Breaking the Cycle: How to Stop Burnout Before it Starts
by Alyanna Reick-Mitrisin
Have you ever found yourself relating to the phrase “running on autopilot?” Picture this- you are sitting at home watching the 3rd, 4th, or maybe 5th episode of your favorite comfort show while scrolling through your favorite rotation of Tik-Tok, Instagram, and Facebook. You might find that you are sitting there watching your show and not fully retaining any of the information from the show. Or maybe- you are going to work, but when you get there, you find yourself with a short fuse and cannot focus as well as you used to. When you get home from work you find yourself scrolling through your favorite social media, and before you know it- it is 2 hours later. Any of these situations sound familiar? You are not alone. Burnout impacts almost all of us at some point in our lives. What is burnout? And how do we stop it before it starts?
What does burnout feel like?
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork, often related to one's job or caregiving responsibilities. While we often think about burnout happening at work, you can experience burnout in any area of your life. Burnout impacts almost all of us throughout our individual journeys, but can be hard for us to identify if we aren’t paying attention. Burnout can look like:
Increased irritability
Having a “short fuse”
Running on “autopilot”
No longer enjoying the things that typically bring you joy
Noticing you have difficulty concentrating
Struggling with connecting to the present
Exhaustion
Inability to maintain normal activities of daily living
Doom scrolling
How do we keep burnout away?
Now that we know what to look for, let’s dive into prevention! To prevent burnout, we need to engage in intentional self-care. Now, you may hear the term self-care and think bubble baths, face masks, and binge watching your favorite show. Don't get me wrong, all of those are wonderful! But self-care can go beyond those things. A key to engaging in self-care to prevent burnout one should consider the term “intentionality.” Let’s explore some ways we can be intentional in our self-care:
Recognize the signs of burnout: By noticing your own typical signs and symptoms of burnout, you can better recognize how to manage and prevent those signs before they happen.
Know the sources: Self-reflection can also help us identify the source of our burnout. Some questions to reflect on:
-Is my schedule manageable?
-Am I engaging in activities that typically bring me joy?
-Am I exhausted from working in a profession that requires high amounts of stress and/or trauma?
-Am I operating at my max capacity 100% of the time with no downtime?
-When was the last time I truly felt present?Prioritize: Create and set clear priorities for the day. You can do this by identifying a schedule that meets your needs. Reflect on the items on your agenda and rank them from most important to least important. Once we have a list, take some time to reflect on how to implement these items into a schedule that works for you. Here are some questions that may be a helpful start:
-Is this task urgent?
-How realistic is it for me to accomplish these goals in a day?
-Have I included space or time for breaks?
-Have/can I delegate tasks if necessary?Start Therapy: Whether you are aiming to prevent burnout, or working to reset after being burnout, mental health counseling can be helpful in increasing your own self-awareness, learning new coping skills, and exploring how to recognize your limits.
Delegate: Often when we are past the point of burnout, we might find ourselves taking on the weight of the world. Maybe getting overwhelmed by taking on all the responsibilities in our system, or feel guilty not completing one or two of our agenda items. However, we can prevent this through the powerful tool of delegation. Ask for help from your friends, family, and support system.
Create a consistent achievable self-care plan: Preventing burnout means that we need to be intentional with managing and maintain a self-care plan. This means taking consistent, and intentional time off throughout the week. Find an activity or space that you can truly be mindful and present in your daily tasks. Everyone is different, so experiment and explore different activities that might help you feel more connected to the here-and-now!
If you resonate with this blog and need support for burnout recovery, one of our mental health counselors is here to help. We provide counseling services in Georgia, Florida and Pennsylvania virtually, with office locations in Buford, GA and Peachtree City, GA. Book a free consultation with us today!
