Work Burnout: Meaning, Warning Signs, How to Avoid It.

Are you the kind of person who keeps your calendar so full that you barely have time to breathe? If so, you may actually be addicted to being busy. Don’t believe me? Well, consider the fact that you might be proud of how full your schedule is (especially if it’s full of things that make you feel important) and even seek validation from others when they praise how much you have going on.

You could also see your schedule as a measurement of your self-worth and feel like if you’re not constantly on the move, then you’re slacking off or wasting time. Do these sound familiar? If so, it might be time to figure out whether this addiction is hurting or helping you.

There are both positive and negative aspects of being addicted to being busy. The positive parts are clear: if you are someone who loves the thrill of accomplishing something new every day and getting lots done, then being busy will likely be a self-esteem booster for you because it lets you continually feel like an active participant in life. It also gives structure and meaning to your day, which can help keep depression at bay. The negative parts are where it can get tricky: by staying so active all the time, someone with this addiction can sometimes set unrealistic expectations for themselves.

It’s easy to feel good about being in demand at work and having a full social calendar, but burnout under all of these demands is not a badge of honor.

Pushing yourself past your limits to do more for others or work can be seen as a kind of self-sacrifice that makes you above average, but this habit doesn’t mean you’re being noble or productive.

When you constantly say yes to things at the expense of your well-being, you aren’t serving anyone—you’re just setting yourself up for failure and exhaustion.

Maybe it’s just the fact that we’re all so accustomed to being busy that when we aren’t, we don’t quite know what to do with ourselves. Whatever the reason, there’s an undeniable connection between being busy as adults and how it ruins us in many ways than one, and one of these ways can easily be identified as burnout.

Are you guilty of getting overwhelmed with a truckload of activities? Well, you’re at the right stop. Cause I am too. And in this article, I want to tell you why being “busy” is not so cute for your health and mind.

Defining “Busyness”

Being busy could imply that you’re putting in long hours and getting things done. It could also indicate that you’re packing too many activities into your schedule and aren’t giving yourself enough time to relax and recover.

We live in a culture of busyness. Being busy and having a packed schedule has become the norm, and it’s not just because we’re over-scheduling ourselves or trying to do too much at once. It’s also about what we value as a society and how we extend that pressure on ourselves as individuals.

We value working hard, we value being productive and doing things that matter. While these may be good values to have, we also value multitasking, and we value activity over inactivity. The problem is that when we’re constantly busy, we can end up feeling like we’re always in a state of panic, and that can negatively affect our mental well-being if we’re not careful.

Being busy isn’t a sign that you’re living life right. In reality,

Taking on more than you can handle isn’t something to be proud of; it’s something to overcome.

It’s great when the things keeping you busy are in line with your purpose. However, how can you redeem yourself from this mess? If your days feel overwhelming because you can’t get through all your tasks without feeling rushed or stressed out or burned out all the time. It is important to take this into consideration to be able to identify if you are experiencing burnout.

What Is Burnout?

Simply put, Burnout is the new black. It’s a chronic condition that has become so common it’s almost a badge of honor. It is not a specific medical diagnosis. Rather, it’s an umbrella term used to describe a range of symptoms including exhaustion, cynicism, and detachment from work. It can also lead to depression and anxiety.

Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by overworking oneself. It is usually associated with the workplace and can have serious consequences for your health.

Burnout occurs when you feel exhausted, unhappy, and frustrated because you have been putting in too much effort for too long. In other words, being extremely busy.

For some people, burnout can result in depression, which can make them want to withdraw completely from the world around them. For others, it can lead to anger or aggression towards other people who they perceive as being responsible for their situation.

A recent survey found that one in three people in the UK have been affected by burnout at some point in their lives, while around one in five says they currently feel burnt out every day while being busy at work.

Millennials born between 1989 and 1997 are more likely than previous generations to experience burnout. This is because this generation has higher expectations for their careers and a greater sense of responsibility for their families.

What Are The Warning Signs of Burnout?

Here’s how you know you’re suffering from burnout, and here are some tips on what you can do about it? Burnout can occur when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of your job or other commitments that keep you busy. You may experience symptoms of burnout if:

• You’re tired or exhausted most of the time

• You feel emotionally drained and unable to feel joy or pleasure in life

• You’re less productive than usual at work, home or both

• You’ve lost interest in things you once enjoyed doing, including hobbies and social activities

• If you are feeling like you are stuck in a rut and not being able to get out of it, then you may be suffering from burnout.

• Feelings of cynicism, pessimism, or negativity about your career prospects

• Changes in eating habits (increased appetite or loss of appetite)

When we feel like we’re getting things done, we get high on dopamine, a hormone that helps us stay focused and motivated. It’s why we love checking things off our lists, or why it feels so good when we finally get around to cleaning out our closets. But alas, like any drug—and yes, it is a drug—we can become addicted. Too much dopamine can cause us to push ourselves too far until we start to see diminishing returns on our efforts. That’s when it’s time for a break.

So what should you do? Set aside some time for being lazy. Give yourself permission to take a nap or go for a walk without your phone or any other distractions. When you’re feeling energized again, approach your tasks with more energy and focus than ever before.

How To Fix Busyness And Avoid Burnout

Here are some tips for keeping your busy and burned out life in balance:

1. Stop multitasking. This can be hard to do when you’re juggling lots of tasks at once, but it’s worth practicing. Try doing one thing at a time and seeing if your productivity improves.

2. Make time for breaks during the day — even if only for 5 minutes at a time — so that you aren’t constantly working without any rest breaks (or worse — falling asleep at your desk).

3. Schedule time for checking emails, responding to text messages, etc., so that these tasks don’t interrupt other things you need to get done during the day (or week).

4. Practice mindfulness meditation or yoga every morning; this will help you get into a positive mindset before starting your day (and give you energy).

5. Take a break – this could be as simple as going for a walk around the block or having a coffee with a friend. The aim is to give yourself some space from your thoughts so you can regain perspective on things.

6. Do something different – try taking up a new hobby or learning how to cook something new. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant it seems, doing something different will help improve your mood and give you something else to focus on instead of work problems.

7. Breathe deeply – if you’re feeling anxious or stressed out, try breathing deeply into your stomach area for five minutes – this will help slow down your heart rate and relax your muscles which may feel tense from stress/anxiety.

8. Talk about what’s bothering you.

9. Figure out why you’re so busy.

10. Get rid of your social media addiction (or any other addiction).

11. Make a list (and know when to ignore it).

12. Don’t try to do everything yourself.

13. Schedule time for breaks (and take them).

Conclusion

If you want to stop feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and exhausted, the single most important thing you can do is to stop being so busy. Our culture of busyness has gotten out of hand. It’s a badge of honor to be able to say you’re way too busy—that you have no time for anything fun and can barely get your work done. In many ways, it’s become a status symbol. But at what cost? Busyness distracts us from what we should be focusing on, drives us crazy with stress, and keeps us from enjoying life. The key is to learn how to slow down and prioritize what matters.

All images are sourced from unsplash