Burnout Recovery
How to deal with burnout.
Do you feel like your work is no longer worthwhile? Perhaps you’re not appreciated, or you struggle to find the purpose. Maybe you still think the work is important, but you can’t enjoy it anymore.
You may be struggling with burnout. Burnout is defined as the exhaustion that comes from being overwhelmed. However, it goes deeper than that. It’s about wondering why you do what you do, or feeling as if it’s never enough.
Does any of these signs of burnout sound familiar?
- You feel exhausted, all the time
- You feel disconnected and struggle to care about your work
- You feel ineffective and worry that at any moment someone will discover you’re a fake
- You feel guilty about slowing down
- You feel pressured by outside expectations
- You believe that if you stop you’ll prove you’re a failure
- You do great work, but others don’t see or appreciate it
- Your work is taking a toll on your health, both physically and mentally
- You can never get the right balance between work and home life
- You feel stressed all the time, even when you’re “relaxing”
Would you like to learn how coaching or therapy can help with burnout in the workplace, or in your personal life? Visit here to set up a free consultation.
Types of burnout.
In my work with clients, and my personal experience, I’ve identified two types of burnout. I call these “extistential” burnout and “situational” burnout. Let me explain.
Existential Burnout
First, let’s explore existential burnout. This is a less about what you do, and more about how you define success and happiness.
Our culture often defines success as working hard, doing more and more, and racking up awards and recognition. But what happens when you get all that (or you’re on that trajectory) and it’s still not enough?
In many cases, others may find you extremely competent and talented, but you don’t see it in yourself.
This typically ties back to schemas, or deeper beliefs about yourself. You might feel you need to prove you’re worthy of respect, have trouble trusting anyone else, or feel there’s something inherently wrong with you. When you see everything through those deeper beliefs, no amount of success will fill that hole.
Situational Burnout
Sometimes it’s the work or environment itself that’s causing most of your difficulty.
Each field can have its own version of this. For example, lawyers might feel constantly pressured to bill more and provide perfect work. Those in social service fields may only feel validated when they take on more and more clients, even when it’s an unreasonable amount.
It’s also possible that through no fault of your own, you have found yourself in a truly toxic situation. I often see people who have invested so much time and energy into a situation that they have trouble letting go – even when it’s clearly draining the joy from their life.
Need some help with burnout right away? You can go ahead and reach out here to set up a free consultation.
Other contributors to burnout.
Now that we’ve talked about the types of burnout, let’s consider other aspects that may be contributing.
Trauma
You may have experienced trauma on the job, or secondary trauma (when you’re hearing with other’s stories of trauma). Often my clients have experienced trauma as a child or young adult, and the ripples from that trauma can affect their personal and work lives.
Imposter Syndrome
Unfortunately, our culture programs us with all kinds of self-sabotaging thoughts, and we’re programmed to help it along. For example, you might think you’ll never be good enough and fear that one day someone is going to discover that you don’t actually belong in your role. Thinking this way can drain your confidence and your energy.
Each of these areas may need to be addressed to help you get to the core of what’s causing your burnout. Would you like support for past trauma, job stress, or imposter syndrome? Set up a free consultation to see how I can help.
Preventing burnout in the workplace.
I wish I could find everyone early in their lives or careers and help them prevent high stress and burnout. That’s obviously unrealistic, but I can help you start wherever you are right now.
If you’re just starting to experience this type of overwhelm, I can help you create a framework to rejuvenate your mind and your body so that you can stay committed to your values and what you really want in life.
If you’re further along and have been burned out for years, it’s time to make a change in that cycle. We might not be able to change the past, but we can use what you’ve experienced to make a shift for the future.
Ready to get started? I’d love to hear from you. Click the button below to set up a free consultation.
Treatment for burnout.
Here are some of the strategies I use that have been effective for my clients.
Redefining Success
Remember when I mentioned above that schemas, or deeper beliefs about yourself, can lead to existential burnout? Fortunately, you can limit how much schemas affect you, especially over time.
Rewriting your definition of success can be a powerful tool in healing burnout. In a society that often equates success with long work hours, constant productivity, and external validation, you can find yourself trapped in a never-ending cycle of exhaustion and dissatisfaction.
By shifting your perspective and redefining success on your own terms, you can break free from the grips of burnout. Instead of measuring success solely by external achievements, you can start to focus on holistic well-being, personal growth, and work-life balance. Embracing self-care, setting realistic boundaries, and prioritizing mental and physical health become essential components of this new definition. By redefining success, you create space for healing, rejuvenation, and a sustainable approach to life and work.
Recognizing Values
Cultural values, such as always looking confident, being a “certain kind” of attractive, working harder and harder, and racking up recognition and success may not match what’s most important to you.
Sometimes when we compare how people spend their time, and what they believe is most important deep down, don’t match up.
Have you heard those stories of how a stock broker became a therapist, or a therapist became an artist? Maybe that’s the change you need, or maybe it’s more subtle than that.
Perhaps it’s about setting boundaries around when you leave work, or keeping your weekends open for your kids. Maybe it’s changing your focus and redefining success in your current career.
Completing the Stress Cycle
Chronic stress creates a buildup in our bodies that needs release. Hormones are released because our brain perceives that something big is coming. We might need to run, fight, or hide. It can’t tell the difference between a stressful conversation and an all-out disaster evacuation.
That’s why we need to release our stress. It may be through relaxation techniques, exercise, or talking through a situation. I can help you identify what works best for you, and put a plan into place.
Making Decisions (You May Not Have to Change Careers!)
I don’t pressure my clients to make decisions one way or another. Sometimes it’s not realistic to make a drastic change. For some, it can be just as helpful to reframe what they do, or make changes within their work.
Perhaps that equals a shifting your focus, your viewpoint, or changing positions. Maybe it’s making a plan to stay where you’re at now, while you set long-term goals into action behind the scenes.
Sometimes deeper work can make all the difference. For example, working through depression or trauma can leave quite a bit of room to have more of what you want in your career and personal life. Let’s talk to see how I can help.
How Does This Work?
Whether you’ve been to therapy before, or this is your first time, I strive to make it easy and non-intimidating. I’m here to help, not to judge! We’ll start by getting to know each other a bit, and then make a plan if you decide to move forward.
Here are the basic steps to take:
- Schedule a free consultation
- Begin therapy to deal with and prevent burnout
- Start priortizing yourself and your health and happiness!
I’m here when it’s time to move forward. Visit here to get started.
Christine Walker Coaching
Trauma-Informed Career Coach & Therapist
in Connecticut
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9 am – 5 pm | Closed Tues and Sat