How to tell if you’re burned out
This last December, 4.3 million Americans had the same idea—it was time to quit their job. While the NY Times is calling this the Great Resignation, I think a more apt title is the Great Burnout.
When January hit and we were all reeling from yet another wave of COVID infections and restrictions, our stress and anxiety peaked. Again. I heard it in my practice as a therapist here in South Carolina, and I heard it in conversations with friends across the country. So many sectors, particularly teachers and social workers, saw their workload significantly increase, right at a time when they were depleted.
As a therapist, clients often come to see me for anxiety, but when we peel back the layers, we find that burnout is lying dormant.
They’re exhausted from caring for young kids.
They’re overwhelmed by juggling a difficult job and caring for an elderly parent.
They're stressed by all the demands and limitations in their role as a teacher.
Or maybe it’s a mixture of all of the above.
Either way, anxiety and stress are what we feel and what we sense, but often there’s much more underneath.
And for many, what’s underneath the anxiety is burnout.
Having been a social worker in a school setting, I’m acutely aware of the demands that jobs in the helping profession often expect. There’s an almost unattainable workload with little support and likely financial stress.
What is Burnout?
While some people are more prone to anxiety or have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, it’s important to note that burnout is often a symptom of a systemic issue in our culture or workplace, not just a person’s hard-wiring.
In fact, the World Health Organization included it in its list of diseases, defining it as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
If you’re wondering if your anxiety is actually a symptom of burnout, you’re not alone. And in a culture where “self-care” is almost an industry itself, that’s addressing the surface and not the deeper issue.
Let’s unpack what causes burnout from a different angle– one that highlights the systemic or organizational causes, not just our own crippling anxiety.
6 Main Causes of Burnout
A group of researchers from UC Berkeley, Rutgers, and Deakin University Berkeley uncovered 6 main causes of burnout, focusing on the organization as the cause:
Unsustainable workload
This could be a lack of control over your schedule, where your job requires you to work a set number of hours every day in the same location, rain or shine.
Perceived lack of control
When decisions are made without your input, you can feel a greater sense of unease and dissatisfaction. Since anxiety wants control, when you don't feel in control, it's going to increase your anxiety.
Insufficient rewards for effort
Even though you're trying so hard, you don't feel like you're getting that value or that return back.
Lack of a supportive community
When we’re working from home more or staying away from colleagues out of health concerns, we’re missing the organic community that is typical of a workplace. You can’t vent—healthily— and find the support you need.
Lack of fairness
Perhaps this has to do with your workload or getting passed up for a promotion. But this could also be due to the imbalance of responsibilities at home.
Mismatched values and skills
Being asked to "wear multiple hats" where you are stretched thin, doing too much. For example, a social worker who does incredible clinical work, but struggles with the documentation required.
When I think about many of my clients who are teachers, community organizers, or social workers, these causes reflect so much of what they do. Their job is predicated on the concept of giving. Giving of themselves, their time, their energy—often without the right support, autonomy over their schedule, or financial compensation. I vividly recall what that felt like as a social worker myself. I was burned out on giving to everyone else first.
How to deal with burnout
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I encourage you to pause and listen to your body. The body doesn’t lie. Are you experiencing headaches or stomach aches? Are you having trouble sleeping or remembering basic things? When our body experiences stress it can throw our entire regulation off, and this includes our moods and emotional regulation.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “this sounds like me,” I encourage you to pause and sit with that. Don’t jump off the page and into a new skincare regimen or plan a girl’s night out with friends. While those actions can be helpful, they aren’t the solution in and of themselves.
The remedy to burnout is a combination of self-care that includes pausing to notice what you are experiencing internally, setting and keeping boundaries, advocating for your needs, being connected to what you feel, communicating your values, experiencing organizational changes, etc.
Remember that burnout is caused by systems that are no longer healthy for you; it’s not all on you as the individual to change.
As a yoga therapist, I have found that while traditional talk therapy is good for getting the work started when you’re feeling anxious, yoga practices help make a deeper change. These restorative practices help the body to relax and slow down, allowing your mind to be a little bit more clear. Then, once your mind and body are working together, you can name the boundaries you need to set, and thoughtfully explore whether or not the system at work is sustainable.
The Great Resignation is a signal that millions of us are at a breaking point. Maybe you don’t need to leave your job, but maybe you do need to find a better balance in how much you’re giving.
Allow the gift of a quiet moment today. Maybe you need to see your therapist again or start for the first time ever.
Wherever you find yourself today—stressed, overwhelmed, or fully burned out—I hope you pause and listen. Your body holds wisdom for you.
