Understanding Burnout:
OK — you are feeling fatigued, disconnected from friends, and/or struggling with tasks such as work and school. Just know these are NORMAL feelings! As stress tangles into one’s lifestyle, personal needs are oftentimes not met, and physical and mental symptoms of exhaustion take root. According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout is now listed as a “chronic stress” phenomenon leading to energy depletion or exhaustion which increases feelings of negativism or cynicism towards daily activities filled with stressors (WHO). Burnout changes a person’s conception of both self and others, but also affects the ability to cope.
Now that burnout has been defined, let us dive into how to help find your balance while dealing with it!
Setting Boundaries with Others and Yourself:
We all have a friend who wants to go grab brunch every Sunday or have a weekend Target run, but even fun times with friends can be an internal stressor. When it comes to burnout, setting boundaries acts as one of the biggest tips on how to aid in recovering. Whether it’s work, school, athletics, or even social events, you deserve a break! While setting boundaries is hard, and not always easy with school and work, try asking for an extension or seeing if you can have someone cover a shift. You are valued and deserve to be on the top of your game for any commitment, so make sure to take a step back from stressors or even designate time to decompress after participating in any socially engaging activity.
To help build boundaries and understand what boundaries must be set for overcoming burnout, remember the acronym TOSS:
T – Take Breaks Accordingly
O – Organize your Priorities
S – Set Clear Expectations
S – Say “NO” to Stressors
Finding Time for Yourself:
While burnout feels like “the end of the world” and personal needs are often neglected, self-care and finding time for yourself becomes a priority.
Although the actual actions and steps fall on you, my favorite ways to prioritize myself are going on a walk with an immersive podcast, building a “faux” skincare routine, and reading at least 10 pages of a book each day.
These are my little tips and tricks to better prioritize yourself — try to make sure you are at least meeting 5 specific goals for routine self-care.
Self-Care Checklist:
- Drink water with every meal (Bonus points if you remember to drink water throughout the day!)
- Switch up your routine (not too much, just do something you would not normally do)
- Treat yourself (does not have to be monetary, even learning something new or doing FUTURE you a favor works!)
- Reaffirmations (do not go to sleep without telling yourself something kind!)
- Lastly, move your body! (Nothing intensive, even just a stretch! Endorphins act as a natural booster!)
Forgive Yourself & Accept Change:
The most important part of finding your balance through burnout is to forgive and accept yourself through change. Burnout will shake up your routine and change your day-to-day life, so recognizing the change is detrimental.
As you address the changes in your life due to burnout, it is easy to want to blame yourself. By acknowledging that burnout is an accumulation of external stressors, and accepting that change needs to happen, you can find your balance!
Always remember you are not alone, and burnout is a temporary setback!