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The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon: a syndrome arising from chronic stress that isn't successfully managed.
WHO Definition of Burnout:
- •Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- •Increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
- •Reduced professional efficacy
From my experience, work is a major factor, but not the only factor - I think burnout results from a culmination of pressures internally and externally across work, lifestyle and societal expectations. In order to tackle the true source of burnout I therefore believe it is best to view it through the holistic lenses of Mind, Body and Spirit and that all 3 must be taken into account in order to make lasting change.
What are the Signs?
The Mind
Racing Thoughts
When I was going through my burnout, the greatest challenge mentally was the inability to switch off, my thoughts would be racing from the moment I woke up and seemed to accelerate as soon as I tried to go to sleep.
Pressure
I think coupling up with racing thoughts is a constant sense of pressure. It is the feeling that everything needs to be done now and that all tasks must be complete ASAP - both at home and at work. Moments in life become chores to be executed rather than enjoyed.
This leads to feeling like everyday I needed to 'Dig Deep' and 'just get through it' which is not sustainable.
I felt like I was trapped in what I was doing - my job, my lifestyle, the expectations, the 'should's' and against this resistance all the pressure and stress just continued to build.
Self-Criticism
My view of myself was pretty turbulent during this time - I moved from 'I'm crushing it', working long hours and setting 5km PB's to absolute self-loathing and a detest of who I was. In my case, it was usually triggered by getting something wrong or 'messing up' after which I experienced a total collapse of self worth.
The Body
Disconnection from the body
I find it much harder to write about the body than the mind, because to be honest I disconnected from my body - 90% of my time was spent in my head and the body was treated as nothing but a foreign machine, used to execute the wishes of my mind.
I would have responded to the question 'how does this feel' with an analysis of what I had read emotions were supposed to evoke.
Survival Mode
My body felt stuck in high alert 24/7, with all the typical signs of being in battle with a lion - racing heart beat, raised body temperature, clammy skin, panic, feeling unsafe, sense of danger. I was so restless and found it incredibly difficult to sit still with stopping being nigh on impossible.
Restless Sleep
I used to wake up in the early hours of the morning like I had just been struck by lightning. My whole body was wide awake, my heart thumping and blood pumping. My eyes on stalks at the prospect of what the day had to come.
The Spirit
Living out somebody else's life
I felt like I was playing out somebody else's life, I was living out somebody else's 'dream'. This wasn't for me. This wasn't me.
Disconnection with myself
I truly lost myself in these moments and disconnected from those moments that cannot be put into words, the gut feelings and that 'instinct' that tells you when something feels off or not.
I ignored all of the signs that were trying to call out to me that this was not the right direction to be moving in.
It culminated into a dampness of the spirit. Life become a crescendo of 'just get through this' rather than, 'how do I feel? is this what I want? does this feel good?'
What to Do?
I believe there are 3 key pillars to working through burnout, which I will unpack and dig into in part 2 of this article series.
Pillar 1: Awareness
It all starts with becoming aware of the source of one's suffering. From here change can begin.
Pillar 2: Acceptance
Instead of battling, accepting the current state and bringing it into one's agency - empowerment.
Pillar 3: Action
Taking action to generate change, through rest and connection. Giving yourself permission to rest and reconnecting with both nature and with people.
Conclusion
My thoughts
At the end of the day I really believe that we humans have just created our own mess because constantly cleaning it up gives us something to do and a sense of purpose and value.
If we strip it back to the basics, which for me means looking through the historic lens of our ancestors, what did we need?
- 1.A Tribe - Community and Connection
- 2.Healthy Diet
- 3.Time in Nature
- 4.Exercise
Along the way money, power and status corrupted this basic set of needs to lead us down a dead end of working to prove our self worth and justify our existence on this planet. When it all comes back down to looking after ourselves and those around us.
The world has been around for 13.8 billion years, we are a blink of the eye in the timeline of the universe and so our moments are incredibly precious.
Ready to Start Your Recovery Journey?
If you're experiencing burnout symptoms, you don't have to navigate this alone. Join our community of people working through burnout together, or reach out directly.