What is burnout
Burnout refers to a group of physical, emotional, and mental symptoms resulting from long-term overwhelm and stress in a variety of work-related situations. The term “Burnout” originated from the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970’s and referred originally to the stress and high expectations in the caregiving professions. Burnout can be caused by the following factors:
- Overworking
- Unsafe work environment
- Toxic work culture
- Low compensation
- Perfectionism
- Neglecting one’s own needs
- People-pleasing
Typically, burnout can be seen in many professions, but can also occur with parenting, especially of special needs children and with students in educational settings.
Common symptoms of burnout
- Feeling fatigued and drained most of the time
- General feelings of overwhelm
- Social withdrawal
- Procrastination both at home and at work
- Change in appetite and sleep habits
- Lowered immunity and frequent illness
- Feelings of detachment from oneself and the world around you
- Anger, irritability, and numbness
- Increased use of substances such as alcohol
- Elevated risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or type 2 diabetes
- Reduced work performance
How Burnout Differs from Depression
Burnout differs from depression in that burnout tends to be work-related, where depression typically expands to all areas of life. If burnout is not addressed early, then it could lead to symptoms of depression such as low self-worth, hopelessness and even suicidal ideation.
How counselling can help with burnout
A counsellor can help you recognize burnout and learn how to cope with the associated symptoms and negative thought patterns.
Here are a few approaches that may help:
- Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help to identify negative thought patterns and challenge them leading to reduced symptoms
- Mindfulness practices such as breathing exercises, grounding techniques and progressive muscle relaxation to help calm the nervous system
- Identifying areas where both communication and boundaries can be improved both in and outside of the workplace
- Discussing ways in which one’s personal values are conflicting with the values of their workplace, school, or homelife and how this maybe contributing to burnout
- Recognizing unhealthy or even abusive relational patterns in one’s environment may help identify causes of burnout
- Identifying connections between environmental triggers and past trauma. This is an area where a trauma therapy such as EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) may help alleviate symptoms
Counselling can offer a safe and non-judgemental place to discuss burnout symptoms and help get you back on track. If you are experiencing burnout, please consider booking a consultation with a therapist to see if they may be a good fit for you.
