Editor’s Note: Life can be overwhelming sometimes. We know this for sure. We’re sharing this article, originally published in May 2020, to help you recognize the times when you’re burned out and take steps to get to the other side.
You need to text Rachel todayI tell myself. It takes, oh, I don’t know, maybe fifteen seconds to send the text; these are some fingerprints on my phone that are most likely already in my hand. But I can’t. The simplest tasks can paralyze me.
There’s an email – well, a dozen emails – that I need to respond to, an article I’m five weeks past the deadline for, jobs I passed up because I can’t send a simple message. I am by no means a slacker; I’ve been trying to outdo myself since I spent my break times indoors helping my teachers. Why play when I could be grading spelling tests, why sit and clear my head when I could be listening to the latest episode of The Daily, why fall asleep watching a stupid movie when I have a pile of The New Yorker Are there magazines piled up next to my bed? It has been repeatedly imposed and reinforced on my millennial cohorts and myself that every moment should propel us forward, making us smarter/fitter/richer or making the world as a whole kinder or cleaner.
Before all that This happened, I had over ten years of working a morning job, an afternoon job, and an evening job, many of which turned into weekend jobs, plus being a reliable friend and a sympathetic person and a voting, contributing, informed member of society. Ten years of answering “How are you?” » with “busy” or “tired”. I’ve spent most of this pandemic sleeping, and a large part of me is relieved and grateful for the forced downtime so I can catch up on decades of sleep. sleep deprivation.
My mental state depends on how efficiently and successfully I can knock tasks off my to-do list, but some tasks never get crossed off because the burden of doing everything, all the time, has paralyzed me.
Some days I can do the big things, but not the small ones. Some days the little things push me to think I can accomplish the big things, and then I collapse. My mental state depends on how efficiently and successfully I can knock tasks off my to-do list, but some tasks never get crossed off because the burden of doing everything, all the time, has paralyzed me. Many of us live, and have lived for years, without any clear demarcation as to when we are on and off the clock. And we are exhausted.
Burnout is a sneaky elixir of exhaustion and chronic stress it doesn’t benefit anyone. So here, for the sake of our health and happiness, let’s start by recognizing burnout and fighting it as early as possible.
5 signs you’re exhausted
1. You are tired. Really, really tired.
Being exhausted takes exhaustion to a new level. Think foggy brain, general lack of motivation, and being easily irritated. Do you have trouble concentrating? Do you feel frustrated, more than usual? Is it difficult to get out of bed in the morning? Your body knows everything; just listen to it.
2. Your relationships are suffering.
When suffering from burnout, some people may exploit their annoyance by lashing out at those around them. (Often, it’s the one who deserves it the least who takes the brunt.) Others may withdraw or disconnect. Pay attention to how you manage your relationships when you’re experiencing burnout.
3. Your work performance declines.
Feeling unsatisfied, stuck, bored, without ambition – that’s burnout. Before you leave your job, assess whether there is anything you can do or someone you can talk to about making things better. There’s a difference between temporary boredom and long-term burnout.
4. You experience chronic health problems.
When ignored for a long time, chronic stress can be directly correlated with serious health problems such as heart disease, digestive problems and depression. It’s never worth it.
5. You don’t take care of yourself.
Too much alcohol in the evening, too much coffee in the morning, and not enough sleep in between is one way to deal with burnout, but it’s a terrible way to deal with burnout. Keep an eye on your vices and how you use them when you’re feeling stressed. For me, it’s excessive napping; This is my favorite avoidance technique. For you, it might be chain smoking or becoming sedentary.
5 steps to recover from burnout
1. Schedule time to relax.
One of the benefits of living in a pandemic is that we all remember the relaxing leisure activities we hadn’t taken time to do yoga, read, reflect, take a walk, or attend virtual happy hours. It’s important to have a corner of your life that isn’t work-related and dedicate time there for no reason other than to make yourself happy.
2. Unplug.
Turn off your phone and go for a walk. Spend an afternoon in the woods digging ramps. Banish phones to another room during dinner. While our little portable robots seem necessary to modern life, turning them off sets limits and streamlines your thought processes, since you’re not bombarded by that text, email, or other breaking news notification.
3. Get enough sleep.
Sleep is the panacea for almost everything. It’s necessary for memory, productivity, and overall mental function. Recovering from burnout requires replenishing the resources you have to deal with stress, and sleep is priority number one.
4. Pay attention to your body.
Everyone and everyone body reacts differently to chronic stress. My TMJ flares up when I’m particularly stressed and I would stay in bed all day if it were allowed. Some may experience headaches or shoulder tension. Maybe you have digestion problems or suffer from anxiety attacks. It’s important to listen to the physical signals your body is sending you.
5. Understand when it’s your problem and when it’s theirs.
Think about it: Is your burnout driven by internal factors, like societal pressures, or external factors, like more demands and fewer resources at work? Understand what’s stressing you out and who you need to talk to about it, whether it’s your boss or you.
Megan is a writer, editor, etc. who muses on life, design and travel for Domino, Lonny, Hunker and more. Her rules of life include, but are not limited to: zip when merging, tipping cash, and contributing to your IRA. Be a friend and subscribe to his newsletter Night vision or follow her Instagram.