Treating Life Burnout

 

Reaching for greatness and working hard day in and day out can prove to bring great amounts of success, but it can similarly come with its follies. For those working in the medical industry, it is almost certain that they have become plagued by this perfectionist attitude. While having the mentality of “I can do it all” seems beneficial, it can bring with it a great deal of stress, leading you towards a disastrous road of burnout. If you find yourself trapped in this mindset, feeling seemingly helpless with no way out, it is almost certain that burnout is waiting for you right around the corner.

Extended working hours, high-stress work environment, a job with decisions that can lead to serious ramifications — medical professionals, in particular, are among the most common professionals to deal with life burnout:

• 35.2% of all American physicians are currently dealing with life burnout
• 45.8% of all American physicians are dealing with at least one symptom of burnout
• 44% of physicians under the age of 35 are currently dealing with burnout
• Physicians are twice as likely as other American workers to be discontented with their work-life balance

While having the weight of life burnout placed upon your shoulders can feel irremovable, you should know that it very much is. By recognizing the common symptoms of burnout, you can ensure that you find treatment and effectively work towards achieving a healthy work-life balance.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is caused by excessive and prolonged stress. As it exists, it can take a serious toll on the emotional, mental, and physical state of the person it is affecting. While basic stress will make you feel fidgety, overwhelmed, and physically/emotionally fatigued, continued stress will lead towards more intense effects: loss of interest, hopelessness, and more. In short, life burnout reduces/nullifies the interest in everyday life, causing the individual to start featuring symptoms similar to depression.

Burnout Symptoms

While the symptoms of life burnout might seem minuscule at first, they can rapidly grow in a short period of time. The most common forms of burnout come through emotional, mental, and physical imbalances, ones that mostly equate to feelings of general fatigue and helplessness, otherwise making life feel as if it is becoming increasingly difficult to live.

While some people might think that stress and burnout are the same thing, they are different: stress can feel like a lot, but the workload is still manageable; burnout is where the work-life balance feels as if it has left the control of the person, where life seems to be unchangeable. Here are a few of the key burnout symptoms to watch for:

• Loss of motivation
• Increased physical fatigue
• Feeling of personal failure
• Physical isolation from others and social activities
• Feeling personally defeated and helpless
• Change in sleep habits and appetite

Burnout Treatment

Most of this serious stress comes from a severly imbalanced work-life balance: favoring work accomplishments over personal health. To reframe your work-life balance, ensuring that you are first and foremost taking care of you is the means of success. There are some ways to evaluate this work-life balance and take control back from the seemingly untouchable situation, thus aiding and abetting the life burnout you might be dealing with.

10 Ways to Avoid Burnout

1. Set Aside You Time for Relaxation
2. Better Relationships At Work and Home
3. Focus on Your Physical Health/Diet
4. Avoid Drug Dependency
5. Disconnect Yourself From Technology When Possible
6. Focus on Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
7. Learn How to Say ‘No’ When It’s Necessary
8. Focus on Hobbies/Creative Outlets Away From Work
9. Take Care of Your Mental Health
10. Seek to Try New Things (Avoid Getting Stuck in Ruts)

While life burnout can feel like an inescapable beast once it has arrived and settled itself in, there are means to manage it, for the better. By taking time to focus on yourself, you can effectively take control of your work-life balance and ensure that your emotional, mental, and physical health is of utmost importance — that continued stress does not equal personal success.