The Power of Burnout

Have you been feeling stressed, fatigued, or even irritated? If you're someone who has felt or been feeling a lack of motivation or interest in the hobbies, responsibilities, or goals you have, then you most likely have been experiencing burnout symptoms. As someone who is constantly on the go and enjoys keeping busy and occupied, I have recently faced the power of burnout and how negatively it can affect my success. I'm used to living a busy lifestyle, sleeping fewer hours than the average person, balancing work and school, keeping up with a social life, and being reliable towards my family. However, it eventually all catches up, and as much as I wanted to do everything and be everything for everyone. I learned I couldn't and had to say no, ask for range checks, and learn to put myself first. I had to rediscover what I wanted out of life, who I was doing it for, and how I wanted to achieve everything. I learned how to reach out and communicate my struggles with those close to me because I realized I didn't haven't to do this process alone. I had people in my corner who genuinely cared and were interested. With the support of my family and friends, I felt the reassurance of discovering what I needed for myself and how to take care of myself before I can help anyone else. Everyone has experienced some form of burnout through their academic, professional, or personal life. Trying to survive a pandemic, stressing over finding a job or if you’ll be able to keep your job, figuring out if school will be online or in-person, family safety, etc. can take a real toll on someone and can be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting.

Everyone has their coping skills and mechanisms on how to move forward when feeling burnout, but if you're someone who is struggling or needs new coping skills and strategies, I'm here to share those with you. One of the most important skills one can have is self-care. Knowing how to take care of yourself and your needs is essential. Setting limits and boundaries for yourself is needed. Before you can help your family, friends, strangers, the world, etc., you first have to learn how to put yourself first and find what works for you to relieve the weight off your shoulders.

Examples of Self-Care Techniques

• Physical Activity

  • Walking, jogging/running, hiking, weight lifting, or boxing all can help relieve stress and clear the mind. It also helps reduce high blood pressure when stressed and overwhelmed.

• Mindfulness

  • Increases self-awareness! By practicing meditation, checking in with your thoughts and feelings it can help you discover the problem you’re facing, find the why in how you've been reacting or feeling.

• Changing Attitudes

  • Shifting a negative attitude to a positive one can help manifest positive outcomes. Changing the way you view school, work, or anything that may cause you stress helps you control how it affects you.

• Reconnect with friends/family/ colleagues

  • Social support is needed and helps you feel connected and involved. Sometimes burnout makes us feel alone, and friends, family, or acquaintances can help reassure us that we aren't.

• Unplug from the world, disconnect from the internet

  • Disconnecting yourself for as long as you think you may need may help you find what you need and want without the influence of social media. By staying disconnected, you relieve yourself from the pressure of what society expects of you and are able to focus on yourself.

Self-care shouldn't feel like another chore, responsibility, or even feel time-consuming. It should be something that allows you to relieve stress and get your mind off of what is bothering you. What works for someone may not work for you, and that's okay; it just means you have to continue to try new things or discover what works for you. If someone's self-care is the gym and that seems like work to you, then you may want to try something new. Remember to be honest with yourself and your needs, this is your self-discovery process!

“Burnout occurs when your body and mind can no longer keep up with the tasks you demand of them”

-Del Suggs