How to Deal with Burnout | Adam Borland, PsyD
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of the Health Essentials podcast, host Annie Zaleski interviews psychologist Dr. Adam Borland about dealing with burnout. Dr. Borland explains the major symptoms of burnout, including physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, and discusses how burnout can affect various aspects of life beyond work. He highlights the importance of setting boundaries, engaging in self-care, and practicing mindfulness to combat burnout. The conversation also touches on the differences between burnout and depression, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on burnout rates, and practical tips for managing and preventing burnout.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Burnout is defined as physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion with decreased motivation, lower performance, and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.
- 💼 Burnout is commonly associated with stressful jobs but can affect various areas of life, leading to health problems.
- 📉 Symptoms of burnout include feeling exhausted, sluggish, overwhelmed by simple tasks, and quick to anger or frustration.
- 🔄 The causes of burnout often include difficulty setting boundaries between work and personal life, especially with constant accessibility through technology.
- ⚠️ Major signs of burnout include a lack of motivation, questioning the value of one's work, and feeling detached or depersonalized.
- 😴 Physical symptoms of burnout may include tension headaches, disrupted sleep patterns, and significant changes in diet.
- 🛑 Burnout differs from depression in that burnout is often linked to a specific stressor, whereas depression is a more general, diagnosable condition.
- 🔄 Recovery from burnout involves establishing a daily routine, maintaining boundaries, practicing mindfulness, and possibly seeking therapy.
- 🏃♂️ To prevent future burnout, individuals should recognize early symptoms, prioritize self-care, and maintain a balanced approach to work and personal responsibilities.
- 📝 Writing about feelings and breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable goals can be effective ways to manage and mitigate burnout.
Q & A
What is burnout according to the APA Dictionary of Psychology?
-Burnout is defined as physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lower performance, and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.
Why is burnout prevalent in today's society according to the podcast?
-Burnout is prevalent due to the incredibly stressful times we live in, which often leads to people feeling very tired, both physically and emotionally, with their 'gas tanks' on empty.
What are some major causes of burnout that Dr. Borland typically sees?
-Dr. Borland sees people struggling to find necessary boundaries to manage life and work demands, with the uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic further depleting their physical and emotional reserves.
How does technology contribute to job burnout?
-Technology makes people accessible 24 hours a day, making it difficult to disconnect from work, especially with the rise of telehealth and virtual platforms, leading to a constant state of running to address work responsibilities.
What are some signs of burnout that Dr. Borland observes in individuals?
-Signs include a lack of satisfaction in work, questioning the purpose and enjoyment of one's job, and feeling like one is just going through the motions.
How can burnout affect individuals who are not experiencing job-related stress?
-Burnout can affect anyone struggling to balance work responsibilities with other life aspects, such as parenting during virtual schooling, causing emotional and physical depletion.
What physical symptoms might one experience when burned out?
-Physical symptoms can include tension headaches, changes in sleep patterns, and alterations in diet.
How does Dr. Borland differentiate burnout from depression?
-Depression is a diagnosable mental health condition with more general symptoms, while burnout is often in response to a specific trigger and can improve when detached from that trigger.
What are some strategies Dr. Borland suggests to cope with burnout?
-Strategies include deep breathing for mindfulness, establishing a healthy daily routine, maintaining boundaries, and engaging in physical exercise.
How can writing be a therapeutic outlet for dealing with burnout?
-Writing can help by allowing individuals to express their feelings without editing, starting with 'I feel...' and letting the process of getting thoughts out be therapeutic.
What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on burnout levels?
-The pandemic has intensified burnout levels due to increased work demands, lack of a blueprint for new responsibilities, and the inability to maintain daily routines and boundaries.
What is the importance of acknowledging and communicating about burnout?
-Acknowledging burnout helps individuals realize it's not okay and prompts them to seek help. Communication can validate feelings and provide relief by showing others are experiencing similar issues.
