By Francesca, Michelle, and Raymond
For many people, mental health recovery involves keeping a daily routine, attending therapy, returning to employment, etc. While these are all important factors in recovery, stress can occur even when things are going really well. It’s important to notice burnout and respond to whatever needs we have at that time. Taking care of oneself involves noticing how your emotions and stress level changes on a day-to-day basis.
Raymond N. shared one of his personal experiences of burnout in his life. He reported, “usually when people get burnt out, they are more likely to make mistakes because they feel more pressure. When that happened to me, I found myself wanting to “give up” on a job, and I paid the price because I quit a job instead of just taking some time to take care of myself. Instead of letting things get to that point, it’s better to learn to notice burnout before it gets too bad.”
Michelle F. also shared about an experience of burnout she had at work recently: “I noticed that I was burnt out because of the stress I felt at work. My supervisors at work wanted everything to be perfect. It made me feel like I wanted to be by myself a lot so that I could just let out my emotions. I wanted to be alone so that I didn’t have to worry about feeling weak around anyone else. Because of this, I got to a point when I mostly kept to myself at work, and I started to question whether I wanted to even keep working at my job. I slowly noticed myself feeling burnt out over time. I also learned that signs of burnout for me include feeling more physically exhausted and losing my voice.
According to an article written by staff at the Mayo Clinic entitled “Job burnout: How to spot it and take action”, there are various causes of job burnout, which may include: lack of control, unclear job expectations, dysfunctional workplace dynamics, extremes of activities, lack of social support, and work-life imbalance. According to this article, some ways to notice burnout can involve asking yourself the following questions:
- Have you become cynical or critical at work?
- Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?
- Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients?
- Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
- Do you find it hard to concentrate?
- Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
- Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
- Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
- Have your sleep habits changed?
- Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints?
When folks don’t tend to their burnout, it can lead to any of the following consequences:
- Excessive stress
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Sadness, anger or irritability
- Alcohol or substance misuse
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Vulnerability to illnesses
Michelle reported, “when I finally realized that I was experiencing burnout, I figured out how much PTO or sick time I had saved up at work. I ended up taking a day off work to rest and relax and extended my normal weekend into a three-day weekend. I plan to drink hot tea, take my allergy medication, and eat some nutritious food. Hopefully these things will help to energize me and restore my voice.”
Michelle is off to a great start with these strategies. Some additional strategies suggested in “Job burnout: How to spot it and take action” include
- Evaluate your options
- Seek support (reach out to us at the Clubhouse!)
- Try a relaxing activity
- Get some exercise
- Get some sleep
- Mindfulness and meditation
