Identify and Manage Burnout
Burnout happens when your body undergoes ongoing stress. This can be a result of trying to juggle too many tasks that take time to manage. There are 3 stages of burn out:
(1) Wired: a feeling constant mild stress that raises your cortisol (stress hormone), making you feel anxious and restless. This is a coping stage that can last a long time and often is not recognized as burnout.
(2) Tired & Wired: Your body loses resiliency to cope with ongoing stress. Your brain continues to release cortisol, but your cortisol receptors are wearing out, making you feel tense and tired. In this stage, your mental health declines.
(3) Tired: You feel both emotionally and physically exhausted/overwhelmed. Your cortisol levels lower, which leads to a lack of motivation. You enter a poor state of mental health.
When you experience burnout, you can feel exhausted both mentally and physically. Common symptoms of burnout include:
- Feeling detached from others
- Constantly feeling tired no matter how well you sleep or rest
- Feeling unfocused, overwhelmed or anxious
- Physical symptoms like headaches, brain fog, sore muscles, or digestive problems
Burnout is something that can easily sneak up on us when we don’t stop to take care of ourselves. The first step in preventing burnout is acknowledging that we feel burnt out. It’s not a sign of weakness to accept that we may need to take things slower.
Small acts of kindness that you can show yourself include:
- Take deep breaths before leaving the house for the day.
- Take 2-3 minutes to yourself and sit in the car quietly after you park it.
- Instead of scrolling on social media, listen to a short inspiring podcast.
- Stand outside, feel the sun on your face, even if it is only for a few minutes.
Long term strategies to manage burnout include:
- Set your boundaries. Say ‘not right now’ to things that do not NEED to be done right away.
- Ask for help from others. You don’t need to do everything on your own.
- Talk to a therapist. Visit PsychologyToday.com to find one that suits your needs, or try connecting to a counsellor through the Magna Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP – code: magna).
