Burnout is at an all time high. Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been hearing about how more people are struggling with the symptoms. According the American Psychological Association, longer work hours and more demands at home are exacerbating the issue. But burnout has been around for a while. A Deloitte survey found 77% of people were experiencing burnout in their current role and in 2019 the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially classified it as a syndrome resulting from chronic, unmanaged workplace stress.
It is the ‘unmanaged’ part that is important. Most of us experience stress at different points in our lives. Self-care rituals can help to ease the symptoms. However, as discussed in a recent Homeworker live session with Dr Stephanie Fitzgerald, burnout needs to be managed.
Ways we can help ease symptoms of stress
When we feel stressed, several things happen. In the moment, these include a quickening heart rate, shortness of breath, and our muscles tend to tense up. Our bodies also produce more of the stress hormone, cortisol, which can be useful when we need to react to a potentially threatening situation.
When we want to ease stress levels, we often look to self-care. Tactics include:
Meditation and breathing: Deep, slow breaths can help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the brain you’re safe. It can help to lower your blood pressure and heart rate and give you an instant calming effect.
Going for a walk: Fresh air, moderate exercise, and a walking rhythm can help you calm down and process your thoughts.
Journalling: Writing things down can help you gain clarity on your emotions and feel a lot calmer and less overwhelmed.
A warm bath: People often recommend a bubble bath when you’re stressed. A soothing bath can help to relax your muscles. It’s also said to help your skin release endorphins, the chemicals which help to improve mood and lower stress.
Massage: Easing tense muscles and helping your body release serotonin and lower cortisol, a massage can be an all round feel-good activity that can ease stress levels.
Managing burnout is different
On the other hand, there is no quick fix for burnout. As Dr Stephanie Fitzgerald told us in our session, “Burnout needs to be managed.”
It requires longer term strategies rather than self-care tactics. While the self-care is always important, and can help you feel better when you are tired and a little stressed, they are not the sole answer to managing burnout.
Burnout comes about because of prolonged occupational stress. That is, when work has become a source of stress that we are unable to manage successfully.
Symptoms and types of burnout
Some of the symptoms of burnout can be mistaken for depression. They can include feeling exhausted, detached from daily life, demotivated, and pessimistic. You may have physical symptoms such as being more irritable, forgetful, suffering from digestive issues, and feeling pain more readily.
There are also different types of burnout, and reasons why work is causing us to feel this way.
Overload: Your volume of work is simply too high. You are trying to take on too much with too few breaks and little respite. You may be in back to back meetings and have continuous, multiple pressing deadlines.
Boredom: One type of burnout which is often overlooked is boredom. If you are under stimulated, and lack creativity and novelty in your work, you can start to lose interest and feel burned out.
Social: When you find it hard to say ‘no’ to requests and are constantly people pleasing, you can succumb to burnout.
Going back to baseline
If you struggle with burnout and need time off, the first steps may be to simply get back to baseline. When everything seems too much, sometimes simply getting up, dressed, and having food can be enough.
It might involve switching off from the noise of modern life: Whatsapp groups, social media, and the news are all inputs you can reduce or remove. You need to prioritise sleep, nutrition, and taking care of your basic needs.
Give yourself time and space to recover. Use this time to clear the mental and physical clutter that can feel like a burden.
Gradually, you can start to reintroduce things, but always with clear and healthy boundaries to help you manage your burnout symptoms.
Setting boundaries to manage burnout
When it comes to managing burnout, one of the most important strategies is establishing good boundaries. This involves protecting yourself, your time, money, and energy, by implementing boundaries for yourself and with other people.
For your work, it involves careful prioritisation. You can set boundaries around how much you use tech and social media. You can shut down apps, turn off notifications, and set limits on how often and when you check emails.
Setting boundaries involves respectful communication, changing how you interact with others. It might be letting others know what your capacity is, when you are and aren’t available, and negotiating with stakeholders so that you can better manage your time.
Be careful around who you spend time with. Set boundaries around who you interact with, and how often, and don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to people who are boundaryless.
Certainly make time for self-care to keep on top of day to day stress, but remember that burnout is something that can take time to recover from, and could involve changes to routines and better asserting your boundaries.
Further recommended reading
How to set healthier boundaries in your personal and professional relationships
How to rework ‘work’. A fascinating insight into what we need to rework ad how it can improve our working lives, growing stress levels and rising dissatisfaction.
About the author
Louise is an award-winning journalist and speaker who focuses on working from home, remote work and wellbeing. She is the founder of The Homeworker, which is dedicated to helping you thrive when you work from home. The Homeworker publishes articles that are designed to keep you healthy, happy, fulfilled, and more productive in work and life.
