Recognising burnout and what to do about it
- What exactly is clinical burnout? What are its causes?
Put simply, it is when someone has reached a point of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion (usually caused by excessive and prolonged stress). It’s when someone feels overwhelmed by constantly feeling swamped with a to-do list, whether that be on the home, family or work front. It’s often described as physical or mental collapse from feeling overworked or constantly stressed. The World Health Organisation recognises workplace burnout as an occupational phenomenon, identifying it as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
- What’s the difference between burnout and depression?
This is a great question because symptoms of burnout can be quite similar to depressive symptoms, and vice versa (often making it difficult to differentiate between the two). Both burnout and depression often result in similar symptoms like feeling physically exhausted and emotionally drained. But the key difference is how it is dealt with as well as the focus of the symptoms around certain stressors. For example, burnout is generally focused around a specific stressor (work, caring responsibilities etc), while depression does not need to be experienced as a result of any one (or several) specific stressors. Many people experiencing burnout typically won’t take it as seriously as if they think they have depression. For example, someone that thinks they’re suffering from depression might seek psychological help, whereas someone who is suffering from burnout might believe that simply taking some time off from work will solve their concerns.
- How long does it typically take to recover from burnout?
The length of time it takes to recover from burnout varies depending on individual circumstances, however can be anywhere from days, months, and in severe cases, years.
- Why should you evaluate your options?
Experiencing burnout can be managed in the short term, however if a person constantly experiences the symptoms of burnout, it can be extremely detrimental to both their physical health and emotional wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to evaluate what you can do about it.
- Why should you try mindfulness or a relaxing activity?
Practicing mindfulness, or other relaxation-based exercises, is a great way of managing stress, connecting with your body and improving your mental wellbeing. Mindfulness also allows you to focus on the ‘here and now’, making you intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Studies suggest that mindfulness practice reduces activity in the ‘alarm’ centre of your brain (your Amygdala). The Amygdala plays a crucial role in the stress and fear response in your body, and by lowering its activity we can effectively reduce the level of response triggered when faced with stressful experiences.[1]
- Why should you make sure you’re getting enough sleep?
Sleep is fundamental for a balanced wellbeing, especially when we consider what happens when we don’t get enough of it. Unfortunately, when we are feeling stressed, worried, anxious or burnout, we often tend to decrease sleep (whether consciously or subconsciously). However, lack of sleep can actually be one of the things that can fuel the problem, causing an onflow of effects such as decreased ability to concentrate and remember important things in our day-to-day, irritability and general fatigue.
- Why should you get some exercise?
The benefits of exercise are widely known, with it recognised as helping to increase wellbeing, whilst also decreasing psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion. Through exercise we see an increase in the release of chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin, which are known to improve a person’s mood. Further to this, exercise can be an important tool in helping to reduce symptoms related to anxiety and depression, and help to improve self-esteem and cognitive function.
Veronica West is a psychologist at Lysn. Lysn is a digital mental health company with world class wellbeing technology which helps people find their best-fit professional psychologist whilst being able to access online tools to improve their mental health. www.welysn.com
Veronica West is a Psychologist at LYSN.
[1] Kral, T. R., Schuyler, B. S., Mumford, J. A., Rosenkranz, M. A., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2018). Impact of short-and long-term mindfulness meditation training on amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli.
Neuroimage,
181, 301-313.
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