Trust Me; Burnout Is Real

Ever had deadlines and finish lines to meet with absolutely no energy to do so? The dates on the calendars menacingly glare at you with their red sheen and you know how urgent it is to meet those deadlines, but you just can't will yourself to do so. You wish nothing more than to complete those tasks, but your body and mind refuse to comply and seem to have shut down.

This sensation is called burnout.

Burnout is a relatively new term and was first coined in 1974 in the book Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement written by Herbert Freudenberger. Freudenberger defined burnout as the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”

Essentially, burnout is an exhaustive reaction where one feels exhaustion due to extreme exertion and/or pressure. After giving your best for so long and putting so much pressure on yourself, you reach a point where you just can’t go on the same way. Burnout can often be described as hitting a brick wall. It can be an incredibly frustrating experience; especially when you still have things to do.

“Burnout is nature’s way of telling you, you’ve been going through the motions your soul has departed; you’re a zombie, a member of the walking dead, a sleepwalker. False optimism is like administrating stimulants to an exhausted nervous system.” — Sam Keen, Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man.

I’ve experienced burnout periodically in my life and it’s never been a pleasant experience. I’ve experienced burnout so bad that my daily routine, sleeping schedule, and overall mood were greatly affected. Trust me; burnout is definitely real and on the rise. But, I have become much better at dealing with it and preventing it. You can too.

Prevention is key when it comes to dealing with burnouts. Luckily, burnout is a product of an accumulation of stress and pressure and usually not caused by a one-time event. The best thing one can do to prevent burnout is to think of yourself as a car. When we drive, we don’t constantly rev the engine and go on full speeds; it’s dangerous and can damage the car. Instead, we drive carefully at appropriate speeds. Sometimes that’s fast and sometimes that’s slow. It all depends on context.

We need to apply that ideology to our lives.

If we’re constantly pushing ourselves to dangerous limits without breaks, our engine is bound to fail and our gas is bound to diminish.

So, instead, it is best to pace yourself in work and take breaks when needed in order to create healthy boundaries. Working at a pace that truly works best for you instead of working at a pace that you think will give you the best results will result in greater productivity and the prevention of burnout.

Also, if you find you are taking on much more than you can manage, it may be time to reevaluate your priorities. Recognize that it’s important to say no when you need to; you shouldn’t feel obligated to say yes to something only to be stuck with it with little time and too much work.

But, what if you have reached past the prevention stage? How do you even know if you’re experiencing burnout? You may be experiencing burnout if you have reduced performance, an inability to focus, and mental and/or exhaustion, among other symptoms. You may feel like your body and brain are shutting down, and they truly might be! Burnout is the mind and body’s emergency brake demanding a break.

A few things are key when dealing with burnout: rest, recovery, and self-care.

It is important to rest when you are experiencing burnout. In a busy world, we often underestimate just how therapeutic rest can be. Resting can help you restore your energy, drive, and motivation. Beyond that, burnout is a direct result of exertion, so rest is simply needed.

Recovery is also important in burnout. What this means is that it is important to heal and recognize what caused the burnout and how to avoid it in the future. Reflect on what happened and what should have been done differently.

Lastly, taking care of yourself is extremely important when dealing with burnout. Pampering yourself, exercising, and even simple things like catching up with a friend all qualify as self-care and will greatly help you get over burnout.

No one can say how long burnout lasts as it varies from person to person. But it is real and is a problem on the rise. Prevention is key and if you do experience burnout, recognize it for what it is and take a few steps back.