Let’s Talk About Burnout.
According to research completed by Jack Flynn published on Zippia The Career Expert, 59% of Millennials currently feel symptoms of burnout, 34% of Gen Z, 27% of Gen X, and 21% of Baby Boomers. Burnout leads to a lack of feeling of accomplishment, detachment from areas of enjoyment, extremely overwhelming emotional and physical exhaustion, and increased stress and strain in areas of activities of interest. Burnout shifts a person's perspective of themself and of others around them. Burnout breeds hopelessness.
So what leads to burnout? Burnout is NOT a product of hustling and hard work. There's that phrase if you love what you do you won't work a day in your life. That's sort of true. If you love what you do, you won't MIND working hard every day. So again, what leads to burnout?
Being undervalued
Being underpaid
Lack of accountability
Lack of integrity in the work
Lack of support
Not integrating and prioritizing self-care
Not completing the stress cycle
financial stressors
Toxic work environments
Decisions made based on fear
Read that list again and take note of how many of those are currently true for you. Don't judge or go down a shame spiral, just notice.
Are you in need of a change?
Are you open to change?
Now I am not saying make a giant leap into the unknown and leave all of your responsibilities. But I am letting you know that you are not stuck. You are in control of your life and maybe it’s time to evaluate if what you're doing is working.
Here are small obtainable tasks you can try to incorporate into your daily life that might reduce the effects of burnout and increase your quality of life.
Fitness:
Having a fitness routine such as yoga or HIIT training. Stress releases chemicals into the body so that we can fight off whatever monster, lion, or demon is attacking us. Our bodies can not differentiate between that true threat and versus pressure of work deadlines. When the chemicals are released, they remain in our bodies until it feels like we have won; we have successfully fought off the monster and there is no more danger. ( This sounds silly but is truly science! If you want to read more about the Stress Cycle, I highly recommend the book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski DMA. Having a fitness routine, and not a crazy one that adds more stress and exhaustion to your life, but even something as short as movement for 5 minutes can help send signals to your body that you have completed the stress cycle and can rest.
Breathing:
When we are in a state of high stress, our breath patterns become short, shallow, and choppy. Taking deep belly breaths and practicing diaphragmatic breathing is a easy way to reset your amygdala and return to a state of calm safety and security.
Locus of Control:
Find areas you can control when everything feels out of control. Our brains are wired to protect us from danger. When we are in a state of burnout and/or heightened stress our brain might be more attuned to all that is going wrong, all of the unpleasant and we can’t see anything good. Remember you have the power to change that. Using healthy assertive communication tools, you are able to implement healthy boundaries, speak your truth, and make your needs known.
Remember your basic needs, food, water, and shelter.
Food is fuel if you are not fueling yourself and taking care of your basic needs such as your nutrition, drinking enough water, and maintaining your home, the rest can not come. Many times when we are burnt out, the basic needs are the first to go. We start skipping meals, and not hitting our water goals, and our homes are direct reflections of our inner world, chaos. Start with the small tasks, and small priorities. Prioritize yourself and your needs and know that this is the foundation of your life. You have to put yourself first, you got this!
& as always, know I am here to support you through these challenging times. You don’t have to do this alone!
If water consistently over time can create lasting erosion in rock, just imagine what complied stress can do to your body. On the contrary, think of the power tiny habitual positive changes in your routine can do over time. Make life happen for you, not to you.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Galdo, LCSW, LICSW
