I don’t know about you but the beginning of school seriously has kicked my butt. I feel like this season has been busier than ever and just led to me just being one unhappy individual. Between this being the busy season at work, the activities, plans, and working crazy hours – I was burning out.
Burnout is more than just job stress. It encompasses mental, physical and emotional exhaustion as well as includes doubting your competence and value of your work. Individuals who work in helping professions are especially vulnerable, but you are also at risk if your job is monotonous, you have a tendency to try to be everything to everyone, or you feel like you have very little or no control over your work.
It can be caused by a lot of different factors like extremes in activity (one day it’s boring, the next it’s hectic), lack of social support, work-life imbalance (if work is taking up so much time that you don’t have the ability to spend time with loved ones), a mismatch in values (if your values are different from the way your employer handless things, this can take a toll), problematic workplace dynamics (if you are being undermined, or there is a person at work who makes things difficulty for you) and a lack of control (no control over your schedule or workload). Burnout can also lead to more serious conditions like depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, diabetes, headaches, insomnia, fatigue and even alcohol and substance abuse.
So how do you know you are burning out? Some of the ways include feeling like you are becoming cynical or critical at work, problematic sleeping and eating habits, having unexplained headaches or other physical ailments, feeling like you have to drag yourself to work or having a problem getting started once you arrive at work, if you feel irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients, or there is a lack of satisfaction that you feel from your achievements.
I personally knew something was wrong when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, was feeling tired all the time, and just had an overall feeling of not being able to continue on this way. I sometimes push myself to work a lot of hours and the start of school is very stressful for me. A lot of my clients are in school and they prefer after school appointments which are very hard to come by (I am booked for 3pm or later appointments into November to give you an idea). So to accommodate people, I was staying later and later on days that I am not scheduled to be at work late. It’s taken it’s toll. I was feeling bitter and angry that I was staying late (even though it was my own fault) and it was affecting my job and my personal life. I knew some things had to change because I would not be able to continue on that way for very long. So, I did some regrouping and am changing things up a bit. So here’s what I did to combat my own burnout:
- I started scheduling lunches in my schedule. I know this sounds crazy, but we have productivity expectations (which basically just means we are required for our job performance to see a certain number of clients) so we usually don’t schedule a “formal” lunch hour – and just eat when someone cancels or doesn’t show up. I am done with that – I need the 30 minutes to relax, regroup and enjoy my meal.
- I started to compensate my hours. Last week I worked 47 hours (but am only paid for 40). So, I started leaving grounds during times that I did not have a client scheduled. My boss suggested I do that last week during supervision, so I decided to take her up on that offer. Yesterday I went for a walk and had lunch with my husband. It was a nice break in my day.
- Exercising and eating better. Since being diagnosed with high blood pressure I have really taken a look at my eating habits and changed some things (mostly smaller portions and healthier snacks) and have made efforts to exercise more consistently.
- I said no. This is a big one for me – but there was something that I originally signed myself up for that was giving me a lot of anxiety and just overall dread. I finally conceded and told the person that I couldn’t do it and I have felt a lot of relief since then.
- Self-care. I do really well with self-care for a little while and then it steadily goes out the window. But, I’m back on it and have made myself an appointment for a much needed manicure and did meditations yesterday and the day before. I have also started writing in my gratitude journal again.
I think all mothers tend to put other peoples needs in front of their own. I am definitely guilty of this, even at work. I need constant reminding I am no good to anyone if I am struggling myself. If you are not experiencing any of these issues, that is amazing! But – you should definitely keep the warning signs in mind because burnout is one of the those things that can creep up on you silently. You have to take the time to honestly assess your life and stress levels before it is too late. If you feel like you are burning out, talk with your supervisor, a colleague you trust or a professional to help guide you through the situation. Take the time to take care of you!
If you have experienced burnout, what are some ways that you got through it?
