Burnout: 3 Years On
“I still struggle with burnout cycles”
My burnout story/ recovery/ current stress struggles
The start of Burnout
In 2020 I was burnt out. I moved from London to the countryside. I was working for an American wellness company as a copywriter and even though it was a good job I felt empty inside.
Initially, I enjoyed the work as it was stimulating and each day brought new promotions and projects. However, there were signs that the workload was unmanageable. When I spoke to my manager she shrugged it off and said it simply needed to be done.
During the lockdown, I found the increase in communication difficult. Each day was full of Microsoft Teams calls, Zoom calls and more emails. I found myself glued to the computer screen.
Signs of Burnout
Burnout symptoms include negativity at work, ineffectiveness, and exhaustion (WHO, 2019). Burnout is emotional, physical and spiritual exhaustion caused by chronic workplace stress. Although the World Health Organisation focuses on workplace burnout, there are many types of burnout nowadays, such as digital burnout. “Burnout” was coined by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger (in the 1980 book Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement), where he noted that burnout is:
“the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”
Other signs of burnout include:
Sleep issues
Low mood and feeling worthless
Lack of work boundaries (working overtime)
Chronic stress
Social isolation
I remember ignoring these signs because I thought I needed to ‘toughen up.’ Everyone was working hard. If I could go back in time, I would take the red flags more seriously. These were: Racing thoughts, anxiety over making mistakes, and lack of clear work boundaries (over-working).
Some factors that caused my burnout were:
Lack of support from management
Unmanageable workload
Too many communication channels
High-pressured environment
Quitting my job
I remember opening my laptop each day and thinking “what now?” Towards the end, I felt overwhelmed each day by the volume of work. I talked to managers and HR but there were no easy solutions other than put up with over-working.
I went to the GP as I was experiencing anxious thoughts and sleepless nights. He mentioned having free NHS CBT sessions or anxiety/ sleep relief medication. I knew this wouldn’t solve my issues but I tried CBT anyway. It was 7 weeks of 30-minute sessions (really 20 minutes after they asked safeguarding and compulsory questions). I never felt like the person on the phone cared as they were shifting me off to deal with the next caller.
On the day I had my review I remember the manager criticising me and I just thought, “enough.” I was working around the clock and it wasn’t enough. My head said “carry on” and my heart said, “get out.” Even though it was scary, I listened to my heart and said, “I quit.”
Recovery
People think that you quit a stressful job and then your problem is solved. No more burnout right? Nope. It took me a long time to understand the root cause of my burnout, why I people-please and have a lack of boundaries.
Today, three years later I am still learning about burnout. Sometimes I think back to that stressful time and I go into panic mode. Yet, it wasn’t just that job that caused me to feel burnt out. There were many jobs that used a “churn and burn” model of working.
Today I provide therapy and coaching to those with burnout and anxiety. So many workplaces don’t support staff adequately and employees are left struggling. Each person thinks it’s just them but it’s a structural organisational issue which isn’t easily solved.
Holistic healing
Even though I offer therapy and coaching to others, I still struggle with burnout cycles. I’m not perfect.
Stress can still affect me negatively. For example, a deadline brings about the fight-flight-freeze stress response, which then causes my body to react (feeling anxious). Too many stressors can make me feel anxious and worried. The process is:
Trigger > Fight-Flight-Freeze Stress Response > Reaction [Stress]
In The secret to solving the stress cycle book (2019) Dr Emily Nagoski and Dr Amelia Nagoski (twin sisters) mention that to complete the stress cycle, we can bring the body back to balance by:
Movement
Connection
Breathing
Laughter
Speaking to loved ones
Crying
Creative Expression
Mindful productivity
Self-care is important. So is being mindful when working. Mindfulness can keep us present and not go down various anxious rabbit holes. Mindfulness is not only for yoga enthusiasts, anyone can practice mindfulness (presence) when working.
Mindful productivity is when you’re consciously present when working (or doing an activity). You’re aware of your emotional and mental states. It’s being aware of stress, thoughts, and tension—noticing when anxiety strikes, so you can cope better. I literally stand up and shake the stress out of my body when working. Being mindful also helps me let go of harsh thoughts (“you haven’t done enough”).
Some mindful working tips that work for me are:
Close tabs: Close too many tabs and focus on one or two.
Fun: Put the fun back into work by reading a few pages of an inspiring book each hour.
Movement: I do 30 easy stretches during breaks and make movement stupidly simple.
Challenge procrastination: Often I delay things because of perfection, not wanting to ask for help, or thinking it’ll take ages. I now just do 1%, even touching it is better than nothing.
Dreaming: I journal (even for one minute) on my bigger goals and visions because it inspires me.
What works: Consider what works/ doesn’t and experiment with healthy working styles.
Emotions: I journal to channel my emotions onto a page.
Moving forwards
My hope is that sharing my burnout story will help someone else feel less alone.
Understanding the root cause of burnout and listening to the body is a process. We aren’t taught to listen to our instincts and intuition but sometimes we have to learn, unlearn, and experiment our way to a healthier, more balanced life. And that’s ok.
Seeking online therapy? Book your 1 hour consultation here.
Want a quick chat? Email me: therapywtanya@gmail.com or phone me: +44(0)7401699753