Burnout symptoms? Read on…
Burnout is on the rise for many. According to Indeed, 67% of all workers surveyed believe burnout has worsened during the pandemic.
If we look at all the stats, it's clear that, unfortunately, stress and work often go hand in hand. And although burnout isn't just confined to those working full time, we do see many workers suffer. Especially when you consider that we'll spend at least a third of our lives at work and at least a third of our day at our desk - that's not including any late nights and early mornings you might put in.
The term "burnout" is relatively new, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger in Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He initially defined burnout as "the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one's devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results."
While the first lockdown in the UK for many consisted of banana bread and zoom quizzes, the novelty soon wore off. We ended up working longer hours because we had got rid of the commute time, and it meant that switching off from work was pretty much impossible because often, your office was in your bedroom/living room. There has been no escape.
As many places of work start to move towards either a hybrid workplace - or get everyone back into the office pronto, it's essential to recognise the signs for burnout in either yourself or someone you know - to try and stop it in its tracks. I've shared some signs that I ignored too when I suffered from extended burnout and subsequently a mental breakdown in 2019.
I'm not saying this will happen to everyone, but I think it's essential to keep your mental health in check and look after yourself. Feeling burnout doesn't mean you need to be lying on your living room floor and crying 24/7. Many people still function for an extended period while being burnt out. But it's important to recognise that if you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, frazzled, or sapped of energy and you don't do anything to make a change proactively; then you could head towards burnout, which trust me, is not a great place to be. Again, I'm not saying this to scare you, but just to keep things in check and to encourage you to work with a support professional to help you if you need it.
One of my favourite anecdotes is 'make sure you put on your life mask before helping others.' and it's true. If you're on a plane that has to make an emergency landing, then that is what they tell you to do. You can't help others if you don't look after yourself first. It's something I wish that I had done a few years ago.
Download my latest freebie '10 signs you’re heading towards burnout and five ways to deal with it’ here.
