A burnout is most often described as a state of chronic stress and frustration that leads to detachment, along with physical and emotional exhaustion. There are days, weeks even, when people can’t quite snap themselves together. The things they used to love doing, the passion that they once felt for hobbies or personal projects or even watching TV shows are gone. People become more and more irritable around friends and family. Insomnia plagues the mind and sleep is hard to get. They’re drained mentally and physically. This is what it feels like to experience a burnout.
Everything is tiring. It’s difficult to get out of bed or to do anything simple without feeling like nothing will turn out well.
A burnout can lead to diminished health, social withdrawal and depression. These burnouts are a result of immense demands or responsibilities placed upon us either by others or by ourselves. I think the saddest part is how deadly a burnout can become. When someone loses all that they are passionate for, it can feel like there’s nothing left to live for. Imagine looking at something with all the importance in the world, then the next day to not give it a second’s glance. Burnouts kill passion.
Living without passion is like not living at all.
Detachment and isolation is another sensation caused by burnouts and can also lead to heavy depression. They don’t feel the need for social interaction, there’s no point and it’s a waste of time. They feel hopeless and their lack of productivity does terribly on their performance. But when faced with such a devastating situation, how can one recover from a burnout?
Firstly, it’s important to know why they feel this way. Do they feel pressured at work? What environment do they surround themselves in? Is it a positive one? All these things factor into how people start feeling the way they do. Secondly, make sure they receive a good amount of sleep. With burnouts, adequate amounts of sleep fight against chronic fatigue. Thirdly, vacations are important. Sometimes, it’s hard for people to say they deserve a break. When feeling overworked, it’s important for people to give themselves a break to reassess what they need to do in order to get better. Lastly, creating goals. This type of self-analysis will make people think about their own values and how much it means to them. Sometimes, people’s daily lives contribute to burnouts and creating a list of reassuring goals can create positive thinking.
In the end of it, burnouts are a nightmare anyone can wake up to.
