Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and
emotional? Find out if you are heading for a burnout disaster.
Stress is part and parcel of modern life
but if you don't manage it properly it has the potential to wreak havoc and may
eventually lead to a clinical condition referred to as burnout.
Burnout is more than just being tired. In
most cases of burnout, the body manifests some or other disease because the
mind has been overwhelmed and stressed for a long period of time. This stress
build up can happen over months or sometimes even years and the results are
feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. Burnout is a total physical, mental,
and emotional energy drainer.
Exhaustion vs. burnout
We are all likely to suffer from exhaustion
at some point in our lives. Unlike burnout, exhaustion is a physical condition
that inadvertently influences your mental state of mind. Most driven people
suffer from exhaustion because they want to do more than what the body is
capable of. In most cases, exhaustion is caused by factors such as long working
hours, being up at night with a sick child, or having an emotionally draining
argument. In such instances when the person has enough rest and sleep, preferably
over a whole weekend, their energy levels are restored to normal.
Burnout on the other hand is more
debilitating and can trigger volatile behaviour. The main symptom of burnout is
constant and unabated fatigue but it is coupled with feelings of worthlessness,
lack of acknowledgement at work or at home, anxiety and generally being
overwhelmed by life's challenges.
Burnout candidates
While just about anybody who feels like
they're carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders can suffer from
burnout, there are some people who are more prone to it. Healthcare workers and
police officers who have intense and emotionally charged working environments
are very susceptible to burnout because of the continually stressful nature of
their work. Burnout people are most frequently people with an A-type
personality: ambitious, driven, strive too much for perfection and expect
everything to be done their way. These personality types are more susceptible
to burnout because they often feel disappointment that they are not rewarded
for their efforts.
Treatment
There is no quick fix when it comes to
burnout and treatment is often a multi-pronged approach that involves serious
lifestyle changes, such as exercising, changing your diet and intense therapy
or counselling. It is important to get psychological help to enable the brain
to form new neurological paths. This adjustment will bring about a different
response to the way the person handles situations. Burnout people, must learn
to become pro-active instead of reactive, which results in impulsive behaviour
towards challenges and stress that will lead them right back down the burnout
route.
Positive self-talk and a positive support
structure is an important part of the healing process. It is also important for
people in recovery to get fresh air and exercise, and find time and space to
recharge their batteries.
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