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The Science of Burnout

And how to resolve it

By The Geeky ChicaPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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The Science of Burnout
Photo by Jacqueline Day on Unsplash

Fatigue. Fuzziness. Irritability. Exhaustion. Existential dread. These are all symptoms of burnout, an insidious condition borne of our society’s constant need to go-go-go. No matter your profession or area of study, burnout is the inevitable consequence of working too hard. But it’s more than that. It’s a physiological and mental condition that can cause lasting harm — and even if you don’t work too hard, you might come down with a case of burnout.

Let’s take a look at the science of burnout — and how to overcome it.

What is burnout?

In a general sense, burnout is a feeling of fatigue and frustration that you get after being overworked and overstressed. However, just like other mental conditions that people don’t take seriously, such as OCD and depression, burnout is its very own disorder — ICD-10 code Z73.0. It’s similar to depression, but characterized by cynicism. So if you’ve been finding it hard to “think positive,” you might be burned out.

Some people think of burnout as “job-related depression,” but it’s also commonly seen among students, artists, caregivers, and anyone who tends to be overwork themselves. However, the risk factor is a bit more nuanced than that. After all, plenty of people work long hours and are perfectly healthy. Research shows that being in a high-risk, low-reward environment contributes to burnout more than simply overworking. That means that despite your best efforts to unplug and unwind, your overall situation might be to blame.

Burnout — not just for wimps

Many people think of burnout as the simple emotional drain that comes from too much stress. With that assumption comes a world of bad advice that champions bubble baths or a stiffer spine as the cures for this debilitation condition. After all, it’s all in your head, right?

Kinda — but not in a way that’s easily fixed. Researchers at Stockholm University found that people suffering burnout not only reacted more strongly to loud noises, but were less able to control their stress response. They had weak connections between their amygdala, which regulates emotions, and their medial prefrontal cortex, which supervises higher thought. In other words, your decision-making and ability to deal with stress are both impaired when you’re burned out. That’s definitely not ideal for productivity.

What does burnout feel like?

Burnout is more than “work depression.” It shares depression’s feelings of hopelessness and malaise, but it also entails a highly negative attitude. If you’ve been wondering why you should give a flying slop about anything, you’re burned out. And like in the film Office Space, you just might take your frustrations out on the printer.

However, burnout definitely has physical symptoms. Ever have the stomachache from hell for no apparent reason? Finding yourself so fatigued that you can’t get out of bed? Is your heart rate constantly elevated? Suffering from a headache that makes you want to drown yourself in ice water? These are all signs of burnout, which is basically a stress disorder. This is a dangerous combination of symptoms, not a sign of emotional weakness.

Thankfully, doctors are starting to realize how intricately our mental, digestive, and cardiovascular systems are connected. Burnout hits all three by causing inflammation, which is at the root of many ailments. If you’ve been feeling generally shitty and you have a high-stress life, you may not be experiencing a plethora of diseases. It only takes one — burnout — to make you feel absolutely awful every day.

The problem with common burnout “solutions”

Here’s the problem with a lot of advice on how to stop burnout: it revolves around removing the stressors rather than the stress. Sure, it helps to disengage from work and school, but your body is still experiencing stress. Remember, people with burnout aren’t able to manage stress well. That means the effects linger long after you go home to veg on the couch.

Other people assume that if they can manage to be “super,” they’ll be on top of it and therefore don’t need to stress. These people conflate busy-ness with productivity, and they tend to distract themselves from their burnout symptoms by being an overachiever. The problem is, you can knock out your to-dos for years before the burnout catches up with you. And in a twist of cruel irony, you’ll be on the brink of a promotion or major award when it strikes.

Fixing burnout with science

So what does science say helps resolve burnout? The answer is to rewire your brain, and for some people, that might mean quitting their job or making another major life change. Of course, that’s not an option for a lot of people. What’s crucial to your healing, then, is to kickstart your body’s natural stress-busting systems.

That’s right. It’s time to work out.

Exercise not only releases endorphins, which make you happy, but it also helps reduce the inflammation caused by chronic stress. While you’re exercising, you’re re-learning to manage your stress response, and your brain’s reward system is figuring out that life isn’t all doom and gloom. You’re essentially tricking yourself into being happier and less stressed.

The trick is not to work while you work out. Don’t prop your laptop up on the treadmill or browse social media as you sit on the exercise bike. Focus on your breath and the feeling of your body moving. Empty your mind. Let the rewiring happen.

There’s also a mindset shift that happens when you exercise, and that carries over into the rest of your life. Regular exercise gives you a feeling of achievement and boosts your motivation — both of which you tend to lose when you’re burned out. Rediscovering those feelings can help you overcome burnout in your work or academic life.

Wrapping Up

Burnout deserves to be taken seriously. Not only does it contribute to lasting health problems, but it could derail the accomplishments you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Don’t let a preventable, treatable condition hold you back. Remember, removing your life’s stressors won’t undo the damage: you need to rewire your brain and recharge your body to get healthy again. Once you do that, you’ll be able to take on the world — and even squeeze in some time to be a couch potato.

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About the Creator

The Geeky Chica

Cosplayer-turned-cultural commentator writing about entertainment, fandom, music, science, technology, and all things geeky.

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