Outlines
🎙️ Introduction to the Podcast
Annie Zaleski introduces the episode of the Health Essentials podcast, featuring psychologist Adam Borland discussing burnout. She outlines the symptoms of burnout, such as exhaustion, overwhelm, and stress, and mentions that burnout can affect various life areas and health.
🧠 Understanding Burnout
Dr. Borland explains burnout according to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, defining it as physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion with decreased motivation and performance. He describes the practical manifestations of burnout, emphasizing the importance of refilling one's emotional and physical 'gas tank.'
⚖️ Causes of Burnout
Dr. Borland discusses the major causes of burnout, including the difficulty in setting boundaries between personal life and work. He highlights the impact of COVID-19 on exacerbating these challenges, leading to significant depletion of emotional and physical reserves.
📱 The Role of Technology in Burnout
The discussion turns to job burnout, emphasizing the challenge of maintaining boundaries in an era of constant connectivity due to technology. Dr. Borland notes that telehealth and virtual platforms make it hard for people to disconnect from work, contributing to burnout across various career stages.
🧩 Symptoms and Signs of Burnout
Dr. Borland identifies additional signs of burnout beyond exhaustion, such as questioning the purpose of one's work and feeling a lack of satisfaction. He mentions that burnout symptoms are common among both new professionals and those with long careers.
😔 Burnout Beyond Job Stress
Burnout can also stem from non-work-related stress, such as parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Borland explains how the depletion of emotional and physical reserves affects people's ability to manage various responsibilities.
🔍 Identifying Physical Symptoms of Burnout
Common physical symptoms of burnout include tension headaches and disrupted sleep patterns. Dr. Borland recommends engaging in physical exercise as a coping tool, despite the challenge of finding energy when feeling exhausted.
🏋️♂️ The Importance of Exercise
Dr. Borland emphasizes the benefits of physical exercise in managing burnout, noting that exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym. Simple activities at home can also be effective in improving well-being.
🤔 Differentiating Burnout from Depression
Burnout and depression can have overlapping symptoms, but depression is a diagnosable mental health condition, whereas burnout is situational. Dr. Borland explains how therapy helps in distinguishing between the two by assessing specific life stressors.
🏖️ Situational vs. General Symptoms
Dr. Borland uses the analogy of a villa in the south of France to illustrate the difference between burnout and depression. Burnout symptoms may ease with a break from stressors, while depression persists regardless of the environment.
🏃 Maintaining a Healthy Pace
People often operate at a high pace, and Dr. Borland discusses the importance of finding a sustainable 'cruising speed' rather than constantly going at 100 miles per hour. Prolonged burnout can lead to serious long-term effects, including depression.
🌳 The Far-reaching Effects of Burnout
Burnout affects not only professional life but also personal relationships and overall quality of life. Dr. Borland mentions the feeling of depersonalization, where individuals feel detached from themselves due to high stress levels.
🛠️ Recognizing and Addressing Burnout
Recognizing burnout often happens late, once it has fully taken hold. Dr. Borland stresses the importance of regular self-check-ins and taking breaks to manage stress and prevent burnout from worsening.
🧘 Coping Strategies for Burnout
Dr. Borland recommends mindfulness and deep breathing as initial steps to manage burnout. Establishing a healthy daily routine, maintaining boundaries, and prioritizing self-care are crucial in coping with burnout.
🗒️ Organizing Daily Goals
Writing down tasks and breaking them into smaller, achievable goals can help manage stress. Dr. Borland suggests that having an organized approach to daily goals prevents feelings of disappointment or failure.
🗣️ Seeking Therapy
Therapy provides a safe space for individuals to talk about their stress without judgment. Dr. Borland notes the growing acceptance and need for mental health services and emphasizes the life-changing benefits of therapy.
📈 Improving Work-life Balance
For those unable to leave stressful jobs, communicating with managers about workload and seeking adjustments can help. Engaging in fulfilling activities outside of work, such as volunteering, can also alleviate feelings of burnout.
