There has been a lot of talk lately about burn out. Quit quitting became a thing. And now there seems to be “loud quitting” as well. So how do you know when you are burned out? What does that even mean? And if so, what do you do about it?
Several years ago, I hit a very large, very strong brick wall. I was working for a large company and, I believe, experienced extreme burn out. While this can look different for everyone, in my experience it became obvious when I realized my mental health and overall well-being had been significantly impacted.
I became depressed, apathetic, slept too much, was angry and ultimately, almost unable to function. This is the extreme of burn out. If you are experiencing these things, I highly recommend you seek out a therapist to talk to as I did.
Not everybody, thankfully, hits such a large wall. Which makes figuring out where you lay on the spectrum of burn out a little more difficult. It can also make a solution fuzzier. With that being said, here are some good indicators that you have reached or will soon reach burn out.
A Drained Battery
You might experience this as a lack of energy, apathy, or difficulty concentrating. Many people reach this point and turn to shame and self defeat, calling themselves lazy. There is a difference between laziness and burn out.
Laziness implies that you have the energy and internal resources to accomplish things but choose not to. Burn out means you have nothing to draw on. Your internal stores of energy, motivation and self efficacy are depleted when you are burned out.
But how do you know the difference? Ask yourself this question:
“Am I intentionally not doing something because I don’t want to do it?”
Or
“Am I wanting to do something but I cannot find the energy or internal resources to do it?”
Ironically, I often think of laziness as a verb. There is some intentionality to being lazy.
Disproportionate emotional responses
Perhaps you snap a little too easily at your loved ones. Perhaps the idea of writing that simple report for work keeps you laying awake at night sweating with anxiety. Perhaps you find yourself, like me, crying at the toilet paper commercial. (Yes this actually happened to me and was, in fact, an eye opener!)
Often when our batteries are depleted our emotional defenses do not have the energy to do their job and we have trouble regulating.
Dread
This was also a big eye opener for me. When you start to dread going to work it is time to reflect. We all go through times when we dislike our job, but if you are consistently and persistently dreading work this may be a sign of burn out.
So perhaps you have identified yourself in these descriptions. What do you do now?
Do not overreact!
Many people realize they are burned out and immediately quit their job. This may feel like it will provide you with the immediate relief you want but can be a bad call in the end.
Reflect
This is a good time to talk with someone. This could be a mentor, a therapist or a life coach. Someone who can help you take a step back and realistically assess where you are at and what your next move should be.
If your symptoms are such that taking that step back feels impossible then I would recommend reaching out to a mental health professional. They can help you navigate your emotions so that you can get to a place where you can reflect.
If you, or someone you know is experiencing the symptoms of burn out feel free to reach out for a free phone consultation. I specialize in helping people understand, navigate, and overcome burn out.
Andrea@AndreaHarbeckTherapy.com
720-336-9454