Burnout in Provo, UT

Burnout is a state of extreme physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that is caused by ongoing stress and a lack of limits in your personal or professional life. Any area of your life that requires an excessive amount of time and energy can lead to burnout, which can have an adverse effect on your physical and mental health, productivity, and quality of life.

Overview

Burnout occurs when there is a prolonged imbalance in how you use your time and energy, where one aspect of your life depletes how much energy you have to spend on the other areas in your life. Burnout can occur in any aspect of life, but it is most frequently experienced in your job or a relationship that is especially demanding, like caring for a high-needs relative.

Types of burnout

Burnout can result from an over-investment of your time and energy resources in several major areas of life:

• Work burnout: Physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion can be caused by prolonged stress and excessive work demands, such as long hours, a lack of control over your work, a heavy workload, and a lack of support from your coworkers or management. If you have burnout from work, you may experience decreased work satisfaction and reduced productivity at work and feel too stressed and exhausted to fully enjoy your personal life.
• Relationship stress: Burnout can result from relationships that are excessively demanding, whether the relationship is with your spouse or another demanding family member. For instance, being romantically involved with a person who suffers from a serious mental illness can be draining, particularly during and after going through a mental health crisis. Similarly, providing physical and emotional support for a parent or kid who has complex medical needs can be very draining.
• Parental exhaustion: Burnout can also happen when you feel overburdened with parental duties without sufficient support or opportunities to rest. Parental burnout is especially common in single-parent families and for parents caring for a special-needs child.
• Educational meltdown: Diligent students can experience burnout from a demanding course load and high pressure, especially at times of peak pressure such as during exams, when a particularly important paper is due, or facing a thesis deadline.
• Personal life: Having multiple interests, hobbies, volunteering, and active social life can be very fulfilling, However, taking on too many personal commitments at once can lead to burnout instead of happiness. To be able to enjoy your recreational activities without being exhausted in the process, it’s crucial to strike a balance between your particular interests and taking care of your health.

Symptoms: recognize six signs of burnout

If you’re suffering from burnout, you might:

1. Be physically and emotionally exhausted, feeling tired or lethargic frequently.
2. Feel a lack of motivation and uninterested about your work or experience a decline in productivity.
3. Find it difficult to take care of yourself by eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.
4. Procrastinating or taking longer than necessary to get things done.
5. Feeling hopeless/ trapped in your circumstances.
6. Suffering from headaches or stomach aches or other unexplained aches or pains.

Diagnosis – distinguish between depression and burnout

The symptoms of burnout, such as lack of energy, exhaustion, diminished motivation, and decreased productivity, might resemble those of depression. However, burnout is not a medical condition in the same way that depression is.

In contrast to depression, burnout is a result of prolonged or excessive stress that builds up over time to the point where it becomes difficult to function.

When your stressors drop, burnout tends to resolve. To avoid a relapse, it’s essential that you implement the necessary changes and develop coping mechanisms. A qualified mental health specialist can evaluate what might be contributing to your symptoms.

Treatment for burnout

If you think you are experiencing burnout, it is important to slow down enough to get your life back in balance.

Reach out to friends for support, cut back on your responsibilities, learn healthy skills to manage your stress (such as deep breathing and meditation), and take time to prioritize taking better care of yourself. Make sure that you get enough sleep, eat healthy meals, spend time outside, and build regular exercise into your schedule.

Establishing boundaries can help you recover from burnout, and prevent a relapse

Simply put, the cure for burnout is to do the exact opposite of what set it off in the first place! When you devote too much time and effort to one aspect of your life and lack the proper limits to make sure that you are also taking care of your own needs, burnout will result. The best strategy for preventing burnout is to create and maintain healthy boundaries in your life:

1. Establish regular times for working, sleeping, and exercising. Try your best to stick to your schedule.
2. Set aside certain hours in your schedule for meals, fun activities, hobbies, and anything else that is important to you.

If your work tends to overtake your life:

1. Prioritize your most important tasks for the day and get those done first, for maximum productivity.
2. While working, focus only on work. After completing your daily work hours, log off until the next day.
3. If necessary, think about how you can work more efficiently, and which tasks can be delegated or possibly even crossed off the list entirely if they are not truly essential.

If you feel worn out from a relationship, consider:

1. Establishing times when you are/are not prepared to be available to your loved one, such as after a specific time at night or while you are working or exercising.
2. Have an honest and direct conversation with your loved one about how their demands on you affect you and what you would like to be different.
3. If necessary, consider what resources are available to alleviate the burden on you. You might be able to organize a weekly care worker/babysitter if you are a full-time caregiver, order groceries online, or get a few ready-made meals that can lighten your load.

Burnout is a wake-up call that your life is out of alignment and that you have to change how you have been doing things. If you heed the wake-up call, burnout can be an opportunity to improve your life. You can take charge of your life and establish boundaries.

Burnout in the workplace

Burnout at work is a prevalent issue that many individuals experience, characterized by physical and mental exhaustion resulting from prolonged and excessive stress. One common factor contributing to burnout is the feeling of not finding work meaningful. When individuals struggle to connect with their tasks and lack a sense of purpose, it becomes increasingly challenging to stay motivated and engaged. The absence of intrinsic satisfaction and fulfillment can quickly lead to emotional exhaustion and a decline in productivity. Furthermore, the fear of getting laid off amplifies the stress levels associated with burnout. Constant worry about job security, whether due to performance concerns or organizational changes, further erodes one’s mental well-being.

Burnout due to working from home

Burnout due to working from home has become increasingly common in recent times. While remote work offers flexibility and convenience, it also blurs the boundaries between professional and personal life. The absence of physical separation between the workspace and the living space can lead to longer working hours, constant connectivity, and reduced breaks, causing exhaustion and burnout. Additionally, the lack of social interaction and the feeling of isolation can further contribute to stress and emotional fatigue. The challenges of balancing work and personal responsibilities, such as caregiving or household chores, can add to the pressure. It is essential for remote workers to establish clear boundaries, maintain a routine, prioritize self-care, and seek support to prevent and manage burnout effectively.

Effective therapy tailored to your needs

BIf you or are a loved one are suffering from burnout, anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges, help is available. Dr. Robinson has extensive training and experience helping clients cope with their challenges and creating lifelong change.

Reach out today to learn more about how therapy with Dr. Robinson can improve your quality of life. In-person therapy is available in Cottonwood Heights or online for all residents of Utah.

Recommended resources

• Burnout: 5 Signs and What to Do About It – Cleveland Clinic
• Depression: What is burnout? – InformedHealth.org – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
• Job burnout: How to spot it and take action – Mayo Clinic
• Burnout harms workers’ physical health through many pathways (apa.org)
• How to Set Healthy Boundaries & Build Positive Relationships (positivepsychology.com)