Breaking the Cycle of Burnout for Busy Adults

Burnout is slow building, but once present is drastic. The pressure of having to “keep everything together”, combined with busy life schedules can leave adults feeling physically and emotionally drained. If you feel that you are constantly tired, feel unmotivated in your daily life, you’re not alone.

Recognizing the Signs:

Burnout shows up in multiple ways including tiredness or stress, but the symptoms are deeper than that. You may find yourself feeling exhausted, emotionally numb, disconnected from your family and friends, or may be feeling more irritable than normal. Physically, burnout can present itself as headaches, weakened immune systems, or digestive issues. Emotionally, it may feel as if you are expected to keep producing work, but it feels like you are running on empty. It is important to recognize these signs, to prevent any long-term consequences. If you feel your patience is wearing down constantly, your body may be in a constant state of fight or flight. This may be your body’s natural way of signaling to you to rest, and take time for yourself.

Unpacking the Root Causes:

Burnout can come from feeling overwhelmed, but it is important to understand not only what is overwhelming you, but the why behind you feeling overwhelmed. It can be stemmed from patterns like people-pleasing, perfectionism, or internalized self-beliefs. These come in forms such as “My worth is based on my work” and “I have to keep working in order to feel accomplished.”

Ask yourself:

• What are my expectations for myself?
• Whose approval am I seeking daily?

Understanding the why involves addressing more than just the symptoms, but involves deeper conversations such as family conflict, fear of failure, or unresolved trauma and grief.

Daily Resets:

Incorporating small daily activities such as a 10 minute walk without electronics, focused breathing, listening to a podcast or a song with full attention, or enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend are all small acts of mindfulness that can re-regulate your nervous system and help you return to the present moment. Healing burnout oftentimes requires your brain to be “retrained” to incorporate stillness into a busy schedule.

Therapy as a Prevention not a Cure:

Oftentimes, people only seek therapy once they are already deep into burnout. Therapy can serve as a proactive method to help catch burnout before it takes hold. In therapy, you are able to look at your own stress patterns, work through expectations of yourself, learn healthy emotional regulation techniques, and recenter yourself on your values that are instilled within you. Counseling is a great place to reflect and make intentional changes.

Final Thoughts:

Burnout isn’t equated to weakness. Burnout is a natural process your body and mind go through to remind yourself to take time to rest. It means you have been strong without needed support. The cycle of burnout can be broken through small consistent life changes, compassion, and learning a deeper understanding about yourself. If you ever feel like you are experiencing burnout, please reach out as we would love to partner with you and support you on your journey!