What is burnout?
Living in modern times, we are constantly in a hurry to get things done - "the more, the merrier," they say. Not only that, but we also want to manage all aspects of our lives simultaneously while doing more. Getting more work tasks done in a shorter period of time, everyday chores like cooking and cleaning, getting the kids from school, maintaining good physical shape, you know how it goes. As if our lives have become a series of tasks with a particular set of deadlines. Such constant hurry makes work-life balance extremely hard to maintain, which ultimately leads to the so-called "burnout". If you want to check your stress levels and have a dedicated practice, check out our Digital guide ‘The Calm Reset’. It has become such a popular term across the internet, and yet... what exactly is burnout?
Burnout is not a medical or mental disorder
Diving deeper into the clinical definition first, burnout is not a medical or mental condition, in contrast to lots of speculations around being one. Rather, the World Health Organization defines it as an ‘occupational phenomenon’- a syndrome meaning it's a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion usually caused by a high-stress work environment. However, it can also be caused by other life pressures and demands, such as having responsibilities as a parent, caretaker, or living with an illness. Initially, burnout symptoms are subtle, with gradual progression. It occurs when high demands have been prolonged and repeated to a point where they exceed one's resources. Although it is hard to determine the incidence of burnout, it's evident that it affects mostly middle-aged people, who are ambitious, motivated, highly competitive, and extremely concerned about time management and have an intense sense of urgency and control. Do you recognise yourself in these descriptions? I can tell you that I can. Before discovering what burnout is, I just thought that I was stressed. Working in corporate London has always been stressful, working with high-stakes clients has always been stressful, so when I started experiencing more and more frequent demotivation, poor sleep schedule, even hopelessness, which are just some of the symptoms of burnout, I just kept repeating to myself "you're just stressed". However, after researching more about burnout and its definition, I found out that although it can be caused by stress, they are not the same.
Burnout takes a long time to develop
Everybody experiences stress at some point in their lives. It's your body's normal response to demands or threats. Stress can cause your body to react with a burst of energy, a faster heartbeat, or quick thinking when you have a big project at work or an important exam. In fact, this can assist you in meeting deadlines or overcoming obstacles. Stress is usually short-term, and it's a natural reaction of the body to become more alert. Reducing stress can be done by finding ways to relax and recharge. Burnout, on the other hand, can occur after experiencing prolonged stress, especially in situations where you feel constantly overwhelmed. This is beyond being busy - it's feeling emotionally drained, disconnected from your work or personal projects you no longer find interesting, and having a sense of helplessness. Another big difference is that while stress can affect your mood, sleep, and overall physical condition, burnout affects your mental and emotional state more deeply. It can lead you to a negative outlook on life, make you doubt your achievements, and feel like a never-ending cycle.
We all have a limit, you do not need to test yours
Every person's mental and physical energy has a limit. Mental energy is the internal psychological resource that controls behavior, executive functioning (such as working memory and attention), emotion, and cognition. Motivational orientation, self-reward of gratification, appropriate judgment and decision-making, tolerance, willpower, and inhibition of unsuitable responses are all regulated by mental energy. When exposed to constant stressors, the resources of this mental energy are being drained, which ultimately results in burnout.
In the next blog, we are going to talk more in detail about the symptoms of burnout and how to recognise them easily.
