Burnout isn’t the same thing as being stressed.
Stress is what you feel in response to something that has happened or is going to happen. Stress creates a physical and neurological response in your body that causes your heart to beat faster, your muscles to tense, shifts your attention, heightens your senses, slows down your digestion and impacts your immune function. Prolonged stress literally wears down your body, can cause illness and keeps your body in a flight, fight or freeze state. It also leads to burnout.
Burnout is what happens when we have been stressed for too long.
Burnout is what happens when you are physically and emotionally exhausted, when you feel completely depleted of empathy, concern or compassion, or when you feel nothing you do will make any difference.
When you feel like you can’t stop or slow down.
When you don’t see and end to, or a slow down of, the stress in the near future.
When it seems like nothing is going to change, at least not anytime soon.
When it feels like you never have the resources you need to perform your job well.
When it feels like it’s high stakes if you make a mistake.
When you feel like you should just keep pushing through, even though it’s costing you in your personal life.
When you think you should be working all the time because “everybody does it” and that’s how you get the job done.
You’ve probably even been told it’s “normal” to be tired and stressed all the time…but it doesn’t have to be.
Just because society says it’s “normal” to feel this way, doesn’t meant that you have to keep suffering…and it doesn’t mean that society is right, either.
Using a combination of training, education, experience and methods supported by the latest research, I help clients learn how to reduce stress, even when they can’t change the environment or circumstances causing the stress.
Do any of these Burnout Symptoms sound familiar?
You dread going into work and/or completing work tasks
You feel anxious when thinking about work or going into work
You come home from work and want to “check out” or zone out to Netflix, regularly
You’re longer doing the things you used to love, like hobbies, social events or movement/exercise because you no longer have the energy, or lack the desire
You find yourself lacking energy and/or motivation
It’s hard to have empathy and compassion for yourself and/or others
You feel resentments towards others or toward your work
It often feels as though nothing you do makes a difference
You’re sleeping (sort of), but never feeling rested or are having trouble sleeping
You feel stuck and frustrated
You have a strong, sudden desire to leave your job or career field
If so…here’s some good news:
it’s possible to recover from burnout!
I would know - I’ve done it. Your path may not be the same as mine, but I can help you navigate it. I’ve helped clients in healthcare, education, law, sales, corporate and other service-based and helping professions to overcome burnout and stop the cycle.
You can recover, restore your energy, and feel like what you do makes a difference.
You can find balance. Enjoy work. Stop feeling worn out and resentful.
And most importantly, you can learn how to recognize it and learn skills so you can avoid it in the future.