How to Cope with Burnout—And It Isn’t What You Think
What is Burnout?
Burnout is something that a lot of working professionals experience. It’s an all too common experience. Whether juggling work, family, personal commitments and trying to engage in self-care, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and exhausted. We know what burnout feels like. It’s an exhaustion that you feel in your body and that a nap does not fix. You question if you can get up and do the same thing all over again. Your career that you once loved leaves you feeling dread. You don’t get the satisfaction you used to get and you’re doubting your abilities. You feel pulled in so many directions while you’re balancing your home life, career, self-care, and your social life (wait, what social life?!).
What Causes Burnout?
It’s important to know that burnout is not a individual issue. It is societal. We live in a society that reinforces hustle culture, putting others' needs before your own. Capitalism selling the belief that we always need to produce and consume and yet it never feels enough. There’s never enough money, time, rest, etc. We find ourselves feeling exhausted, and drained.
I remember being in graduate school and working over 60 hours a week. I had a very little social life and remember telling my family that I never wanted to be that busy. Every day felt like a struggle. What made matters worse was that I had poor boundaries and a bad work-life balance. While part of that was inherent with being in a graduate program, I made it worse by answering emails and working outside of my work hours. I would try and beat the burnout by resting on Sundays but it never felt enough.
Since a lot of my clients are driven and care about others, they regularly take on tasks that they may not have the capacity for. They know deep down that they are already feeling overwhelmed and yet they have knee-jerk reaction when their boss or friend asks for their help. They say “sure” despite knowing they don’t have the capacity.
Are you taking on too many responsibilities when you are already feeling drained? Are you answering emails after hours and find it difficult to be present with friends and family due to work demands? Do you find yourself in a career that does not fit with your values? By getting clear on what is contributing to burnout, we can then work towards ditching burnout.
What Helps Burnout?
Most people think that resting or self-care is the antidote to burnout. While both of those things are very important, they are a temporary solution. They won’t fix your burnout. Getting clear on your values and setting boundaries is important to getting rid of burnout. So what is important to you? Is it giving back and volunteering? Maybe it is having a sense of belonging in a community. Or maybe it is travel and adventure. By getting clear on your values, you can then set boundaries to ensure that you are living a life according to your values. Now this is easier said than done. But it is so important. Boundaries will look different for everyone but below are a few examples of what boundaries may look like.
- Putting the phone on do not disturb so you can be present when spending time with loved ones
- Not answering emails after work so you can rest and re-energize
- Eating lunch at home so you can save money to take a vacation
- Passing up a work opportunity because you do not have capacity
- Going for a run because it clears your mind and gets your heart rate up
Boundaries are essential to coping with burnout. Unfortunately, we live in a society that reinforces hustle culture and promotes burnout. And while we may not be able to change our circumstances drastically, there are things we do have in our control that can help us avoid burnout.
Online Therapy for Burnout
Therapy is a great space to explore contributing factors for burnout and learn strategies to combat it. You do not have to live your life constantly exhausted and burnout. You deserve to feel rested and to prioritize yourself. Ditch burnout today and reach out!
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I am here to help you leave behind the self-doubt and constant overwhelm that keeps you stuck. I want you to have a rich and fulfilling life without sacrificing what matters most to you. I offer effective online therapy anywhere in Texas (link to home page) for clients experiencing self-doubt, anxiety, and burnout. If you’re ready to make changes and do the hard work- reach out today to get started!