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Burnout

Sophie Elizabeth

What is Burnout?


Burnout: ‘ a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion’


It can occur when you experience long-term stress and feel under constant pressure. In many cases, burnout is linked to an individual’s job, but it can be related to other areas of life and and impact our health.


Is burnout the same as stress? Not exactly, though many of the symptoms look the same. Stress comes as a result of too much - too much work, too many demands on our time and energy. Burnout manifests itself as too little - too little motivation or energy to give to anything leaving us feeling depleted.


Causes of burnout include (but are not limited to):


* unmanageable workloads or unfair treatment at work


* a poor work/life balance 


* lack of sleep


* taking on too many responsibilities and a feeling that life/work is out of your control



Symptoms of burnout include:


* feelings of exhaustion & frustration 


* a lack of interest in acitivies that you normally enjoy


* feelings of isolation and lacking a sense of purpose 


* getting sick often


* loss of appetite 


* insomnia.


How can I manage my feelings of burnout?


Burnout can be subtle at first. The longer the symptoms go unaddressed, the worse they can become, which can lead to a breakdown. It can be managed in various ways, and as with many mental health issues, it might be a case of trial and error to find what works for you.


Strategies to manage Burnout include:


• Talk to your manager - if you work in an environment where this is an option, talk to your employer about how you are feeling and making your workload more manageable


• Prioritise sleep and having a good bedtime routine as sleep is so important for both our physical and mental wellbeing


• Try to incorporate more mindful activities such as yoga, some crafts, reading or spending time in nature in to your routine


• Seek support - from friends and family or co-workers to suipport you in the moment, or from a counsellor or coach to help you identify risk factors and develop strategies to avoid recurring issues in the future



Something that people often ask is 'why me?' What puts a person at higer risk of experiencing burnout?


 * Having a large workload and lots of deadline pressures - including working in environments that are short staffed


* Working in a helping profession that involves a lot of giving to others


 * Having to take on extra jobs/work extra hours to maintain finances in a cost of living crisis


 * Having people pleasing tendencies or struggling to set boundaries


* Research suggests that 35-44 year olds are most likely to report feeling burntout, as well as women being more susceptible than men (https://shorturl.at/qKtWG)


Whilst people that fall in to these categories are more likely to experience burnout, this is obviously not an exhaustive list and it can impact anybody - please seek help if you are struggling as the longer the symptoms go unaddressed, the worse they get.


Please DM me if you are interested in how coaching could support you and your team in reducing rates of burnout.

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