I had been working as a social worker for about 4 years when I really started feeling the effects of burnout. I wasn’t sleeping well at night and hadn’t been for several years, I was working a full work week in four days instead of 5 and I was trying to balance the demands of working full time and the busyness that comes with being a mom. I felt tired all of the time. When I got a few minutes, I would try to take a quick nap, I would suddenly feel a burst of energy. This went on for several weeks and I literally thought I was going to lose my mind. I made an appointment with my primary care doctor, told him my symptoms, even suggested that my thyroid might be the culprit. He did take my concerns seriously, and ordered a test for my thyroid, and prescribed me some sleeping pills (which I didn’t really take). When the test results came back, he said my thyroid was within normal limits! I was shocked. I couldn’t believe I could feel such a deep level of fatigue and my thyroid was fine. It was disheartening to say the least.
As I was researching burnout, I came across this quote from Josh Cohen, a psychologist specializing in burnout. He writes, “The exhaustion experienced in burnout combines an intense yearning for this state of completion with the tormenting sense that it cannot be attained, that there is always some demand or anxiety or distraction which can’t be silenced. You feel burnout when you’ve exhausted all your internal resources yet cannot free yourself of the nervous compulsion to go on regardless.” This described my experience exactly.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful chiropractor who was willing to take a look at my blood test and realized that even though my thyroid was within normal limits according to medical doctors, it was certainly under functioning, which is why I was experiencing being tired and wired at the same time. He got me on some supplements and had me feeling better within a few months. Personally, I always want to fix the underlying condition rather than throw a pill at it. I believe the human body has an amazing ability to heal itself it we give it the right tools (e.g., supplements, rest, exercise, food).
Like I said last week, I think more and more people, of all ages are experiencing burnout. Our bodies cannot sustain prolonged stress. We need time to rest and recharge so that our bodies can rejuvenate. When we continue to push through when we’re stressed and overloaded, there will be negative consequences.
Here are a few things that might be contributing to personal burnout:
Past trauma
Expectation of others (e.g., parents, bosses, significant others)
Technology
Lack of or limited social interaction with others
Working with or for difficult people
Interrupted sleep or insomnia
Poor diet (e.g., high sugar, bad carbs, skipping meals, not having a balanced diet)
Lack of exercise
Lack of fresh air
Shallow breathing
Intense pressure on self, or perfectionism
Overextending yourself with massive to do lists
Poor boundaries-saying yes to too many things
Not enough or no alone time
Not getting to the bottom of the underlying issue (e.g., adrenal fatigue, over/under active thyroid)
If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, you might be in or heading toward burn out.
Here are few ideas for some quick fixes:
Make an appointment with your doctor.
Identify the area you’re struggling with the most and make a plan to fix it as quickly as possible.
Once you make this plan, remind yourself that you are taking care of it. While this might seem silly there is neuroscience behind it. I encourage people to say something calming to themselves as if they’re talking to a friend like, “I know you’re feeling tired but I’m taking care of it, I’ve made an appointment with a doctor and I’m getting to bed earlier.”
Make a plan to take care of yourself this week: call a friend, go for a walk with a friend, or outside, set aside time for prayer or meditation, get a massage, etc.
Remember these are just some quick fixes to get you started. It’s important that you make a long-term plan to continue to add one thing at a time to take care of the underlying issue. You don’t have to do all the things all at once! Burnout is an emotionally desolate place, but I do believe it can be healed when you give your body the right tools to heal.
This Spring Lisa is offering a workshop for organizations called: 3 Common Mistakes People Make that Destroy Their Peace of Mind and How to Avoid These Mistakes Once and For All. In this workshop, Lisa will cover, what burn out looks like, how to have good boundaries to protect your sanity, how to complete the stress cycle, how to care for yourself so you can rest and recharge, and tons of take away tools to create an individualized plan to learn to thrive even in a crisis. Lisa is offering this workshop in a 45-minute or 90-minute format, in person or virtual. This workshop can be shortened or lengthened to fit the specific needs of your organization. Email Lisa Franklin at lisa@peacefamilycounseling.com to book your spot now!
As a former Elementary Education teacher, Lisa Franklin, MSW, LCSW, understands the difficulty of managing the demands of caring for others and how it can feel overwhelming at times. Lisa is a licensed clinical social worker and is passionate about helping people go from feeling overwhelmed and shut down to empowered and in control. Lisa is currently in private practice in Greenwood, IN and helps children and individuals restore balance and peace in their lives through individual therapy and parent coaching. You can read more about Lisa and her specific training on her website at: www.peacefamilycounseling.com