BURN-OUT
WHAT IS BURNOUT ?
Burnout .... Every one of us suffers from stress from time to time. Very human. For example, because you have something exciting to do; because you want to do too much at once; you can't get your work done by a deadline; intensive caregiving duties; tension in your relationship; loss of a loved one ... . these are all stressors that can disrupt the balance between your carrying load and carrying capacity .
These stressors put your body in a state of readiness! You get a wake-up call, so to speak, which can cause you to react faster. This in itself does not need to be a bad thing BUT, if stress persists too long, you may body and your mind become exhausted.
If your experienced symptoms are more severe than you would expect based on the severity or intensity of the stressor, and your symptoms result in obvious limitations in your social or occupational functioning, then your adaptability is disturbed, and we talk about overstrain and burnout. These are similar, BUT in burnout you have been under stress for a longer period of time. Then you get so tired that you burn out physically and mentally.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL WITH BURNOUT?
- Exhausted and tired
- Quickly irritated and stressed
- Gloomy or anxious and powerless
- Restless
- Relaxing and enjoying fun things is difficult
- Getting to sleep is not easy
- Difficulty with concentration
- Forgetful
- Having difficulty making decisions
HOW BURNOUT OCCURS
If we find ourselves feel responsible for something, then we invest energy in it. But if too much energy goes into the activities, your energy reserves run out. E.g. if you keep doing too much at once/there is constantly too much being asked of you/the environment does not support you enough/…
In burnout, your reserves are so far depleted that your body is confused. Then you can be tired but not get to sleep. Poor sleep increases fatigue even more, making it harder and harder to start performing tasks of your daily life.
Your thoughts are also important in the development of burnout. If you constantly experience stress, you think negatively about yourself and your behavior. For example, you think that something will probably go wrong again, or that you will never succeed. It often happens that underlying thought patterns are the driving cause.
Thus, your thoughts cause you to fall into the negative spiral.
WHEN DO YOU NEED HELP ?
Are you already experiencing a long time stress? And do you find that this has left you exhausted and overworked?
If these feelings interfere with your normal daily activities, it is interesting to think about seeking help. Be sure to discuss it with your doctor. Burnout doesn't just resolve itself on its own.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR BURNOUT
At the heart of burnout is the loss of control and lying underneath, coping problems. So logically, the core of your recovery lies in restoring that control and giving you tools for coping.
Your behavior and thoughts keep your symptoms going. During therapy we will actively work on changing them. It is also important that you learn things by experiencing them.
First, we chartwhich stressful events have played a role in your burnout. Together we look at how you deal with your stress. For example, are you going to work even harder? Or do you become complacent?
You will also learn how to make your can relax again. After all, this is very important for your recovery.
In addition, together with the therapist, we look at your thoughts. Are these really justified? Is everything really all unfeasible? And does everything go wrong? Are you really not allowed to say ‘no’? With the therapist you examine whether thoughts are correct and whether they are helping you. Then you will adjust these thoughts if necessary.
But not always everything is solvable. Sometimes things are just the way they are. Together we look at what you have control over and what you don't. You tackle the problems for which there is a solution, and learn to accept unsolvable problems.
Once you've recovered sufficiently, we can work together to see how a re-entry into work can proceed. What is a good way? What adjustments are needed in your workplace? This is often exciting, but allows you to practice what you have learned.
So the goal is to break the negative spiral of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. By practicing different behaviors, you gain new learning experiences.
TIPS
TIP 1 : ACCEPT
I find in practice that this is perhaps the most difficult step: accepting that it is too much That you may have burnout.
You have entered a mode where you disturbed balance is. Where before your body was nicely aligned with your mind, at this time it is no longer so. Where proverbially your rubber band bounced along nicely with the circumstances in your path, it no longer does so now. The stretch is off, or...the elastic has sprung.
This is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes people think it is something for ‘weak’ people. So this is absolutely NOT the case. It is just the people with strong sense of responsibility and the tendency to perfectionism, who are at risk of burnout.
TIP 2 : TAKE THE THROTTLE BACK
If you have burnout OR you are overworked, first and foremost you need to rest! This does not equate to lying on your bed or couch for days on end! Although you may experience more of a need to sleep.
It's about (temporarily) doing certain activities, handing over tasks and obligations. First and foremost, your job: You may need to step away completely for a while. But it may also be that you will work a few hours less. Secondly, it is also important to take a look at other tasks and obligations! E.g.: housework/study/mantle care/hobbies/... . What can be put on the back burner in the near future?
How often do you check your mails/sms/other? When can you give yourself some time off?
TIP 3 : PROVIDE STRUCTURE
It is important to ensure regularity. Going to bed and getting up at set times. Shower, get dressed and try to eat healthy food at regular intervals. Also go outside every day.
Adding structure to your day will prevent you from sleeping (too much) and lethargically hanging out on the couch. This is helpful in your recovery.
TIP 4 : DECIDE TO CHANGE THINGS
It is important to realize that only,taking rest, is not enough is. If after a while you start taking your life exactly the same way as before, chances are you will fall into the same traps. This could then cause another burnout.
In your period of recovery, go and look actively for what should be different. Note here: it is also best to do this step by step, and not to rush!
TIP 5 : KNOW WHAT GIVES YOU ENERGY
The activities with which your daily life is filled may give you energy, or may require energy.
When you have burnout, your activities have required more energy than is good for you. It is important to get that energy balance back to normal.
Note in 2 columns some of the things that requires your energy and what gives you you energy. Make it as specific as possible. Then see if you can adjust the things in the column that require energy from you. And make sure that, what gives you energy, is frequent in your life.
There will always be activities in your life, which take more energy than they give. But if these are balanced with energy data, then you can certainly handle them and you are less vulnerable to unhealthy stress.
TIP 6 : LEARN YOUR LIMITS
So when you are burned out, you have gone beyond your limits. So you will have to learn to declare them better in the future.
But....do you know where your limits are?
Feelings of anger, irritation and sadness can signal that your boundary has been crossed. It is important to be aware of those feelings. But it is also interesting to know what preceded them. Eg: Did you feel that the other was not taking your needs sufficiently into account? At what point exactly did you feel that your boundary was crossed? Write down your thoughts on this on paper. By charting your experiences, over time you will feel more and more clearly where your limits are.
TIP 7 : SAY 'NO' MORE OFTEN'
People prone to burnout often find it difficult to say ‘no’ to a request. Do you recognize this in yourself? Then consider why you don't say ‘no. Do you actually find all requests interesting? Or are you afraid that the other person won't like you if you say no once in a while? It is very strong if you know where your priorities lie and dare to indicate what you do and definitely do not want.
Doing things you don't actually have time for, that don't suit you, or that you don't even like, breaks you down sourly.
TIP 8 : RELAX
The principle is simple: in order to prevent unhealthy stress, you must reduce the sufficiently alternate strenuous things you do with relaxing things. If you don't, you don't get the time physically and mentally to recover from stress spikes you experience. Then the tension and fatigue start to pile up until it becomes too much for you. Especially if you have (had) a burnout, it is particularly important to consciously build in moments of relaxation.
If, after reading all this, you would still like to come for a consultation to see how you can proceed together, please feel free to contact me via the button below