🎭 Balancing Activities and Self-care
While finding joy in activities outside work is beneficial, maintaining balance is key to preventing burnout from other sources. Self-care is not selfish; it is necessary to be the best version of oneself for others.
⏱️ Recognizing Individual Needs
Different individuals recharge in various ways, whether through solitude or social interaction. Dr. Borland acknowledges that preferences may change, and trial and error is part of finding what works best.
🔄 Recovery and Prevention
Recovery from burnout is possible through establishing routines and maintaining boundaries. Recognizing early symptoms and learning to communicate needs are essential to preventing future burnout.
🧘 Prioritizing Self-care
Preventing burnout involves sticking to routines, maintaining boundaries, and communicating with support systems. Therapy can help individuals learn to advocate for their needs and prevent burnout from recurring.
🔄 Lifelong Learning
Learning to be assertive and prioritize self-care is an ongoing process. Mindfulness and gratitude practices help individuals stay connected with their emotions and recognize the positive aspects of life.
📝 Therapeutic Writing
Writing as a therapeutic outlet can help manage stress. Dr. Borland shares an example of a patient who used writing to cope with anxiety before stressful weekly calls, illustrating the benefits of this practice.
🗣️ Communicating and Validating
Sharing experiences of burnout with peers can be validating and reassuring. Dr. Borland emphasizes the importance of communication in realizing one is not alone in facing these challenges.
🏥 Seeking Professional Help
Dr. Borland encourages using the term 'burnout' and discussing it openly. Acknowledging burnout is the first step towards addressing it, and seeking professional help can provide valuable support.
📢 Normalizing Burnout Discussions
Talking about burnout helps reduce its stigma. Dr. Borland highlights that recognizing and addressing burnout, especially in stressful workplaces, can lead to positive changes and better support systems.
🔗 Conclusion and Resources
Dr. Borland concludes the discussion by emphasizing the importance of recognizing burnout and seeking help. Listeners are directed to Cleveland Clinic's resources for more information on managing and preventing burnout.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Burnout
💡Stressful Job
💡Boundaries
💡Depersonalization
💡Coping Tools
💡Mindfulness
💡Daily Routine
💡Gratitude
💡Pandemic Fatigue
💡Self-Care
💡Communication
Highlights
Introduction of Dr. Adam Borland, discussing burnout with psychologist Annie Zaleski.
Definition of burnout according to the APA dictionary of psychology.
Common causes of burnout, including difficulty in managing life and work demands.
Impact of technology on job burnout due to constant accessibility.
Major signs of burnout, such as feeling like your tank is empty and questioning the point of work.
Physical symptoms of burnout, including tension headaches and sleep pattern changes.
Differences between burnout and depression, highlighting situational triggers for burnout.
The role of therapy in managing burnout, including deep breathing and mindfulness exercises.
Establishing a healthy daily routine to manage and prevent burnout.
Importance of setting boundaries and attending to self-care.
Communicating with support systems and seeking therapy as methods to handle burnout.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on burnout, with increased responsibilities and lack of a blueprint.
Short-term and long-term effects of burnout on physical and emotional health.
Writing as a therapeutic outlet to manage stress and burnout.
