Some industries pride themselves on how hard they work their employees, and with ‘hustle-culture’, it is no wonder so many of us feel burnt-out. In 2019, the World Health Organization classified burnout as a syndrome resulting from ‘chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’. It is not characterised as an illness or health condition – however, chronic burnout can affect our health and wellbeing. 

The symptoms of burn-out are similar to those of mild depression, and often we don’t even realise when we are running on fumes. Symptoms include, among others: 

• feelings of self-doubt or cynicism, and mental distance 
• feeling helpless and detached 
• exhaustion and frustration 

• GI issues, headaches and other unusual physical symptoms 

Burnout typically occurs after having been affected by the anxiety of high-stress for long periods of time. If you are experiencing burnout, or feel you may be burnt-out soon, here are a few ways to deal with it (and prevent it).  

Identify your stressors 

Burnout isn’t always just caused by workload. Sometimes it’s family and household issues, feeling unsupported, or an imbalance between work and life. To catch early signs is to make a daily practice of being conscious of how you feel when dealing with certain people, or doing certain tasks. Preventing burnout means dealing with the building stress first. 

Practice healthy lifestyle choices 

When we feel down we tend to want to binge on the greasiest, coma-inducing amount of fast-food to feel ‘better’. But eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly helps create a sense of well-being and will also help with getting a good night’s rest. 

Release, relax, rest 

Burnout is essentially a build-up of the pressure that is aching to be released. It is important to find ways to unwind and release any frustration or stress from time to time. Many people find this release in exercises like running, kickboxing or CrossFit while others release it through baking, cooking, painting or writing. Instead of binging series, and turning to comfort food, find a more effective way to unwind and relax. 

Try something new or fun 

Burnout can cause a listlessness for life, where things we once enjoyed become uninteresting. Try coming up with fun goals or creative ideas for your work – make it exciting! Trying out new hobbies or obtaining new skills will also help to put the spring back into your step. 

Manage your time/life 

When we’re burnt-out we may feel like we have lost control of our lives. We may feel like we are working non-stop – and that we need to. The Pomodoro Technique encourages working on one task for 25 minutes, then taking a short break between. This will allow your brain the rest it needs throughout the day. Don’t eagerly add extra work to your plate when it’s already overflowing – taking time for yourself is important.  

Ask for help and support 

There is no better person to love you than yourself. Going to a loved one or even a counsellor to talk through how you’re feeling is helpful in gaining support from those around you. But in the end, burnout can be caused because of feeling inadequate – remind yourself that you are worthy, and that you have your own strengths and weaknesses as a human being. You don’t need to do everything all the time.  

Words: Saadiqah Schroeder