Imagine a candle that burns in the middle of a very busy office. People are constantly running errands, tossing endless amounts of stationary, and through all that rush, the candle flickers while struggling to keep its flame lit. This goes on until, at some point, the slam of a huge stack of papers being thrown next to it eventually puts it out. The wick of the candle, once beautifully burning now looks crooked, black, and shriveled. That might give you an idea of how a person experiencing burnout is feeling.
Burnout is defined as “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress”. It usually occurs when you feel overwhelmed by a situation or a task.
Burnout is a widespread issue that can happen to anyone regardless of age. In fact, a 2022 study has shown that at least one in four people experience burnout. This often goes unnoticed as people just mislabel it as laziness or lack of productivity. However, burnout is a very serious issue that oftentimes, if not identified and dealt with properly, can even cause severe cases of depression.
Being caught in the helpless feeling of being burnt out can lead to finding comfort in harmful leisure activities such as binge eating or mindless scrolling which allow temporary relief and relaxation and trick the mind into thinking we’re fine. These nocive habits can lead to the gradual separation from social circles and make things that you used to enjoy seem like a chore, like something else we need to cross off our do-to list.
The first approach one must take, in both tackling and avoiding a stage of burnout, is trying to detach from the task and find the root of the stress. It might not be the assignment itself that is stressing us out, but rather the fact that we let it come too close to the deadline or that we don’t have the resources needed to complete it. This shouldn’t, however, be confused with procrastinating a certain assignment. Detaching from a task to avoid burnout doesn’t mean that you don’t complete the task, you just have to complete it in a non-stressful manner.
In the book titled “Burnout” written by the Nagoski twins, the two researchers refer to burnout as not only the result of accumulated stress but rather something that is heavily influenced by outside factors, such as the need for perfection and high expectations from others. Essentially, the book summarizes the way a person can break out of a vicious stress cycle, firstly by practicing self-awareness and then by pursuing activities that bring joy. For example, going dancing, doing yoga, playing with your pet, or having a sleepover with your best friends releases oxytocin (also known as the love hormone) in our bodies and gives us a sense of well-being.
So, working towards our goals shouldn’t be done in such a manner that it harms the body and mind. And if you find yourself feeling burned out, acknowledge the problem, take a break, go outside, talk to a friend, and don’t let it escalate to anything severe.
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