The importance of recognizing and using the term 'burnout' to address and manage it effectively.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello and thank you for joining us for
this episode of the health essentials
podcast i'm your host annie zaleski and
today we're talking with psychologist
adam borland about dealing with burnout
if you're feeling exhausted and sluggish
and even simple tasks feel overwhelming
to complete or you find yourself so
stressed out that you're quick to get
angry or frustrated you might be
experiencing burnout while frequently
associated with a stressful job burnout
can also affect many areas of your life
and even cause health problems
dr borland is here to talk about the
major symptoms of burnout and provide
some tips on how both to deal with
burnout and prevent this condition from
developing in the future
dr borland thank you so much for being
here
my pleasure thanks for having me so
let's talk a little bit about first what
burnout is according to the apa
dictionary of psychology burnout is
defined as physical emotional or mental
exhaustion accompanied by decreased
motivation lower performance and
negative attitudes towards oneself and
others
so in practice what does this mean
in practice this means that i'm seeing
a lot of people who are very tired
physically emotionally tired um we often
talk about the idea of our gas tanks
being on empty
and what we do in therapy is really try
and focus on how to refill that tank
because we are living in incredibly
stressful times these days and burnout
is incredibly prevalent
well i think that's you know what are
some of the major causes of burnout i
mean i think we can probably guess a few
of them but what are you typically
seeing
i'm seeing people that are having a very
difficult time
finding the necessary boundaries in
order to manage life personal life and
all the demands that that requires and
then also work demands
and finding that balance it has proven
to be extremely difficult we throw in
the uncertainty regarding kovid and it
is really taking the the
physical and emotional reserves that we
usually hold on to and really depleting
them
so you know you mentioned work um you
know why is job burnout so common then
specifically
well i think we have a difficult time
saying no
we have a difficult time maintaining
necessary boundaries
especially given the technology that
plays a significant part in the work
field today
we are accessible 24 hours a day
and especially now with uh telehealth
and all the virtual uh platforms it it
takes our ability to disconnect from
work and makes it all the more difficult
so people are essentially running
constantly uh in order to address work
responsibilities and i see people across
all
stages of their career who are really
saying i need to do a better job finding
this balance in order to preserve my
physical and emotional health
and it sounds like what you're
describing are both physical boundaries
you know maybe you're looking at your
phone your computer and then also
emotional boundaries that stress you
know i need to check my email maybe i'm
going to miss this message is that
pretty fair to say
that's that's unfortunately what we deal
with on a day-to-day basis
so you mentioned you know feeling like
your tank is basically empty then you
know and being really tired you know
what are some of the other major signs
that you're experiencing burnout
you know a lot of the individuals that i
work with there's kind of this question
of
what's the point
is the work that i'm doing
is it really making a difference do i
even really enjoy what i'm doing anymore
or am i just kind of going through the
motions and that obviously is indicative
of kind of a lack of satisfaction in the
work that people are doing and again
these are people that are new to their
field or maybe right out of college and
then we're talking about individuals who
have maybe been in their field for 30
plus years and all of a sudden they're
questioning i don't know how much longer
i can do this or i want to do this
now are you seeing similar symptoms with
people who maybe aren't feeling job
burnout you know depression is i would
guess a sign or symptom of if you're
experiencing burnout then um is that
only from jobs can that be from other
things as well
yeah we're seeing a tremendous amount of
burnout particularly since uh covet 19
pandemic
began
in that
individuals are really having a hard
time trying to balance the work
responsibilities and then for instance
parenting responsibilities trying to
deal with children and virtual schooling
and trying to navigate situations where
frankly there's no blueprint for any of
this
and so again those emotional and
physical reserves that we often depend
on are fairly depleted
besides fatigue then are there any other
major physical symptoms that tend to you
know crop up if you're feeling burned
out
yeah a lot of times people will talk
about
feeling tension headaches uh i hear a
lot of my patients deal with with pretty
significant headaches we're always
always going to
look for sleep patterns
are there any significant changes in
diet
you know these are things that the kind
of baselines that we'll always look at
um
you know i will always recommend
engaging in physical exercise regardless
of how much energy that person may have
on a given day i think if we can get
