…a state of mental and physical exhaustion that can zap the joy out of friendships, family interactions, and so much more. Continual exposure to stressful situations can lead to this stress condition.  It isn’t always easy to spot and is worse than ordinary fatigue, as it can make it challenging for people to cope with stress and handle day-to-day responsibility.  People experiencing burnout often feel like they have nothing left to give and may dread getting out of bed in the morning.  They may adopt a pessimistic outlook toward life and feel hopeless.

Some common signs of burnout:

Exhaustion – feeling physically and emotionally depleted. Physical symptoms may include headaches, stomachaches, and appetite and/or sleeping changes.

Isolation – there may be a sense of feeling overwhelmed and, therefore, may result in the lack of socialization and confiding in friends, family members and co-workers.

Escape Fantasies – people with burnout may fantasize about running away.  In extreme cases, they may turn to drugs, alcohol, or food to numb emotional pain.

Irritability – burnout can cause people to lose “their cool” with others and coping with “normal” stressors (household tasks, family needs, etc.)

Frequent Illness – like any other long-term stress, burnout can lower the immune system, making one more susceptible to colds, flu, insomnia, etc.  Burnout can also lead to mental health concerns like depression and anxiety.

Common stages of burnout:

Excessive drive or ambition

Pushing yourself to work harder

Neglecting personal care and needs

Displacement of conflict

No time for non-work-related needs

Denial

Withdrawal

Behavioral changes

Depersonalization

Inner emptiness

Depression

Mental or physical exhaustion or collapse

Feeling burnout?  What can you do?

1. Identify what’s actually burning you out – there may be no one right/wrong answer.  It could be work, family, marriage, keeping the house clean, or a combination of any of these (or more). Once you stop and notice and narrow it down you can progress out of it easier.
2. Step back from the situation – take a small break, go on a small vacation, to go a health spa, get a massage, do a yoga session, etc.  If you’re experiencing chronic burnout, it may need a move, switching jobs, leaving a toxic relationship, or making a more major life change.
3. Reframe your thoughts – you can’t always control what happens around you, but you can control how you react. Choose to be kind to yourself in the process.  Offer yourself compassion to change your thoughts to reflect what you would want for someone you love to have….because you are loved and worthy of such reframed thoughts.
4. Assert yourself – don’t be afraid to strongly express yourself and your heartfelt needs. If not, resentment from maybe being taken for granted or unappreciated can set in. Expressing yourself in a calm, yet firm, way can help build and strengthen you and your relationships.
5. Put yourself first – think about you, give yourself permission to take care of yourself first – it’s not selfish, it’s necessary. This may mean taking a day off or doing something just for you.  It could be decluttering spaces around you (which has been proven to improve efficiency), digging into something that has needed done but you’ve put off, making your space a space you enjoy, laughing, scheduling an annual check-up, exercising, eating well, having your vitamin levels checked (sometimes your body is actually missing or has too much of something that can hinder you from feeling good), taking a nap or give yourself time for adequate sleep at night (at the right time – unless it is necessary to be up at night, it is best for the human body to sleep at night), deepening healthy relationships, growing a healthy community around you, accepting what you can and can’t change, be brave – take a healthy risk you’ve been wanting to take…no matter what, do it with you (and your needs in mind).
6. Develop and grow self-awareness – reflect daily…through a relaxation technique that works for you to foster health, healing, and self-awareness (prayer, meditation/mindfulness, yoga, breathing exercises, journaling, etc.).
7. Recognize (and maybe change) your perception – if you train your mind to look for the positive in negative situations, you will develop a more positive outlook overall.  “Perception is reality” in many cases is true. 

Each week we try to correlate these Blog Posts with our weekly newsletter.  In each you will also get a helpful Mindful Minute – this week, “Gratitude List.” If you haven’t yet, enter your first name, email and click “yes, please” in the black box within the main Blog Page of this website to have these drop into your inbox each week. 

For additional tips on mindful living and topics like this, follow me @livinghealthyin5fields on social media.