In today’s world, we are increasingly leading busier and busier lives. Although lockdown provided us with a break from fast-paced life, as we emerge from it many of us might find we are feeling more stressed out than before. Take a few minutes to address these points if you believe you suffer from burnout.

Root Causes

Burnout can be caused by many different factors. Most commonly, it is a symptom of our environments and particularly overworking. This includes our employment and career, but it also encompasses overworking ourselves in our personal lives.

Chaotic and monotonous environments cause excessive stress; while uncertainty increases our anxiety levels, which over time leads us to feel burned out.

Not having the right support can be detrimental too. As social creatures, we thrive in communities. The absence of a reliable, supportive community of family and friends can also play a role in feeling burned out.

Money concerns often lead us to feel overburdened. In fact, financial stress can be one of the leading causes of stress that leads to burnout.

Burnout vs Stress

There is a major difference between burnout and stress. The main difference is in how we behave when we are in those states.

Clinical psychologist Zainab Delawalla told The Huffington Post “stress can be characterised by over-engagement” – that is, doing too much.

Conversely, burnout often leads to us feeling sensations of disengagement. That is, not doing enough.

Identifying The Symptoms

As stated above, feeling burned out often presents itself as disengagement. If you notice you are becoming cynical, critical, demotivated or lacking in energy for your daily tasks, you might be suffering from it.

Prevent Feeling Burned Out

As money is one of the leading causes of stress and burnout, it is important to plan and budget our finances effectively. Talking honestly about our money concerns with family, friends or our bank manager can help alleviate the sensation of burnout.

Carving out more time to rest and recover can also help us when we are feeling burned out. Self-care practices such as getting a massage, our skincare routines and meditation can be helpful. In addition, making sure we get enough sleep is also important for our recovery.

Finding support when we are feeling burned out is the most important thing to do. Stress and burnout can have an impact on our mental health and sensation of wellbeing.

If you are feeling burned out, talk to someone who will be able to listen and support you, even when you do not know exactly what form of support you need. If you can, enlist the services of a therapist or reach out to a mental health charity for further assistance.