question if I have the ability to complete a task, the task might feel more overwhelming than usual. Heightened emotions that might promote cynicism, irritability, or detachment are other emotional and mental symptoms. Sort of like mentally “checking out”. Other aspects of emotional and mental burnout might be feeling ineffective in your day to day tasks and experiences. Also noticing a loss of motivation or a deep apathy that can make it challenging to take on tasks or even a disinterest in usual activities.
2. Physical Symptoms
Your body can take a toll through burnout as well. Chronic fatigue, headaches, and stomach problems can all be related to burnout. Pay attention to any changes in sleep habits, either taking a while to fall asleep or various sleep disturbances that might occur in the middle of the night. Dizziness and body aches may also be physical signs of burnout. In full honesty, burnout will absolutely wreak havoc on my sleep, which in my case can lead to headaches and dizziness throughout the day.
3. Behavioral Symptoms
It is very important to make note that burnout can impact different areas of your life, from work, to school, to personal responsibilities and relationships. Decreased productivity, spending more time isolated, procrastination, and increased absenteeism could all contribute to burnout symptoms and your behavior. It is important to also know some of these symptoms can be subjective. I like my “alone” time and can certainly isolate here and there, so I have to be more mindful of when that “alone” time might be about burnout. One way I navigate the difference is by knowing my own needs to recharge my battery and when I am leaning into isolation as a way of a prolonged avoidance of responsibilities.
So, you’ve looked over these symptoms and might be thinking, “Lovely Michael, great info, now what?” If you think you might be experiencing burnout there are some important details to make note of. Engaging in self-care is always a great thing. Assess your self-care, look at the pieces in your day-to-day routine that might be lacking or need to be improved. Talk to people in your life that you trust and feel comfortable with about what you might be navigating. Sometimes the people in our lives can notice certain symptoms of burnout before we do. If possible, schedule some time off from work, school, or other responsibilities. Find time to self-reflect through journaling or mindfulness exercises to explore how burnout might be impacting your life. Even considering therapy as a source of support might be incredibly helpful.
Life is full of maxi challenges and while we can’t always face the runway as our most glamorous selves, it’s important to recognize the symptoms of burnout. Once symptoms are recognized and some self-care can begin, you’ll be ready to give burnout the boot.
