Are You Burnt Out or Just Tired?
You’re exhausted, you feel like you need a caffeine IV just to make it through the day, you’re stressed out, feeling completely overwhelmed, with no end in sight, and you’re finally at a point where basically every dinner for the rest of your life is going to be cereal because you just can’t anymore. On good days, maaaaybe you’ll actually pour it into a bowl with milk. But mostly, you’ll eat it out of the box while you “just finish one last thing” of work until it’s 1 am…rinse and repeat…
So you think you’re burnt out? Because the word "burnout" gets thrown around so much, it seems synonymous with stress, overwhelm, or exhaustion. But that’s not actually what burnout is.
And yes, it matters because to solve a problem, you need to know what the problem really is. Here are a few questions and answers I go through with my clients.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a severe stress response. It is when you feel for a consistent period of time three dimensions simultaneously:
Exhaustion
Cynicism or depersonalization around your job. Meaning feelings of negativity or dread.
Reduced self-efficacy around your job/work. Meaning you feel incapable or unaccomplished or ineffective.
Burnout is not a medical condition or diagnosis. It is a work-related phenomenon.
What causes burnout?
So far, researchers have identified six major areas that drive burnout. Each occurs when there is some type of disharmony between the individual and the job. Researchers call this person-environment fit or person-job fit. Alignment with your job and the environment in which you work is critical to your mental and physical health, your happiness, and your performance.
The six areas are:
Workload: Are you overworked, or underworked, or is your workload aligned with the time and resources you have to accomplish it?
Control: How much control or discretion do you have over what do?
Rewards: This is not always about pay or benefits. In fact, it is usually about recognition.
Community: Are you aligned with your colleagues, boss, subordinates, customers/clients/patients? Is there a sense of community at work?
Fairness: Are you treated fairly? Are your colleagues? It is a fundamental psychological need to be treated fairly.
Values: Does the mission of the company align with your personal values? Does your work? Are you being asked to do something you think is unethical? Are you proud to work at your company?
How do I know if I’m burnt out?
If you are experiencing all three of the dimensions I listed above, then you are experiencing burnout. Some signs, though, are if you feel a sense of dread about your work. If you have trouble focusing. If you’re irritable.
If you realize you’re starting to withdraw from work or social engagements or hobbies that once brought you joy. If you’re making more mistakes. If you’re feeling less in control of your work or life. You might be sleeping poorly, craving crappy foods, pull back from exercising. There are even some indications that you can experience digestive problems and musculoskeletal pain.
Ok, I think I’m burning out…what do I do?
Look over the six areas I listed above. What jumps out? What do you think is contributing? Once you have a clearer picture as to what is contributing to your sense of burnout you can take action. It’s important to change not only your lifestyle but your work environment to the degree that you can. This is really critical and often missed.
Identifying what corrective or preventive actions can be taken is something I work with my clients on. Most people do not have complete control over their work. If you do, you are in some ways lucky. In other ways not because that most likely means you are an entrepreneur or solopreneur. And we are, according to some research, more prone to burnout.
A few areas to consider are: setting and enforcing boundaries, delegating tasks, adjusting your work environment, and letting go of perfectionism.
Beyond that, the actions that need to be taken depend on the person and the situation. Reach out if you want more clarity. I offer complimentary consultations to see if we’re a good fit for each other.