Burnout.
It’s all over the internet these days.
Coaches, social media influencers, even reputable news organizations are all talking about “burnout.” You don’t have to look very far to find an article, blog post, or video talking about what is (unfortunately) becoming a very common experience.
Let’s break it down together.
Burnout: A prolonged state of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion.
What causes this intense and prolonged state of exhaustion?
One word…STRESS.
If you live life in a state of chronic stress (i.e consistent and repeated over a long period of time) without the proper coping mechanisms or strategies in place to help you deal with that stress, you will more than likely begin to feel a consistent sense of overwhelm and exhaustion.
In other words, you’ll start to feel “burned out.”
This stress can be triggered by a variety of things, including work, parenting, or relationships.
Now, please note…this does NOT mean that working hard at your job or parenting your children is a bad thing. It simply means that these areas of life come with a lot of responsibility and, at times, pressure.
Without the proper coping techniques in place, even truly GOOD things, like a job you’re passionate about or parenting the children you adore, can lead to burnout.
Alright…
Now that we’ve covered WHAT burnout and WHY it happens, let’s get to the real question on everyone’s minds:
HOW do you know if you are experiencing “burnout?”
Here are a few ways that “burnout” can manifest in your life:
- Feelings of apathy or dread towards work or relationships
- Loss of motivation to pursue things that once interested and excited you
- Chronic fatigue or recurring illness
- Unexplained muscle tension
- Insomnia (despite being tired)
- Irritability
If you are interested in learning more about burnout and how you can deal with or even mitigate it in your own life, I have a podcast episode for you! In this episode of the No Labels, No Limits podcast, my guest Vicki Oliver dives deep into the topic of burnout and shares her tips and strategies for coping with chronic stress.
If you like what you hear, OR have enjoyed listening to any of the No Labels, No Limits podcast episodes…I want to hear from YOU!
To celebrate our 200th episode, I’m showing my appreciation for you and the rest of my podcast audience by giving away $200! All you need to do is fill out this form HERE and tell me about your favorite podcast episode!
RESOURCES:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-recovery#signs
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx