How to Actually Recover From Burnout
Feeling exhausted all the time? Are the Sunday Scaries getting worse and worse? If so, you may be experiencing burnout. Burnout is a common struggle among therapists, doctors, nurses, and other helping professions. If you’re feeling chronic burnout, you may notice that a restful weekend or beach vacation is not enough to cure your burnout. Recovering from burnout requires addressing the factors contributing to your burnout.
What is burnout?
Burnout can be defined as a prolonged state of exhaustion, detachment, and ineffectiveness. If you are feeling burnt out, you may notice yourself feeling more detached from your life or your work, as if you’re “just going through the motions.” You may feel that your work is less effective than usual. And you may feel exhausted all. the. time., even if you’re getting a sufficient amount of sleep.
What Causes Burnout?
Burnout can be caused by personal factors, systemic factors, or a mixture of both. Burnout happens when the demands you are carrying chronically exceed your capacity. Among mental health professionals, research shows that early career therapists are more likely to experience burnout, which is likely due to a mix of personal and systemic factors.
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Personal factors are factors such as perfectionism, unrealistic expectations (specifically, the expectations that you place on yourself), self-criticism, and having a hard time allowing yourself to rest. Many people who work in helping professions are accustomed to prioritizing the needs of others, sometimes at the expense of your own needs.
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Systemic factors impacting burnout can include working with limited resources, having high productivity requirements, workplace culture, and whether you have supportive peers. Burnout can also be impacted by the complexity of your work and how much emotional energy is required to perform your job.
For people from marginalized backgrounds, you may feel an additional sense of pressure to “prove yourself.” And if your work involves working with people who have experienced similar things as you, you may notice yourself pouring all your energy into your work because you understand the struggles your community members are facing.
Notice Your Signs That You Are Starting to Feel Burnout
Burnout is often a feeling that builds over time. Take a moment to consider your specific signs that burnout is starting to build. Being able to spot these signs can become an indicator for you that something needs to shift. For instance, I know that if I start wanting to stop for takeout on my way home, I am likely starting to feel burnt out. This is because my brain knows I am being stretched too thin and cooking feels like the easiest thing to drop from my list of responsibilities. Your warning signs of burnout may include:
A heightened sense of dread about going to work
Wishing meetings or appointments would be cancelled (specifically, meetings and appointments that you used to enjoy or find meaningful. Meetings that could have been an email are a different story)
Less motivation to cook or take care of your home
Withdrawal from friendships
Increased conflict with roommates, partners, family members, or other loved ones
When you notice these signs, ask yourself these two questions:
What demands am I currently managing?
What is impacting my capacity right now?
How do I address the systemic factors of burnout?
In an ideal world, we would all be able to set boundaries at our workplaces to prevent being pushed to burnout. In reality, we know this oftentimes is not possible due to financial constraints or organizational requirements. When there are factors outside of your control, it can be helpful to practice self-compassion. You are not a failure if it feels like you cannot keep up with expectations that are placed on you by others. Your burnout will only become worse if you are hard on yourself about things that are outside your control. If your burnout is being impacted by systemic factors, consider how you can seek resources and support to help increase your capacity. This could involve building peer support or creating systems that help make your workweek less stressful.
How do I address the personal factors of burnout?
The personal factors of burnout are more within our control. However, many of these factors are likely rooted in longstanding patterns and may feel difficult to address. Take a moment to reflect on what personal, internal factors may be impacting your sense of burnout. Consider the following when thinking about your burnout:
Is it perfectionism?
Are you placing unrealistic expectations on yourself?
Do you feel like you need to earn rest?
Does it feel hard to rest if you know there are still things to do on your to do list?
Is a strong inner critic contributing to negative self-talk?
Are you struggling with feeling like you need to prove that you belong in your profession?
Working with a therapist can help you address the personal factors contributing to burnout. Therapy can help you recognize the ways your perfectionism or inner critic are trying to protect you. For burnout to shift, you may need to become comfortable with rest being part of your regular routine and not just something you save for your annual vacation. Therapy can also help you navigate situations where you feel like you need to “prove” that you belong.
Ready to Address Your Burnout?
Andy Price, LMFT compassionately helps therapists and other helping professionals in Sacramento and across California address the personal factors of burnout and manage the systemic causes of burnout. If you’re ready to recover from burnout and change your relationship with perfectionism or other self-expectations, reach out today to schedule your first session.
