Can you come back from burnout?
You can come back from burnout. You will overcome it, whether in your current job or a new one.
Stress in the workplace is all too common. There are techniques and healthy coping mechanisms available to work through it. But left unaddressed, stress can become an ongoing, debilitating part of your life.
You’ve been in your current career for a while, and were confident when you began.
But your job satisfaction has since been waning. You are not feeling inspired or excited by the work you’re doing. You feel disconnected from your coworkers and boss. You’re exhausted all the time, and your motivation feels nonexistent.
You want to overcome these feelings, but don’t know where to begin. So you hope that they will go away with time. But they only worsen, and you feel lost.
What are the symptoms of burnout?
Occupational burnout is an advanced stage of chronic stress. As such, the signs and symptoms are very similar.
Left unaddressed too long, symptoms of chronic stress will devolve into burnout. The trademarks of burnout are:
- Exhaustion and lack of motivation
- Cynical and negative thinking
- Feeling a lack of accomplishment or agency
These signs of burnout can lead to impatience with coworkers, insomnia, physical symptoms of anxiety, and substance abuse as a coping mechanism. This can seem overwhelming to work through, and you may feel stuck.
Burnout recovery - How do you relieve burnout?
Thankfully, it is possible to relieve burnout symptoms, and eventually recover. Just like the symptoms themselves, the recovery techniques are similar to those of workplace stress. Recovery may be more difficult, because of the advanced nature of burnout. But relief is possible with:
- Self-care (nutrition, exercise, sleep)
- Setting limits with work
- Mindfulness
- Work-life balance
Therapy will assist you in implementing those techniques. We will point out concrete, small changes that you can make in your daily life. And we will identify your specific stressors at work, so you can address them.
Burnout recovery - How do you relieve burnout?
f your stress is based primarily on your own actions and mindset at work, healthy coping mechanisms should set you on the path to relief. If a conversation with your boss is necessary to make changes in the workplace, we will also help you navigate that.
But there is also a chance that, in working towards relief, you may find that your stressors are toxic enough to warrant a job change.
You can work on yourself, and you can have open conversations with your employers. But if the stressful circumstances at work don’t change, and healthy coping mechanisms do not succeed in relieving stress, you may decide that switching careers or positions is worth it.
Of course, only you can make that decision. But we will help you identify when that option may be best, navigating the pros and cons.
Your goal is to create a healthy working environment, whatever that may look like for you. Through a combination of working on yourself and acting on the sources of your stress, you can create a bright future. And we will support you in the process. Start today.