some sort of physical exercise that's
always going to be a helpful coping tool
you know and that's i i can totally see
how that would be so difficult
somebody's if you're just feeling like
all i want to do is take a nap the
thought of exercising that's like the
last thing you want to do but i you know
you hear it so often just what a great
panacea exercises for anything almost
yeah and reminding ourselves that
exercise doesn't have to mean going to
the gym right we can get exercise in all
sorts of different ways
at home and so really
just taking a few minutes every day to
get some physical exercise
so you mentioned that you know a lot of
the symptoms of burnout you know might
resemble some other physical conditions
then how do you tell that burnout from
other things that there might be
something else going on
yeah oftentimes burnout and depression
um
can
mirror each other um and
you know what we have to remember when
it comes to depression is that that is a
diagnosable mental health condition
whereas burnout is not
um you know depression
it doesn't have to be in response to one
specific trigger whereas burnout is
often in response to something that we
can point to and say oh this person is
working more hours than usual or there's
something specifically in their life
that's causing this type of burnout
depression tends to be a bit more
general
in terms of its symptoms
one way that i've always explained to my
to my patients in terms of the
difference is
let's imagine we took someone who was
experiencing depression and put them in
a in a villa in the south of france
the reality is those depressive symptoms
are going to accompany them on that trip
whereas if we take the person who's
dealing with burnout and put them in
that same villa
once they're kind of detached from that
work or whatever it is that's causing
the burnout they're going to be able to
enjoy
that vacation
they're going to be able to relax
whereas the individual who's feeling
depressed most likely will not
that's a really good way of looking at
it it looks like that it's more
situational and it's something almost
external to you um you know that's
that's that's a good way of looking at
it yeah
i think when we're looking at depression
as well we always have to look at kind
of self-esteem and is the individual
feeling a sense of worthlessness a
feeling of helplessness in terms of
changing aspects of their lives again it
tends to be more broad in general
whereas
with burnout we can really pinpoint uh
kind of what what is causing these types
of symptoms
so you know how do doctors you know you
said that they can't there's no medical
diagnosis of burnout then how can
doctors determine what is going on
yeah i think it's really an assessment
of kind of what
what is the person dealing with on a
day-to-day basis if someone comes in and
tells me i'm not sleeping because i'm so
worried about this presentation and all
i've been doing is focusing and
preparing for this presentation at work
and like i said i'm not sleeping i'm not
eating um i'm having a terrible time
concentrating i'm not communicating with
my family or i'm isolating myself we can
pinpoint that and say okay it's this
presentation that's really causing this
person to feel burned out
whereas depression we're looking at
other symptoms more of the underlying
symptoms
and that's interesting because i think
sometimes people might not even realize
that they've reached a burnout phase you
know that maybe they're just so
you know there's you know people are
just so focused on i need to get this
thing done i need to get this thing done
at my job and they don't realize that
they've just reached kind of a tipping
point as well into burnout
it's not
uncommon for people to
operate at such a high baseline
that
if they take a step back i often use the
example of
miles per hour so if someone is used to
going 100 miles an hour
and then all of a sudden they take their
foot off the accelerator and now they're
going at 85 which is still a pretty
good clip they may feel that that's
somehow not good enough
because they are so used to going at 100
miles an hour
and so what we really want to work on is
helping them find
a healthy cruising speed with the
understanding that yes there will be
times where you have to go a little
faster but we can't sustain that 100
miles an hour all the time
well and you know and obviously you know
something being in that kind of that
heightened stage for a long period of
time is not good for you what are some
of the long-term physical and emotional
effects of burnout
well i think
eventually it can lead to depression so
that's something we always want to keep
an eye out for um you know
individuals that are dealing with
prolonged burnout i see
just
the the quality of life their their
level of interest in things the things
that that have been enjoyable to them
they're just kind of going through the
motions at this point
people often talk about this feeling of
depersonalization when it comes to
burnout and that's a feeling of just
kind of being detached from yourself
almost like you're just kind of going
through the motions
due to that heightened level of stress
wow and those are very serious things
you know i would imagine those can also
have an impact on not just your job but
your personal life your relationships
and you know your just day-to-day
existence absolutely you know burnout
