It is Monday morning. 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 or managing personal relationships, 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.
Understanding 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, caregiver responsibilities, anyone experiencing major life-changing events (such as the loss of a loved one), experiencing financial stress, etc.
Some 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 found meaningful.
- Feeling lonely and isolating/withdrawing oneself from social interactions.
- Experiencing physical symptoms due to prolonged stress such as headaches, insomnia, muscle tension, etc.
Demanding Jobs and Emotional Burnout
When you’re constantly swamped with work, under pressure, and your worth is determined by your ability to deliver the impossible, it’s easy to feel completely drained. You might start to feel detached, cynical, and like you’re not making a difference or underappreciated at work. But this spills over into your personal life, relationships, and overall well-being.
Caregivers and Emotional Burnout
Caregivers devote much of their time and energy to taking care of someone else. When that effort put forth for another person completely eclipses the care they put towards themselves, often caregivers can feel a physical, emotional or mental exhaustion that feels insurmountable. A caregiver may feel overcome with anxiety or fear that if they make a mistake it will harm a person within their care. Often caregivers will feel guilty when taking time for themselves because they deem it as less important than caring for others.
Parenting and Emotional Burnout
Society places intense pressures on parents to be consistently attentive and loving, while still balancing the rest of life’s demands. Parenting is a fulltime job that never stops, so it’s only natural to feel frustrated and burnt out from time to time. If you’re a parent experiencing burnout, it’s important to recognize that you’re not a bad person and your feelings are valid and normal. It’s also crucial to remind yourself that these feelings are temporary. Be patient with yourself because how your treat yourself has a ripple effect into how you treat your loved ones. And because you are deserving of the love that you have readily been giving to your family.
Coping with Emotional Burnout
Here are a few ways to cope with the emotional exhaustion:
- Self-care: setting aside time for yourself to participate in self-care activities such as sleeping, exercising, meditating, or hobbies that you find enjoyable and relaxing.
- Taking breaks: taking regular breaks between tasks to rest and recharge.
- Prioritize tasks: making a list and prioritizing 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: reaching 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:
If you feel on your way to experiencing burnout, or you’re currently in this feeling, click here to book a free 20-minute Counsellor Match Consultation to be connected with a counsellor.
Pavan is a thoughtful and engaging therapist who specializes in trauma and childhood experiences, empowering children and teenagers to find their voice in a supportive environment. She creates a safe space where clients feel heard and understood, allowing them to explore their emotions and personal journeys without judgment. Above all, Pavan is dedicated to guiding her clients towards resilience and growth, helping them discover their inner strength and navigate their paths with confidence.
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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
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Caregiver burnout. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9225-caregiver-burnout
Healthline. (2021). Parental burnout. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/parental-burnout#parental-burnout
