November 6, 2022
Services

Services – Burnout

“Even When It Is Not Fully Attained, We Become Better By Striving For A Higher Goal.”

– Viktor Frankl

Burnout

We are living in a silent epidemic, and that epidemic is burnout.

When you are burnt out, you feel that you have nothing left to give. You feel like there is a void of energy, of caring, and of motivation. This void of coping and emotional resources can leave you feeling completely depleted.

Burnout is a result of doing too much for too long.

Burnout is a phenomenon commonly seen in high achievers and people pleasers. It is a result of going above and beyond in your responsibilities, both at work and at home. This results in persistent emotional exhaustion, which can have a negative impact on your mood, decrease in functioning, and decrease your overall sense of wellbeing.

Burnout can manifest in symptoms of anxiety and depression resulting from unrelenting work related stress. In general, stress involves an overwhelming number of pressures that demand too many mental, physical, and emotional resources. The key difference between stress and burnout are the emotional ability to rebound after a period of time away from the factors that contribute to stress.

Symptoms of burnout are categorized into three main domains:

Emotional Exhaustion
Reduced Professional Engagement
Depersonalization

Everyone’s experience of burnout is different. Some common symptoms of trauma include:

Fatigue and overwhelm
Sadness, anger or irritability
Feeling numb
Feeling like you are just “going through the motions”
Lack of interest or pleasure in activities used to enjoy
Lack of interest or care in your work-related role
Feeling resistance at the thought of going into work just one more day
Dreading conversations, situations, or workplace related events
Feeling like you lost your passion for your profession
Consideration of leaving your profession all together

Although research in burnout is still an emerging field, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may help individuals identify and modify negative work-related thoughts, manage negative emotional states, and alter maladaptive behavioural outcomes to alleviate the core symptoms of burnout.

Furthermore, learning new coping skills and strategies, self care practices, and re-engagement of meaning and purpose can help mitigate the effects of burnout and increase both personal and professional wellbeing.

Mission Hill Psychology specializes in the treatment of burnout.

Reach out to us to book in for a 15-minute consultation to see how we can help!