Have you been feeling incredibly exhausted, generally disinterested, and just a little detached from everything? You may be experiencing burnout. Although the jury is still out on the statistics, there is increasing recognition that burnout is on the rise. Here’s how to cope…

What exactly is it?

Burnout results from exposure to prolonged and unrelenting stress, but is more than just feeling stressed. It tends to leave the individual feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Feelings of depletion, hopelessness, helplessness, and a general loss of motivation ensue, and insomnia, loss of appetite, lack of energy on most days are commonplace. Anxiety and depression are often reported. A feeling of detachment or disengagement from others, work, and the environment also typically arise and may present as increased absenteeism from work and avoidance of social engagements. People with burnout usually report feeling disengaged from everything. Another defining feature of burnout are feelings of lack of accomplishment which often present as apathy, increased irritability, lack of productivity, and poor performance.

The following are key strategies that you can use to manage stress more effectively in order to prevent burnout. These strategies can be equally helpful if you are already experiencing burnout:

1.Remember the basics: Eat healthy, sleep at least 7 hours a night, hydrate, exercise at least 150 minutes a week, and remember to breathe –deep breaths from the diaphragm that slows down the stress response in the body.

2.Manage your energy: Do not take on more than is realistically possible to achieve. Once the basics are in place you will start experiencing an improvement in energy levels. This does not equal taking on more, it merely enables managing what is already there more efficiently. Learn to use the word NO.

3.Learn how to relax: Go for a walk, book a yoga class, have a long bath or shower, read something interesting that is not work related, watch some comedy, take a long weekend, go on holiday; anything that helps you to slow down and take a break.

4.Manage your time more effectively: Watch out for 2 key time wasters – procrastination and multitasking. Procrastination means you are always working under pressure, and multitasking just slows you down.

5.Seek professional help: If you are experiencing burnout it may be helpful to consult with your general practitioner and seek counselling.

(Written by: Dr Ottilia Brown, PhD (South Africa), clinical psychologist at LightHouse Arabia—Dubai)