Whether you’re in school and it’s that point in the semester where you’re chronically exhausted or you work full-time and feel you need more vacation days, you’ve likely experienced burnout at one point or another. If you haven’t, then congratulations: the rest of us are jealous of you.
Burnout has become increasingly common among individuals in the United States. Work-life balance is not as prioritized in the States as it is in other countries. With this in mind, Business Insider shares Brad Stulberg’s thought process behind the claim that there is a higher burnout rate among American workers— “Americans work more hours than most other countries. We check our phones more frequently. We spend time working in the evenings more than most other people. We work on the weekends more than most other populations.”
Therefore, most Americans don’t even bat an eye when they realize they are nearing their breaking point. The culture surrounding work in the United States does not lend itself to promoting rest among American workers. When hustling is romanticized and overexerting oneself is expected, it can seem counterintuitive to slow down your life.
Burnout does not present itself identically for everyone. It takes on different shapes for different people. To clarify, “burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress,” as stated by Psychology Today. However, how that definition translates from paper to expressions made by your coworkers, friends, and loved ones that concern you may vary. Symptoms of burnout can be distinguished from signs that one is simply stressed. WebMD paints the picture of what burnout looks like as “feeling tired or exhausted, [having] no enthusiasm and feelings of negativity toward your job, [and the] inability to perform your job.”
However, having a bird’s-eye view of what is happening within your own state can be challenging to monitor and recognize. Granted that be the case, many people often must be told that they seem to have reached their limit, rather than seeing that with their own two eyes. Cleveland Clinic adds that “You may not realize you’ve hit burnout until it’s too late when you’ve crossed the line between ‘really tired’ and ‘too exhausted to function.’” This is a dangerous place to find yourself in. Ultimately, burnout can cause your productivity to take a big hit, which may impact your overall success.
There is a fine line between liking to stay busy and wearing yourself out. You do not want to reach the point where you have nothing left to give. Exasperation due to feeling as if you don’t have control over your personal or professional life can spin you into burnout. It’s important to find a balance between being ambitious and being realistic about how many responsibilities you can carry on your back before the weight breaks you down. It’s vital to analyze how many different hats you wear before picking up a new one.
Vocalizing how you’re feeling is an important part of helping yourself get out of a burnout moment; it may help you realize the extent of your emotions. Forbes recommends participating in “physical activities,” “tak[ing] up hobbies,” “making vacation plans” and “meditat[ing]” among other things. Practicing meditation has proven to be an effective method for reducing stress and anxiety. It may seem unnatural or awkward the first few times you do it, but it may end up being a pivotal part of the reason you feel better.
Additionally, you should aim to “take regular breaks, organize your time, create a dedicated workspace, [and] analyze priorities,” according to Forbes. Among your top priorities should be taking care of yourself and affording yourself time to decompress. Lastly, The New York Times stresses ensuring you get an adequate amount of sleep, since a lack of it is “one of the main risk factors for developing burnout, and improving sleep quality can help individuals with even a clinical burnout problem recover enough to return to work.” Taking every step and precaution necessary to avoid burnout can pay off in the long run. It is important to take preventive measures, rather than being left with only reactive behaviors.
You deserve to rest. Don’t let internal pressure and external threats drive you to put your well-being at risk. While rest may seem like a luxury, you owe it to yourself.
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