can absolutely affect
uh personal relationships i often hear
of individuals whose marriages or
relationship with significant others are
being affected and so it you know the
branches that come off this tree can be
quite expensive
now does burnout you know could it have
a serious effect on it very soon or is
it only prolonged burnout that can have
an impact you know i guess maybe what
are some of the short-term impacts you
tend to see
yeah i think
well
i think we have to remember that a lot
of times with burnout people don't
necessarily recognize it at its early
stages it's usually once burnout has
really kind of taken hold
that's when they say boy something is
really off here because i think we are
again so used to going at that that 100
mile an hour um
clip
so i i think it's important that we all
kind of do a daily
maybe even hourly check-in with
ourselves to kind of just see how am i
doing emotionally how am i doing
physically you know that that's one
thing that i'm always going to recommend
as a coping tool for burnout is we have
to be able to take breaks
we have to be able to step away from the
computer or step away from whatever that
that source of stress is
in order to attend to our health and
well-being
and i mean that's what i was going to
ask you is that when you when you
suddenly come to the realization i'm
burned out i have burnout what can you
do about it you know obviously i think
taking break is excellent and you know
and stepping away from your computer and
other screens is also a good thing what
else can you do
you know
i'm sure individuals have
i'm sure everyone's heard of kind of the
concept of mindfulness right the idea of
trying to be as emotionally present as
possible and one way to achieve that i
always recommend to my patients is doing
some deep breathing the great thing
about doing deep breathing is it causes
it it forces us to focus on that one
inhale and that one exhale
and in doing that we are focusing on
this very moment
so that's something i always recommend
for my patients as as kind of um
a first step
in terms of prioritizing at the moment
i think it's really important to
establish a healthy daily routine
when it comes to sleep when it comes to
diet when it comes to
saying okay i've put in a hard day's
work now i need to press stop and i need
to attend to
social aspects of my life things that
are just fun and relaxing and so you
know creating maintaining boundaries
that that's something that takes work
takes work but it's extremely beneficial
i mean the the first thing especially
it's it's so within your reach you just
take stop and take a breath and i think
that's really nice because it could feel
very overwhelming to even know where to
begin if you if your life has just
gotten to a point where you're go go go
all the time
it is and it's something that i remind
people it's
it's easy to do it doesn't require any
equipment people don't even necessarily
know that you're doing deep breathing
but the positive effects of it can be
can be
wonderful now establishing a daily
routine you know is it one of those
things where maybe you want to write
down in a notebook what you have to get
done or you maybe set an alarm to you
know say all right it's time for me to
stop i need to do things you know or are
things like that helpful or are there
any other methods or techniques that you
you tend to recommend to people
i think what you just mentioned is a
great way of approaching it i think when
we write things down and then we break
them down into small achievable goals
that's a wonderful way to approach
things so that we can cross those things
off during the day
right and in order to do that again we
have to take a bigger um a bigger goal
and break it down because sometimes if
we don't achieve that bigger goal we can
view it as a disappointment or a failure
so i think that that's a very healthy
way to approach it and to have feel like
there's some organization to that goals
to those goals
i would imagine that also speaking to
someone as well and maybe you know
talking to someone if they're a
therapist or someone else to try to also
help you get in the mode would also be
helpful to kind of give you some outside
perspective on what's going on
you know thankfully
therapy and mental health are finally
starting to be destigmatized
there's a tremendous need for mental
health services these days um and people
are seeking it out at record
record numbers um
i'm obviously a little bit biased
but
you know having that safe place to talk
with someone who is not a family member
or a friend or a co-worker or a neighbor
but someone who comes in impartial and
is trained to give clinical feedback
it really can be life-changing
especially during these stressful times
that we're living
well and you know job burnout you know
specifically can sometimes be so tricky
because you might not be in a position
to quit your job if it's causing you
stress
you know what can people do in
situations like that
it can be
tricky obviously if someone has
the opportunity to communicate with
their boss with their manager with
someone higher up in the organization
and explain to them some of the
difficulties that they're dealing with
that's ideal and hopefully find some
sort of schedule or some
change in responsibilities change and
daily routine that that could help but
