Burnout?!

1. Exhausted, overwhelmed, burned out
2. If you feel burned out now, you must have been “full of fire” before
3. Nonspecific symptoms
4. How can I avoid burnout?
5. Unwind from all that tension
6. Am I suffering from burnout?

Exhausted, overwhelmed, burned out

Tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, burned out. More and more people are suffering from burnout. About 10% of individuals working in certain jobs are affected, and some 20 to 30% of people in Western industrialized societies are at risk, and the number of patients is on the rise.

Typical burnout patients used to love their job for many years. They used to be very committed to it and worked a lot of overtime. Everything used to be so easy and such a breeze. But no longer so: Joy has turned into frustration, exhaustion and a feeling of being overwhelmed and empty. The body and soul are no longer in balance

If you feel burned out now, you must have been “full of fire” before

Burnout is typically brought on by long periods of unrelenting stress, rather than by brief periods of unusual stress. Permanent stress eventually causes the body and soul to “break down.”

Burnout is not a problem confined to executives and other individuals with a lot of responsibility. People at risk also include social workers and persons who need to juggle a full-time job with the duties of a parent or homemaker for instance. In fact, many burnout victims tend to overburden themselves. They tend to overcommit themselves and may be overambitious or very idealistic.

Other situations that may lead to burnout include the need to cope with a huge workload under poor working conditions or to a tight deadline, lack of support from supervisors, and working nights, weekends or alternate shifts. Such unhealthy lifestyles leave too little time for family, friends and play.

Many future burnout patients were raised by parents who attached (too) much importance to good grades, academic and other achievements. Such individuals tend to define themselves in terms of performance, recognition from others and outstanding achievements on the job in their adult lives.

Nonspecific symptoms

There is no clear-cut, uniform pattern of burnout signs and symptoms. Patients may experience many different complaints that may include somatic, autonomic and mental symptoms.
Patients in more advanced burnout phases tend to report any combination of the following symptoms:

- Headache
- Tense muscles
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Lack of motivation
- Weakness
- Lack of sleep/sleep disorders
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Increased use of pleasurable substances
- Increased susceptibility to colds and infections
- Inability to unwind

Overeagerness is slowly and gradually—typically over months or years—being replaced by exhaustion. Affected individuals tend to become quickly overwhelmed and exhausted, make more and more mistakes, suffer from mood swings, irritability and the inability to unwind.

Advanced burnout leads to a crisis, eventually causing a complete breakdown with signs and symptoms that may persist for long periods of time.

How can I avoid burnout?

You must be(come) fully aware that your condition will not improve unless you alter your habits and lifestyles for good. Learn about your physical and emotional limitations. Learn to live with your own shortcomings and keep your personal limitations in mind. Learn to say “NO.” Ask friends and family to give you help and support. Don’t feel in charge of everything and everybody. Learn to trust and rely on others—they may be just as capable of taking care of things as you are. Find out what has a positive impact on your overall well-being. Be realistic about what you expect from yourself. Be less demanding on yourself for a more relaxed lifestyle.

• At work, take short regular breaks. Delegate duties to coworkers.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Don’t grab a bite on the run. Have regular meals instead.
• Actively plan hobbies and leisure activities with friends and family.
• Separate your job from your private life.

Make a conscious decision to recharge your batteries off the job. Take the time to do things you have neglected for too long, such as enjoying good food, moderate physical activity, get-togethers with friends and family, hobbies and long walks. Take weekend trips to the sea, go to the sauna or to other relaxing places.

Unwind from all that tension

Remember: Prevention is better than cure. A healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity, eating a balanced diet and getting a lot of sleep, is good for your body and soul, and it is the most effective way to prevent exhaustion. Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation are also helpful. These are particularly useful for preventing (the harmful effects of) stress on the job and are easy to include in your daily routine. Using a relaxation technique just a couple of minutes a day may already have a significant impact, nipping unhealthy stress in the bud.

Am I suffering from burnout?

If you fail to benefit from these relaxation techniques and your symptoms persist for weeks or months, you are probably suffering from serious burnout. But wait a minute. Before you get active on your own, you should see a health care provider for competent advice because exhaustion is not necessarily the same as burnout. The root cause of exhaustion and similar symptoms is often a physical or mental disorder (such as a thyroid condition or emotional imbalance) that needs to be treated appropriately.