Hello Burnout, My Old Friend
Running on empty? It’s not just exhaustion. But when does it end?
“Take a week off”.
This is the advice I get whenever I decide to open up about living with burnout. At this point, I just keep it to myself (and the internet).
See, burnout doesn’t get “fixed” after a week off. And you know what? I’ve taken weeks off! I’ve taken TWO weeks off. Do you want to know what happened during that time?
First, I had the time to do a much-needed deep cleaning of my entire apartment. It took a couple of days, and I got to do some mini renovations, multiple batches of laundry, repotted root-bound houseplants, put away seasonal clothing, etc.
Then I had to see everyone I hadn’t had the time to hang out with on a regular basis because of work. So I spent three consecutive days visiting others and hanging out with family and friends.
Then I had to actually answer some emails and check task updates because, of course, work doesn’t stop while I’m on a break. And it’s only to my detriment if I let too much unattended work pile up.
It’s already Friday, and I haven’t taken any time to actually rest or, you know, do something for myself.
The week rolls around, and on Monday, I’m back.
“How was your break?”
What break?!
Working from home seemed like the golden ticket to breaking free from burnout’s grip. I thought, “No commute, flexi hours, breaks whenever I want — what’s not to love?”
Spoiler alert: I’m just flexibly tired all the time. 🙃
As if that weren’t enough, throw in the additional stressors of inflation, the housing crisis, and the ever-looming possibility of the world ending any day now.
Lovely!
It’s a perfect storm brewing — a cocktail of pressure that’s enough to send anyone into a tailspin of crippling stress. I get it; I really do.
So here I am, waddling through the world like a zombified corporate worker. I don’t find solace in the fact that I’m not alone on this exhausting journey. People shouldn’t have to live like this! “But that’s just the way life is,” and it’s awful! Let me whine about it in peace!
A lot of people are under the impression that WFH employees don’t do anything but take naps and wiggle their mouse every now and again.
I’ve seen the comments, “I didn’t do any work, and I was constantly distracted at home!” It sounds like a skill issue to me. 😜 It seems more like a matter of personal organization, accountability, and self-control.
In my case, I work quite a lot more now that I’m fully remote. At the office, you get to come in, make your coffee, talk to people, take 5 bathroom breaks, take a break every few minutes to chat with someone… at least that’s what EVERYONE did at my corporate job.
To me, the office was stressful, loud, had the most unpleasant lights, the AC smelled, and someone was always interrupting my deep work just to chat… just awful!
I thought I was burned out because of all the daily overstimulation, but changing the environment didn’t really fix the issue. So what is it?
What is burnout and what causes it?
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by chronic stress. It’s tricky because it easily slips into your life without notice, and it’s incredibly challenging to bounce back from.
The causes of burnout are diverse, but I’d summarize them like this: Exposure to prolonged stress until you ultimately reach a breaking point.
This point of overstrain is different for everyone, and it bothers me when people judge others for feeling burnt out over “small things.” What could be nothing to you might feel like a whole world of stress for someone else. This is especially true for those who are neurodivergent and are constantly self-regulating multiple invisible struggles.
Most people think of burnout only in terms of job stress, but this is a condition that can be triggered by various factors. You could be burnt out from housework, homework, or socializing.
At the workplace, burnout can be triggered by various factors, such as excessive workload, lack of control over one’s work, and a lack of support from colleagues or superiors. Burnout can also be influenced by personal factors such as perfectionism and a tendency to prioritize work over self-care.
The consequences of job burnout
Here’s the worst part: Buntout isn’t just extreme fatigue. It causes negative changes in your behavior and attitude. It’s like a domino effect that impacts various parts of your life:
- Your health takes a hit, both physically and mentally. You might find yourself more prone to headaches, sleep issues, or even more serious conditions like heart disease or depression.
- Decreased job satisfaction. I always end up hating my job if I have to keep working without taking care of burnout.
- Reduced productivity and creativity. As an artist, it becomes harder to come up with fresh ideas or even find the motivation to create at all.
- Strained relationships with coworkers who might rely on you, and with family and friends who see you struggling.
- If it persists, burnout can have long-term consequences for your career. You might find yourself needing a break from work altogether, or worse, facing the possibility of getting fired due to poor performance.
So, recognizing the signs of burnout and taking steps to address it early on is crucial for your well-being and your professional success.
What, did you expect a cure? Call me when you find one.
Well, okay, I’ll tell you what can allegedly heal burnout, although these strategies are like putting duct tape on a severed limb:
- Work-Life balance. Basically, you need to establish some serious boundaries at your job about your capacity to handle workloads. Talk to your boss about it, 1/10 chances you won’t be the first to go during the next wave of mass layoffs. Corporate leaders are the most empathetic people out there, after all. /s
- Schedule frequent breaks and take your PTO. Again, your management will absolutely love you for it!
- Practice self-care… during the two hours in the evening you get after not seeing the sun all day. Oh, don’t forget to do all that housework that you’ve been putting off for a week now!
See, this is ridiculous. You can’t “recover from burnout” like this. You don’t see the light of day during the winter, bosses frown when you take time off, and most of us also have 100 other responsibilities outside of the office.
Life is crushing us with these 40+ hour work weeks and then the expectation to have side hustles, passive income, a social life, and time to have hobbies too.
You can’t cure burnout by still going to the same job that caused it in the first place!
It’s radical, but the only thing that has actually worked for me in the past is this:
Quit.
And take an extended break from working altogether (at least a month). That’s what I did a few months ago:
Unfortunately, this is not realistic for most people. We’ve got bills, mouths to feed, responsibilities, debt, etc. Ideally, you will have enough in your bank account to live comfortably for half a year and rediscover yourself.
I took a SIX MONTHS break from working in 2019.
I quit a job that wasn’t in corporate, but I had been working for 3+ years with barely any breaks. During the last year, I developed chronic back pain because I was standing up all day and carrying heavy inventory too.
When I quit, I had enough savings to last me a year. So I took that opportunity, applied for unemployment as well, and took time off. In a month, my back pain was completely gone. I traveled out of the country, met with friends, and created and sold art, which helped pay the bills… It was amazing!
By the end of the year, I quickly found a job, and I felt energized and motivated to work again. I also felt happy — happier than I had ever felt in those previous three years.
So yes, this is the ideal scenario.
But it isn’t 2019, and the world is quite different. As of today, I’m coasting along with burnout at my side. It’s a very toxic relationship; like why are you so obsessed with me?
However, I don’t have much of a choice.
If you’re in the same acceptance stage right now, hey, high five 🖐.
Take some time to recharge (if you can), rant about it, you can rant on the comments to this story, I won’t mind. And remember: your well-being matters just as much as your work (actually it matters more, but don’t tell that to the corporate baddies).
Thanks for reading!
Check out my blog and more of my writing on Medium! 💌
If you want to chat you can find me on Instagram ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
