Burnout: Causes, Signs, and How to Cope
Written by Cassandra Currado & Michelle Garraway
I was in a 6am Hot Yoga class, lying in child’s pose, and crying. The realization came through loud and clear “I need to quit my job”. I was working a demanding full time job, teaching at the local college part time, raising my two young kids, running my household, and trying to get my body back to strong and healthy after giving birth. I was a classic over achiever with symptoms of anxiety like racing thoughts, stomach issues, and being quick to tears. I probably would have kept pushing through if it wasn’t for my terrible awful manager who was doing his best to make my life miserable. I had tried everything I could (aka all of the coping strategies I had relied on in the past) to make it work, but it wasn’t getting any better - I was burnt out.
Though it isn’t something that can be medically diagnosed, burnout can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental health. It took some time for me to realize what was going on and make some major overhauls in my life, but I did it, and am no longer living a life where I feel exhausted every minute of the day. Understanding that I was burnt out, and not just an “anxious woman” helped me make the changes I needed to make to get here. If this story sounds familiar, keep reading to learn about the common causes of burnout and signs to look out for, myths about burnout, and effective ways to cope through burnout and prevent it in the future.
What is Burnout?
As you try to understand what burnout is, I want you to imagine a lit candle that’s been placed outside. When the candle is first lit the flame grows and shines bright. A slight breeze then begins to blow and the flame flickers. As the breeze gradually turns to a strong wind, the flame flickers and flutters until eventually it burns out. The flame can only withstand so much before it’s out for good.
Burnout is a form of exhaustion that comes from prolonged periods of stress.
It’s very common to live a busy life; whether that’s from a demanding work life, overwhelming school deadlines, or taking care of others at home. Maybe you’re trying to push through your work stress to complete all of your tasks and get the promotion you’ve been hoping for. Maybe you come home from work and you’re putting all of the energy you have left into supporting your family. Though having qualities of persistence and determination are often positive, in this case they can contribute to your eventual burnout.
Though burnout is common, people often don’t realize they’re burning out until it’s too late because it slowly develops over time. We know from the 12 Stages of Burnout that it typically starts with “an urgent need to prove yourself”.
“Stage 1 of Burnout: An urgent need to prove yourself. In this earliest phase of burnout, you want to do well to the point of perfectionism for fear of not fulfilling demands.”
If we return to our candle analogy, here you can think of yourself as that bright shining candle. You want to do a good job and feel the need to work harder and faster. As you push yourself you feel the stress build, but tell yourself that stress is normal and continue to put the majority of your energy into your work. You are now the candle light flickering in the light breeze. At this point, your stress has taken away the joys of your social life; you become irritable with co-workers, friends and family. With the ‘wind picking up speed,’ you continue to disconnect from others and focus on your work; you feel drained, exhausted, anxious and depressed. You go from full enthusiasm and commitment to avoiding your responsibilities, disconnected from others and eventually burnout.
Causes of Burnout
Burnout is caused by the experience of prolonged stress; however, burnout isn’t the same as stress. When you’re stressed you experience an overwhelming amount of pressure to complete the tasks at hand. Whereas, burnout is the point at which you’ve been stressed for so long that you’ve lost all energy and no longer feel motivated to complete the tasks before you.
Burnout is commonly caused by a demanding job, but you can experience burnout as a caregiver, at school or from anything that brings you consistent stress with no time to recharge. The causes of burnout can be external, internal, or both. Some common causes of burnout include:
Demanding Workloads
Lack of Support
Deadline Pressures
No Work-Rest Balance
Chaotic Work Environment
Lack of Sleep
People pleasing
Perfectionism
Loose/porous boundaries
Financial deprivation
Signs of Burnout
Though burnout happens gradually as stress builds from your job, school or home life, there are signs you can look out for. These signs may be subtle at first and easy to overlook. However, these signs should be taken seriously as they’re your body’s way of signaling to you that you need to check in with yourself and take a break.
Physical signs of burnout
Exhaustion and Low Energy
Recurring Stomach Aches and Headaches
Difficulty Sleeping
High Blood Pressure
Poor Immune Health (getting sick more often)
Loss of Appetite
Mental Signs of Burnout
Difficulty concentrating
Depressed mood, feeling worthless or numb
Feeling alone and defeated
Loss of interest in hobbies and things you used to enjoy
Suicidal thoughts or wanting to just not wake up
How to Cope Through Burnout
As the signs of burnout seem subtle at first, people often underestimate the effects these signs can have in the long term. You may feel like it’s normal to be stressed by your job or tired when you get home from work. However, if you overlook the signals your body is sending, you will experience burnout. Even more so, if you continue to ignore the exhaustion you feel as you burnout, you are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. As you start to notice the signs of burnout, whether in yourself or a loved one, consider some of these tips and supports to cope and prevent future burnout.
Talk to Supervisor → If your work demands are becoming too high, let your supervisor know so you can work to create a more manageable work life.
Invest in Your Health → Eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep are amazing ways to boost your mood and feel energized again to combat the effects of burnout.
Check In With Yourself → It’s good to invest in your work ethic, but it’s just as important to check in with yourself and how you’re feeling. As you work, try to practice mindfulness to help you recognize when you’re stressed and need support.
Take a Break → One of the worst things you can do when you’re experiencing the signs of burnout is to ignore the signs and continue working. If you’re feeling exhausted from work, give yourself the time to relax when you get home. Being able to have a healthy work-rest balance gives you the opportunity to recharge, instead of adding to the exhaustion and burnout.
Identify Your ‘Stress-Busters’ → We all experience stress at some point. When stress becomes unmanageable it’s good to have some ‘stress-busters’ in your corner to help you cope. A stress-buster can be a mindfulness exercise, a grounding exercise or any form of self-care that brings you a sense of relief.
Find Support → Identify your support systems (ex. friends, family, co-workers) and reach out to them to see if they can help you manage the stress you’re facing. Another option is to reach out to a therapist for support. A therapist can help you identify your signs of burnout, work through your emotions and learn ways to manage your stress moving forward. You’re never alone.
The #1 Tip for Burnout
Change. The way you were living, the choices you made, and your perspective on your life are all what lead to burnout. At the time that I was crying in that yoga class I really believed I needed to earn a lot of money, raise the ranks at work, and prove that I could “do it all”. A vacation or time off work feel great, but when they’re over you will return right back to the environment that caused burnout in the first place. Therapy can help you understand what lead you to burnout, and your therapist can provide insight and support as you do the work necessary to heal from your burnout and make changes so that you don’t find yourself living in exhaustion again. Luckily, we have a team of therapists here at The Relationship Agency who are ready to help, in person in Oshawa and virtually across Ontario. Read more about therapy for burnout and anxiety, and book a free 20 minute consultation today to start making changes.
