How to know if you are Stressed, burnt out or both?
In order to know if you are burnt out it is important to first understand what burnout is. Burnout is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” https://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/stressatwp/en/
It is characterised by three key features:
1. Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2. Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
3. Reduced professional efficacy.
Now, I know you might be thinking – yes I have definitely felt these symptoms before or I am currently feeling exhausted now with it being 4.30 pm on a Friday. However, I want you to consider the word chronic. Chronic means that it’s been going on for longer than a few days and also implies that it is a persistent and prevailing mood each working day.
If we dissect this further and look at the definition of Stress; "the reaction people may have when presented with demands and pressures that are perceived not to match their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope." As you can see the two words, burnout and stress are synonymous of each other.
Couple that with the new ‘demands and pressures’ many of us are facing with working from home such as; virtual fatigue, lack of social interaction, support of colleges, disruption of workday routine, job security and it’s no wonder workplace stress and burn out is on the rise!
Okay so I am stressed but what does this mean to me really? With your brain (the amgdyla) in this hijacked state of ‘fight or flight’ your body may experience many symptoms including, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, anger or irritability, vulnerability to illnesses, high blood pressure, volatile moods and reduced emotional resilience.
When our body is in this short wired state, fear is the main motivational driver of behaviour and so it can be very difficult to act rationally and sustain attention. If your body experiences prolonged stress, it can be prone to longer term illnesses such as heart disease and also increase your likelihood of developing anxiety and depression, requiring absence from work and negatively impacting many other areas of your life.
So what can I do about it?
Reflecting on your own internal and external stress ‘triggers’ and having a list of personal strategies for reducing your stress levels before they take hold can be very useful E.g. going for a walk. Specifically think about one area that is contributing to your current feeling of stress, grab a pen and paper and work through this sequence:
C: What can you control about your current situation? Control the Controlables! What will you change and how? This will lead to increased feelings of autonomy and motivation.
I: What can I influence or change about this situation? You may need more support to have an impact on this than initially thought. Look at the resources you have both personally and from those in your circle.
A: What do I need to accept about this situation? This is often a silent contributor to stress as we worry about things that we cannot change and are in fact beyond our control entirely.
Following on from this ask yourself:
What am I saying ‘yes’ to that I would like to be saying ‘no’ to?
What mini baby step could I take today to work towards improving this situation?
In a nutshell stress can be extremely different for each person, be kind to yourself and think about what stress may look like for you. Have a list of strategies in place before it gets a chance to take hold!
If you found this useful read more on ‘ how to manage work -related stress below’ :) or follow my instagram :https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamahonycoaching/