What is Burnout?
So, what is burnout, really?
Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.
The first thing to understand is that burnout isn’t the same as stress, and that you can’t cure burnout by simply taking a long vacation, slowing down, working fewer hours, or going for a run (something that would do wonders for relieving stress).
When someone is under stress, they may be struggling to cope with their current pressures. Think of a pressure cooker where you can let off a little bit of steam, so nothing blows up. Someone experiencing stress still believes that they are ABLE to cope with the stress and they CAN get through it.
Someone experiencing stress may seem frantic or over-engaged, it may manifest as irritability or anxiety. Stress can also lead to anxiety disorders and insomnia.
However, when someone is experiencing chronic high level of stress, they feel like they are out of battery, they’ve given up hope that they have the ABILITY to surmount their challenges, obstacles, or goals. Therefore, burnout manifests as disengagement, loss of motivation, cynical or apathetic attitude, helplessness, hopelessness, exhaustion, and reduced cognitive function.
Each time that I experienced burnout, it was so much more than just fatigue. There was a deep sense of disillusionment and hopelessness that my efforts had been in vain. Life started to lose its meaning, and small tasks started to feel daunting, overwhelming, and sometimes unachievable. My interest and motivation were lost, and I started receiving feedback at work that I was failing to meet some of my responsibilities and commitments.
I lost my spark, my optimism, and honestly myself. I questioned how I felt. I didn’t share my experience with others, instead I simply tried to work harder and more hours. I kept my struggle hidden and continued about my days, weeks, and months until I realized that I had completely lost myself. I didn’t find authentic joy anywhere in my life, and this triggered grief and guilt. I truly felt hopeless.
The term “burnout” was first coined by Herbert Freudenberger in 1975. He defined burnout as having three main components:
Emotional exhaustion
Depersonalization
Decreased sense of accomplishment
The primary signs of burnout can be categorized into these three categories, and can manifest differently for different people. Here’s how each of these can manifest and a little vulnerability in how they manifested for me.
Emotional exhaustion can manifest as moodiness, impatience, or the feeling of being stuck or powerless. If you were to ask my husband if I experienced this component of burnout, he would give that high-pitched laugh that he does when he’s feeling awkward about acknowledging the truth. Interestingly enough, emotional exhaustion is the most common burnout manifestation in women! (Source)
Depersonalization can manifest as cynicism, lack of investment or authenticity, and a loss of meaning & motivation, and reduced interest in commitments. If you know me or have worked with me, you know that I am (albeit sometimes annoying to some – eek! Sorry, not sorry!) a radical optimist. In burnout, however, I found myself completely detached from my own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I was cynical and negative; I’ll never forget the moment an employee jokingly said, “Hey, I’m normally the cynic” – nothing like someone holding up a mirror for you to be deeply RE-attached to your true self and how your feelings and emotions can impact your behavior (if you’re not paying attention).
Decreased sense of accomplishment manifests itself as hopelessness, feeling insufficient or unappreciated. This one still gets me emotional because one of my principle beliefs and personal core values is being able to add value in a way that is meaningful to others. When I felt that I was no longer able to do this, I had honestly never felt so hopeless, I found myself toxically searching for appreciation.
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend going through the process of discovering your own personal values. I found that by understanding what was authentically important to me, I could better evaluate and make decisions that served me in my life. There are tons of resources out there to do this on your own, however if you need some support, I would be honored to help, Contact Me!
Elements of Burnout
