Towards the end of last year, I was skirting burnout territory.
When I started recognising that it was time to take a break, I didn’t quite comprehend how much I was venturing into burnout.
It wasn’t until I realised that I had a really hard time letting go of work and thinking of work, that it hit me: I’m on the cusp of burning out.
Now, a good holiday later, I’m feeling much better. I’ve spent most of my holiday knitting, painting, crafting, playing and doing anything but think about work.
And in hindsight, I think there was an idea in the back of my mind that told me I shouldn’t be burning out from this job. This job that I love, which gives me immense pleasure to do and which thrills me.
But, of course, burnout from a job you love is just as real as from a job you hate.
It’s just easier to admit burnout from a job you hate.
Some signs you’re feeling burned out
You experience an increased urge to numb stress with food, alcohol, gaming, or TV to escape the overwhelming stress.
You concentration and memory are affected. You struggle to focus on tasks (reverting to things like scroll on social media very easily).
Overwhelming dread and anxiety at the thought of everything you have to do each day. (Yes, even when these are things you’d normally love.)
You don’t get the same pleasure or satisfaction that you once enjoyed from the work itself. This is a telling one. Last year I wrote somewhere around 300,000 words for work (about 117k was for fiction, the rest for my other writing jobs).
By early December, faced with needing to finish edits on my first full-length novel and decide if it’s going to be one book or split into two, I felt like I’m never going to write again.
I felt like every story idea has been done and is boring and worthless. All characters seemed like dry cardboard cutouts that had no right to exist.
In short, I’d started hating my job.
That was one of the clues that told me I needed time off, because everything I did or tried to do made me irritable and grumpy.
What’s important to note here is that even questioning if you’re burned out indicates that you at least need a break.
When you’re feeling more tired than usual, can’t seem to get your energy up no matter how well you eat and sleep and exercise, you need a proper break.
Experiencing increased aches and pains, irritability, and sleep or appetite changes are also often signs of burnout.
Fantasising about a different career or job with less responsibility can be a sign of burnout.
As is resenting the fact that you even need to do the tasks to get your work done.
And feeling like the your you do doesn’t matter and doesn’t make a difference. (This one is a huge sign of burnout.)
Taking more time off, coming in late, skipping lunch or breaks. When it feels easier to sit at your desk and work through lunch, rather than get up and take care of yourself, it’s time to take a break.
And, of course, if you’re reading this.
If you’re wondering if what you’re feeling could be burnout, it’s a good sign that something’s going on and it’s time to take a step back and assess how you feel.
Once you realise you have burnout, what can you do?
First, admit it.
You can’t heal from something if you don’t recognise there’s something you need to heal from.
If you’re like me, you’ll feel like you need to power through, no matter how hard it gets.
But ignoring how you feel is a recipe for disaster. It quickly becomes exhausting, that state is difficult to maintain, and all it does is make things worse.
Grant yourself permission to slow down, even for just a moment, and acknowledge your feelings and experiences of them.
If you can allow yourself one moment, allowing yourself another will be easier.
Simply acknowledging a feeling and letting it run its course is healing in itself.
Plan and take breaks. This might be stepping away from your desk, going for a walk, or even leaving work early today.
It can also mean a long weekend of a real holiday, with honest time off work. Ideally, as much time as it takes for you to stop thinking about work and forget all about the work stuff.
Make time for grounding yourself.
Orienting to the present moment helps you decrease the feeling of stress.
Use deep breathing as a way to connect to your body and regulate your body when you feel overwhelmed.
Remind yourself that what you feel is a normal reaction and that nothing is wrong with you.
Find ways to empower yourself.
This may mean looking for changes; changing shifts, hours worked, or responsibilities at work.
If it’s been going on for a while and you feel like you’ve got nothing left to give, it might mean finding a new job or even a new career.
Remember, burnout is not the cost of success.
It’s you ignoring your own needs for too long.
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“When Sasha Barrett gets bitten by a snake on a mission, her squad captain’s quick actions not only save her life, but also make her realise something she may have known all along…“
