What is burnout?
Burnout can be the result of chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been managed. If you have feelings of low energy, exhaustion and a sense of mental distance, negativity or cynicism towards your job, you could be burnt out.
How does it happen?
We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have it all and to be it all, says Linda Breathnach, member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and founder of therapyandtraining.ie. Working from home with no commute perhaps meant more time with the kids, to do chores, to meet friends or for exercise. Those who returned to the office may be trying to still fit all of this in. “There can be a feeling of overwhelm, overload and of exhaustion. Sometimes it’s our own unrealistic expectations of ourselves to be a high achiever in the workplace and to have work-life balance,” she says.
How do I avoid burnout?
If you have a tendency to drive yourself too hard, it’s time to ask some questions. “Try to have some self-awareness of why you are doing it,” says Breathnach. “Sometimes we think we need to do this for our job when actually it’s not required. We think we should because it’s the right thing to do, or because it’s a quality mark of our work when maybe it’s not the expectation of our employer at all,” she says.
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Try to be self-aware
If you are spending too much time at work, ask yourself, “Why is work taking priority?”. “It could be something like a confidence issue or a trauma that is driving us to overdo it and exhaust ourselves,” says Breathnach.
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Overwork can be a form of avoidance or of seeking validation. “Maybe we are getting all this praise and kudos for reaching targets at work and all we are getting is hassle at home for not coming home. It can become part of our identity where we can forget other important parts of our lives,” she says. The pandemic hasn’t helped. “With restrictions, we weren’t socialising as much. Things can slip, our priorities can go askew and we can lose other parts of our identity.”
Be kind to yourself
For those with a tendency to be switched on all the time, rest is vital. “Take a break, get a change of scenery if you can, fully switch off, put on your out of office, don’t check emails,” says Breathnach. “Talk to good friends, stay connected to things outside of work or do some talking therapy with a professional,” she says.
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Take personal responsibility
Self-care and self-compassion is vital. “Notice if you are beating yourself up, or if you are being your own worst critic,” says Breathnach. Take breaks in your work day too, with time for a proper lunch break or a walk.
“We have to be more disciplined and boundaried around that, especially if we are working from home. Try to have self-compassion and take personal responsibility for our own boundaries and work-life balance.”