not everyone has that opportunity
so we have to go in and try and remember
that my health and well-being matters
here as well i have to attend to the
balance of the day and if things are
really out of whack
i have to figure out how to do something
for myself
a lot of individuals who don't
necessarily feel that type of
satisfaction from work
oftentimes will look for things outside
of work
whether it's a volunteer opportunity
whether it's some involvement in a club
or organization for some individuals it
might be a religious um dynamic
to to maybe fill some of that void that
they're feeling that that they're not
getting from their job
i mean that's you know and that's always
so great because it's like that's your
break and it's something you enjoy and
it's something that can bring you joy
you know it can you know can that
sometimes go too much though can it
still be like you know you're almost
burning yourself out on your thing to
help you combat burnout you know is is
that a thing at all
i suppose
i suppose it is um i and again i think
it really comes down to that balance
right and and i think
oftentimes we misconstrue this idea of
attending to our self-care as somehow
being selfish
yeah and it's it's not the same
it's really not and oftentimes i i
remind my patients that you know in
order to be the best
friend or spouse or parent or child or
whatever it might be
you have to attend to your self-care
if your tank is empty you can't be the
type of person you want to be to these
other others in your life
and it stands to reason that you know
some people when their tank is empty
they just need to kind of go off by
themselves and maybe read a book or
sleep or rest and other people maybe if
they're more extroverted need that kind
of recharging by being around other
people it just it just really varies by
personality it does
it does and some it may not be
consistent
and that's okay you might it might have
to be a bit of trial and error
so you know is burnout something that
you can recover from and and if so you
know what does that look like and how
does that feel
burnout is something that i believe you
can recover from it it takes work
and i think it really again comes down
to establishing meaningful daily routine
um
creating and maintaining these
boundaries so that you can attend to
your health and well-being while also
attending to the responsibilities of
your job or your personal life
but i absolutely think that it can
improve
now once you recover from burnout you
know can you prevent it in the future
and if so you know how can you is it
just kind of sticking to what you your
routines and sticking to what you had
kind of implemented or are there
additional things you can do as well
well i think you know once you recognize
the symptoms
then hopefully you become more aware of
them and say to yourself you know what i
know
how bad this felt last time
i dealt with this and therefore i need
to do a better job of maintaining that
balance and attending to my self-care
and those boundaries so that i don't let
it get to that point that it did last
time
communicating with support systems
making sure that you don't feel like
you're going through this alone
is always going to be important um
and and i think that's another aspect of
therapy is that individuals often learn
how to communicate they don't
they're not internalizing these emotions
perhaps like they once did
and that's great too because yes some
people
you know this really could use some help
on how do i advocate for myself how do i
stand up and say i need this that could
be so difficult for people to do
sometimes
it really can be like learning a new
skill in order to be assertive in order
to to put your own needs higher up on
the priority list
well it's a lifelong thing that we're
all we're all trying to learn especially
when we're being pulled in many
directions i agree
you know
mindfulness too i imagine to be
something that's good when you kind of
cut off my you know burn out at the past
before it even develops that if you're
paying attention to what's going on like
you said you know when you're really
staying in touch with you know your
inner self and your emotions that also i
bet would be something that's very
helpful
and one thing i often
encourage my patients to do is focus on
gratitude especially nowadays it's very
easy to look through a lens of um
negativity pessimism
what how are things not
uh working for me the way that i would
like for them to work
and instead focus on the good things
and that does take work but i think
you will see the benefits pretty
pretty quickly um because there are
wonderful things out there that
unfortunately we tend to overlook yeah
so are you know are there any tips you
know that are good for avoiding burnout
that you haven't mentioned that you feel
are important to mention or might be
helpful to people yeah i've had um
a number of individuals who've
kind of experienced the benefits of
writing
writing as a therapeutic outlet and what
i recommend in that situation is don't
edit yourself don't worry about spelling
or grammar or anything like that just
start with i feel
and see where it goes
and when you're done with it it doesn't
matter what you do with it you can keep
it you can
reread it you can delete it throw it
away it doesn't really matter it's just
the process of getting it out
i worked with a patient years and years
