It is Monday morning, and your alarm goes off, you drag yourself out of bed, the weight of the day ahead feels like you’re carrying a tonne of bricks on your shoulder. However, this is not “just one of those days” instead it’s an everyday feeling. Every task feels like you’re climbing a mountain. Between juggling different deadlines, managing personal relationships, or simply trying to keep up with the demands of daily life can be emotionally exhausting. This could be a sign that you are dealing with emotional burnout. Let’s delve into what emotional burnout is and how it impacts one’s day-to-day life.
What is Emotional Burnout?
Emotional burnout is a state of chronic stress that can show up in a person physically, emotionally, or mentally. It can affect anyone, but it is found to be common among people with demanding jobs, caregivers, anyone experiencing major life-changing events (such as the loss of a loved one), experiencing financial stress, etc.
Signs of Emotional Burnout:
- Constantly feeling emotionally and physically exhausted even with adequate rest
- Noticing negative thoughts or attitudes towards work, relationships, and life in general.
- Losing motivation or interest in participating in activities that you once enjoyed or were meaningful.
- Feeling loneliness and isolating/withdrawing oneself from social interactions
- Experiencing physical symptoms due to prolonged stress such as headaches, insomnia, muscle tension, etc.
Coping with Emotional Burnout
Here are a few ways to cope with the emotional exhaustion.
- Self-care: setting time for yourself to participate in self-care activities such as exercising, meditating, or hobbies that you find enjoyable and relaxing
- Taking breaks: take regular breaks between tasks to rest and recharge.
- Prioritize tasks: make a list and prioritize tasks according to importance and urgency so you do not feel overwhelmed by the tasks.
- Set boundaries: setting boundaries such as saying no to additional responsibilities or tasks in personal or professional life to prevent burnout.
- Support system: do not be afraid to reach out to your family, friends, and mental health professionals for support.
Emotional burnout is common, especially in today’s fast-paced world. However, with the awareness of signs when emotional burnout is occurring, prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries, and seeking support when needed can allow one to find a balance in life and improve well-being.
Here are a few resources to get more information on emotional burnout.
Resources:
Free assessment tool:
https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/burnout-response-for-leaders#resources
Government of Canada – Mental Health Services
Crisis Lines BC:
https://crisiscentre.bc.ca/get-help
If you feel on your way to experiencing burnout, or you’re currently in this feeling, our Skylark team is trained to support you. Our team of counsellors use a variety of approaches to meet you where you’re at, with compassion, to personalize an action plan against burnout. Call our office today for a free 20-minute Counsellor Match Consultation to be connected with a counsellor within the week.
References:
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 15(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311
Opoku, M. A., Yoon, H., Kang, S. W., & You, M. (2021). How to Mitigate the Negative Effect of Emotional Exhaustion among Healthcare Workers: The Role of Safety Climate and Compensation. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(12), 6641. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126641
