NAVIGATING MENTAL EXHAUSTION: HOW TO GET PAST RECURRING BURNOUTS Imagine a person is driving a car where the accelerator is stuck down, and the fuel tank is emptying faster than they can fill it. The speed may seem thrilling, and it may seem like one is reaching their location faster, but in reality, they are running out of fuel and heading towards a halt in the middle of the road. This is what burnout looks like.
Today, when hustling and going beyond one’s capabilities is being glorified, burnout is not merely a catchphrase anymore. It has now reached the extent of permeating into the lives of working individuals at a mass level. From this perspective, it is almost paradoxical that the more we chase success, the further we move away from our happiness.
DEFINING BURNOUT Burnout is commonly regarded as just another form of tiredness but it is much more intricate. Burnout, a term that was first used by Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s, is the severe emotional and physical depletion resulting from prolonged stress particularly related to work (Freudenberger, 1974). When we feel burnt out, it is not just that we are tired but it can encompass symptoms like feeling exhausted, lack of interest, emotional numbness, irritability and even physical symptoms like headaches and stomach issues.
Burnout does not simply resolve with having a day off or taking a short break. It creates a mark that has to be purposefully erased. At its core, burnout is a triad of symptoms: exhaustion, cyn.