Burnt Out!

How does someone like me with my knowledge, expertise end up like this?

I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with me for the last week or so. I'm exhausted, losing motivation, finding it impossible to get even the simplest things done. These symptoms have gotten so extreme that I thought I might be pregnant! (I'm not for the record). I'm just burnt out!

Even writing this blog post today, (which I normally love feels like a monumental task). So since I'm not pregnant, which I thought was a very plausible excuse for this level of exhaustion, I need to do something about it! Being the queen of self care, teaching/practicing yoga, working with clients and teaching them about self care and stress management, one wouldn't think I wouldn't end up in the burnt out boat!

The Burnt Out Boat

But here I am anyways! Burnt out and not quite sure what to do about it! If someone came into my office needing help with stress management and burnout; here would be some of my suggestions:

• Examine what they do to take care of themselves. My suggestions often include: exercise, healthy diet, hot bubble baths, time with people who make you feel good...the list goes on.
• Examine their stressors: family, work, finances, time management.
• Help them organize their time: TIME MANAGEMENT
• Enquire if they have received medical attention for a possible illness/medical issue.

Practice what you Preach!

Ohhh that's the problem! All my good advice that I have been doling out; I have completely neglected to use on myself. This is where my routine self evaluation comes in.

In Health & Wellness Professions we are often taught about "Burn Out, Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress." Which basically means that by listening and working with clients that are going through so much emotional, physical, psychological and even spiritual pain; we start to take on their symptoms.

You may be on the road to burn out if:

• Every day is a bad day.
• Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.
• Your exhausted all the time.
• The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhelming.
• You feel like nothing you do makes a difference

According to Help Guide "The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of your life- including your home and social life. Burnout can also come long-term changes in your body that make you vulnerable to illness like the cold and flu. Because of its many consequences, its important to deal with burnout right away."

Help Guide recommends using: The "Three R Approach"

• Recognize: Watch for the warning signs of burnout
• Reverse: Undo the damage by managing stress and seeking support
• Resilience: Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health.

Causes of Burnout:

Apparently there are 3 specific causes of burnout. In most cases burnout often stems from a job (ding, ding, I've found my problem!) But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout from CEO's to stay at home moms! However, according to Help Guide burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and certain personality traits. What you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing burnout as work or home demands.

Work related causes of burnout:

• Feeling like you have little or no control over your work
• Lack of recognition or rewards for good work
• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations
• Doing work that's monotonous or unchallenging
• Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment

Lifestyle causes of burnout:

• Working too much, without enough time for relaxing and socializing
• Being expected to be too many things to too many people
• Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others
• Not getting enough sleep
• Lack of close, supportive relationships

Personality traits can contribute to burnout:

• Perfectionism tendencies; nothing is ever good enough
• Pessimistic view of yourself and the world
• The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others
• High-achieving, Type A personality

Burnout Prevention Tips:

Start the day with a relaxing ritual: find ways to start your day in a relaxing, rejuvenating manner. Instead of just jumping out of bed. Consider spending at least 15 minutes meditating, writing in your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires you.

Adopt healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits: This is the one I often find myself neglecting when I'm burnt out. When you eat right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have the energy and resilience to deal with life's hassles and demands.

Set boundaries: Don't overextend yourself. Learn how to say "no" to requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying "no" allows you to say "yes" to the things you actually want to do.

 Take a daily break from technology: Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email!

Nourish your creative side: Creativity is a powerful anecdote to burnout. Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with your work!

Learn how to manage stress: When you're on the road to burnout, you may feel helpless. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. Learning how to manage stress can help you regain your balance.


The problems been identified, I know what to do, so now....I just need to Practice what I Preach!