ago who started off
her week with a very stressful
phone call with her boss every monday
morning she knew that at this time there
was going to be that phone call
and so what we worked on was before that
phone call she would take 10 15 minutes
and just write
just write out how she was feeling what
she was worried about the good things
that she had done the past week that she
could explain to her boss and we found
that it really helped her in terms of
approaching that call it didn't take
away the stress 100
and that really wasn't the expectation
but it helped her kind of
loosen that that vice grip that she was
holding on to things with
that's such a great example because
that's a concrete uh you know example of
something that's like i know i have it
every week how do i deal with it how can
i solve this problem and make it easier
for me even a little bit you know i
can't change it but i can respond to it
and help myself that's excellent and i
think that's a great point that you you
just brought up is the idea that we
can't change these situations
necessarily it's always up to us to
remind to say to ourselves how can i
respond to it that's what i have control
over my responses my behaviors and when
we recognize that it can be pretty
powerful to remember that we have a
choice in all of this
re just reframing it reframing the way
you look at things and that that is very
that kind of unlocks something when you
realize you know say that i can't you
know i can i have things in my life i
can control i'm going to focus on those
and making those better that can be very
very powerful
and that's what therapy
that's a way in which therapy can be
effective is by having someone help you
reframe
what it is that you're dealing with
now one of the things i'm sure that you
know has come up in the last couple
years too is you know covert fatigue you
know we've talked a lot about as well
about pandemic fatigue people are just
you know i've just had it i guess for
lack of a better word you know how do
they kind of inform each other and is
there a difference between you know
feeling burned out from the pandemic and
general burnout
well i think the demands that that
people have had put on them
since march of 2020 when the pandemic
started um
have really
gotten intense
um as i said before there's no playbook
there's no blueprint for any of this
we're kind of adapting on the fly um and
as a result
people's um
responsibilities
have changed and
a lot of people are doing a lot more
work than they did in the past
um and because of that burnout has
become more prevalent the ability to say
no the ability to keep those boundaries
to maintain a daily routine
really got flipped upside down once once
covid hit
and um so
that's something that i see quite often
in my practice
and as far as the fatigue
you're right i mean people are
pretty sick of this
and you know especially this new wave i
have a lot of patients who come to see
me that
they're feeling really angry
and and rightfully so
because
people
they're sick and tired of this
and it affects all areas of life so
well hopefully and then hopefully soon
maybe next time when we talk it'll be uh
things will be in a better place we can
all cross our fingers fingers crossed
absolutely
well is there anything else you want to
add about burnout that we haven't talked
about that you feel is important to
mention
i think it's important to be able to to
use that term burnout
to not shy away from it you know i think
thankfully in this generation
we're seeing that people are are
recognizing these symptoms and saying
you know what this isn't okay
whereas frankly in past generations it
was just kind of this mentality of you
put your head down and you work and you
don't complain and
whatever symptoms you dealt with on the
side well
it was a byproduct of it but thankfully
people are now
talking about burnout and maybe aren't
as apprehensive to admit you know i'm
dealing with these symptoms
and that's great because you know
acknowledging it and you know many more
people saying hey i'm dealing with this
you know we'll kind of bring it into the
you know lexicon i guess and hopefully
improve things like if you're in a
workplace that's very stressful even
acknowledging that can be you know it
can be very freeing to have someone say
hey you might be burned out you know
let's try to help solve this for you you
know that could really be a relief for
many people
yeah and i think if individuals can
can communicate with co-workers with
peers
to say hey this is how i'm feeling how
are you dealing with it
there it can be very validating if a
co-worker says boy you know i'm having a
hard time with that as well
right so we don't feel like i'm alone on
an island feeling these feelings
so
communicate communicate communicate wow
well dr berlin thank you so much this
has been so valuable and i think the
advice that you've shared today is
probably going to help a lot of people
in a very tough time
you're welcome my pleasure thanks for
having me
burnout is the result of ongoing stress
can have a serious impact on your mental
and physical health
if you'd like to find out more
information about how to deal with
burnout or learn about coping mechanisms
to prevent burnout from occurring visit
clevelandclinic.org behavioral health
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