Stress and Burnout

There simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

Do you feel like you have a million balls in the air, trying to juggle all of life’s demands, but have so little time to do it? Do you feel like everyone is depending on you to get things done, have things perfectly organized, and yet you can’t always deliver? Are you worried about letting people down by saying ‘no’ to their requests? Or perhaps you are feeling burnt-out, unmotivated, and unfulfilled with your job or daily activities; even small tasks can feel like climbing up a mountain.

Stress and burnout are two of the most common mental health complaints from people today. Although technology advances have helped us be more organized and have improved the efficiency of our jobs, this has paradoxically also put an enormous amount on our “to do” list each and everyday. We are constantly flooded by push notifications, emails, and texts. Work never turns “off”, leading us to ignore basic self-care and actually ‘be present’ with our families and friends.

What is the difference between stress and burnout?

Although stress and burnout are caused by similar situations, such as a demanding job, there are key differences in how they manifest. Someone who is stressed usually becomes hypervigilant, wound up, and over-reactive. In contrast, people struggling with burnout usually become disengaged, less motivated, and have a sense of hopelessness that things will ever improve. Burnout is usually a term applied to the feelings of complete exhaustion and disengagement for a job or career, although the term has broad applicability to other areas of life such as caregiving, parenting, academic learning, and technology. It might be helpful to think of stress and burnout as a spectrum, where “stress” is when the tank is almost empty (you struggle to meet the demands of life) and burnout is when the tank is completely drained (you stall, can’t continue your journey).

Does life seem like “too much”? You may be burnt-out.

For many people with burnout, a general sense of helplessness is present. Life may lose meaning, and even small tasks are just too much to bear. Some other common signs of burnout include:

• Extreme mental and physical fatigue

• Difficulty concentrating on even simple tasks

• Emotional detachment from things you used to enjoy

• Inability to complete tasks that are expected of you

• Sleep deprivation (or oversleeping)

• Feelings as though you are constantly letting people down

• Getting sick often / lowered immunity

• Migraines, chronic stomach issues

• Appetite changes

• Withdrawal from your friends, family, coworkers

• Irritability, short-tempered, anger

How psychotherapy helps you reduce stress and burnout

Therapy is helpful for managing stress and burnout because it allows the person to make a self-care plan that actually works. A therapist helps the individual locate the sources of stress (even the hidden, sneaky sources that we may not be aware of), and start prioritizing what needs to get done versus what can wait. Therapy teaches the individual to “let go” of pressures, practice compassion for not “getting it all done” and reach out to others for help when needed. The client learns to set boundaries that protect their integrity and motivation to continue each and everyday. The client engages in practical strategies to mitigate stress with both short-term and long-term effects and the therapist holds them accountable to practicing these strategies on a routine basis. Finally, through cognitive therapy, the client learns important ways to perceive stress in their life that is more helpful than some of their previous ways of thinking that has led them to burnout.

You do not have to “drag yourself” through life. Take back charge of your well-being today!