How to deal with Burnout
Content Courtesy of the Forever Young Podcast with Christiana Egi and Cherrie-Marie Chiu.
After a long winter aren’t we glad to see the sun shining and spring all around the corner? As we head into better days, we discussed burnout on one of our recent Forever Young podcasts. Burnout can happen in several aspects of our lives. Occupationally, financially or medically, we all can face burnout in many ways. We think this podcast made way for a really enlightening discussion as we discuss our experiences with burnout. As caregivers as well, we face burnout and it is essential to know what it means and how to cope with feeling burnout.
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exertion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. If you have been looking after someone who is sick, or you are stressed out at work, all these things can eventually lead to burnout. Feeling burnout in your place of employment can make one feel emotionally drained and unable to function in the context of their work, and also other aspects of their lives. Burnout can reduce productivity, lower your motivation and cause you to feel helpless, hopeless, and resentful.
There are so many different causes of burnout depending on your situation. Are you caregiving for someone who is ill? Are you caregiving for a child? Are you in a job that you don't like? Or is your job causing you so much stress? Or is your job not paying you enough money to be financially stable? There are many different things in our life that can lead to burnout and affect all aspects of our lives. This is why it is important to address the issue, talk about it with loved ones, and make active decisions to support stress to avoid burnout. Listen to the full podcast episode below:
The interesting fact is that there are different kinds of burnout, but what are some of the signs and symptoms to look out for?
So when feeling burnout, some may feel overwhelmed, fatigued, anxious, irritable, not sleeping well, gaining weight, or having digestive issues. Some may even have panic attacks, along with withdrawing from friends and loved ones, or may even go into a depression.
At work, some symptoms may include being cynical or overly critical about your work or other people's work. You may struggle to get your work tasks done or even get started. You may even feel like you are dragging yourself out of bed to get to work or your home office. The lack of energy can lead to difficulty concentrating and also lead to impatience with clients or co-workers. People may use food, alcohol, or drugs to numb the feeling of burnout.
All these feelings are very common when one is experiencing stress. However, try to take the time to properly address the situation and seek help from family, friends, or even professionals.
The signs and symptoms of burnout are very similar to depression. They are distinctly different but very similar. The three symptoms that they highlighted as the impact of depression - which are low self-esteem, feeling of hopelessness and helplessness, as well as having suicidal thoughts - these symptoms also reflect burnout. We need to know how to get a hold of stress in our lives, and how to really deal with it better.
However, the other thing that experts say about burnout, is that you can actually manage it relatively more quickly than you can depression. In the case of depression, medication and therapy may help whereas in the case of burnout there are numerous ways to mitigate the situation without medication or therapy. If you see the signs of burnout, get help as soon as you can before it becomes a chronic issue in your life. Addressing the problem, even if it may be small can help avoid falling into a state of depression.
In our podcast episode on resilience, we discussed how we could understand and deal with stress in our lives. You can listen to the podcast episode here or read up on the episode here:
Most caregivers may experience caregiver guilt because you may think you are not doing enough or you yelled at your loved one that you are caring for and that makes you feel down and out. The guilt of the caregiver for wanting to get time away is very real and can definitely cause burnout. However you cannot pour from a cup thats empty, so it is important for caregivers and even those who are not to realize you need to take care of yourself first. Here is a quick interview Christiana Egi and Elisse Hill were a part of to discuss burnout for caregivers:
Having more awareness as a caregiver and doing more research may help you avoid burnout. In the case of dementia, it is one of the most misunderstood diseases, especially the symptoms that come with it, and caregiving for loved ones with dementia can be hard if you do not fully understand these symptoms and how to care for them. Caregivers can also feel frustrated because of a lack of money and resources to care for their loved ones which can lead to stress. A lack of resources and skills can be a trigger for burnout. When you are faced with a situation it is best you do research and reach out to community centers, loved ones, and even professionals. Christiana Egi wrote A Rose For Grandma with the goal of educating people on dementia, which is a global epidemic. Raising awareness, starting from within the household and at a young age can create an understanding of the disease in both children and adults. You can check out our podcast episode of A Rose for Grandma book launch or find the book for purchase on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Taking a step back, rather than panicking or getting frustrated actually will help you put things in perspective and get more done.
When you get frustrated, find someone that you can confide in. This can be family, a friend, a coworker, a neighbor, or even a faith leader. Find someone that you can be open with and tell them about your feelings of frustrations, fears, and anxieties are important when feeling burnout.
Seek help because you cannot do it all by yourself. Be very specific in your ask. If you need someone to help you with meals if you need someone to run an errand if you need someone to just come and sit with your loved one, so you can actually take a walk or a break. People will be happy to help and be specific in your ask can help them understand how they should be of support as well.
Be realistic and set realistic goals. The biggest thing you can do to be a better caregiver is to put yourself first when feeling burnout. You are not doing anyone a favor by not looking after yourself. If caregiving becomes too overwhelming for you, and also starts affecting the person you are taking care of, do not feel guilty about seeking help from a facility. The first rule in deciding to place your loved one in a caretaking facility is to think if you had to move into this environment, would you be satisfied? Would you feel at peace? Would you enjoy your time during these visits? Asking yourself these questions can help make the best decision for yourself and for your loved ones.
If you are suffering from occupational burnout and you need to resolve your situation at work. If quitting is not an option, try to talk to someone at work whether it be someone in HR or a manager to help them understand what you are going through. You can also let them know how much you can handle or what needs to be dropped off or given to someone else.
If your work involves sitting at a desk for 8 hours, try to take small breaks in between. A three-minute walk outside can do wonders for your brain. Go outside and walk around your building, breathing in the fresh air and giving yourself that break will help you feel so much better.
Learning to take little breaks when needed is really important. Not everyone can have the privilege to quit their job due to burnout, and if that is the case try to reduce what brings you stress and anxiety. If taking on extra projects after work hours is creating extra stress and leading to burnout, learn to say no to these projects. Taking a small vacation during the weekend can help you rest and reset, making you more ready to take on your workload and deal with the business of regular life. Learn to know when your body needs time to reset and destress. Making it a part of your regular routine can help improve your overall health and mental wellbeing!
The Forever Young podcast is created and produced by Christiana Egi and Cherrie Marie Chiu. Produced and engineered by Elisse Hill. The podcast represents our opinions and those of our guests. The content should not be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please consult your health care professional for any medical questions. If you like our show, please tell your friends and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are available every other Wednesday. Have questions? Email us at ourforeveryoungpodcast@gmail.com.
