How To Overcome Emotional Burnout
Burn-out is a so-called exhaustion syndrome, which also has a significant emotional component. Find here the information you need to identify it and learn how to overcome emotional burnout.
If it is linked to the professional context, the symptoms can also be caused by overwork linked to private, sentimental and/or family life.
Emotional burnout: explanations
Burn-out is an exhaustion syndrome that affects both the physical and emotional levels of the individual. It reveals an overflow of emotions resulting from a period of intense and often prolonged stress or overwork.
The causes of the syndrome are multi-factorial. When all the tasks we have to accomplish become difficult to carry out (social life, family life, professional activity, etc.), this can lead to overwork. And if it then becomes impossible to manage everything, and this causes intense stress, we will speak of burn-out or “emotional exhaustion syndrome”.
The warning signs
Emotional exhaustion is not easy to identify. It reveals itself through an alteration of emotions and reactions: exacerbated or, on the contrary, completely inhibited.
In times of exhaustion, you may therefore feel:
- Constant fatigue: you have the feeling of never getting enough sleep and of being tired, stressed, anxious, constantly
- Despondency or stress when faced with the tasks to be carried out
- A feeling of overwork
- A collapse of self-confidence
- What usually gives you pleasure no longer has any flavor for you
- A significant drop in concentration
- Reduction or even annihilation of memorization capacities.
Much more intense than a feeling of anxiety or overwork, burnout represents a real emotional, mental and sometimes even physical shock. The symptoms of emotional burnout set in insidiously and gradually. If nothing is done to stop them, they can quickly get worse.
Sentimental burnout: what is it?
Romantic burnout has no medical basis, but is used to describe the exhaustion that the couple can experience. This phenomenon could be linked to the expectations, often too high, placed on the couple and the disappointments they cause. A feeling of disillusionment then emerges, which can lead to bitterness or even resentment, to ultimately create a feeling of unhappiness, known as “love”.
Addressing family burnout
Family burnout, also called “parental burnout,” has its source in the personal world. This can come from overwork in household tasks, a lack of help and too much self-control. To this can be added a time-consuming and demanding professional activity.
You must then put in place an organization that frees up your time so as not to remain in this situation.
- Allow yourself to have your children looked after to take a breather. Friends, family, babysitter, those around you can absolutely support you
- Communicate directly with your loved ones to find the help and support you need
- Turn to your doctor or psychologist if you are more comfortable with this idea
Burnout vs depression
Burn-out results from pronounced, long-term overwork: whether at home or at work. It is not recognized as an illness, like depression, which is characterized by a mental disorder. The symptoms can still be very similar.
However, depression is defined by a constant state of sadness and despondency, even dark thoughts, which are not found in burnout.
However, burnout can cause, if not encourage, depression. This is why consultation with a doctor or even a specialist is essential.
how to overcome emotional burnout
If you think you have or feel the symptoms of burnout, it is essential to take care of yourself as quickly as possible. Here are some ideas to help you:
- Talk. Express what you feel to those around you.
- Focus on the benefits of sleep to limit your fatigue as much as possible.
- Take some time for yourself.
- Find an activity you enjoy and stick with it. This will regulate your mood and take your mind off things.
- Consult a professional.
–The therapeutic response to emotional burnout
First of all, at the slightest sign of burnout, consult your doctor. Only he will be able to direct you to the specialist best suited to your problem.
Cognitive behavioral therapy may be recommended. It will allow you to put your suffering into words, but also to put in place the necessary actions to get out of this disorder and not relapse afterwards (learn to refuse, let go, etc.). Therapy will also allow you to understand your psychological mechanisms to identify what led you to burnout.
–The medical response to burnout
Not being recognized as a disease in its own right, no specific treatment exists for emotional burnout.
However, the symptoms can be treated independently of each other: reduce stress, improve sleep, etc. Which will improve your condition and lead you to recovery.
Taking medication is only recommended in severe cases of burnout. And this is not necessarily the most appropriate solution. This can help the patient calm down if the disorder is generalized. However, the prescription must be considered over the shortest possible period, so that it does not become a habit.
Therapy remains the best solution if you want to understand why you contracted the syndrome and stop it for the future.
When is work pause necessary?
During a burnout, rest time is required; your doctor can then prescribe you a sick leave. However, this is not systematic. Your condition and your situation will be the two main criteria that will lead your doctor to make the decision.
If your professional environment plays an important role in your exhaustion syndrome, you can then obtain sick leave, lasting from a few days to a few weeks. It will then allow you to rest, recover and gain perspective on the situation to regain the balance between private and professional life.
However, it is strongly recommended to consult as soon as the first symptoms appear or are suspected, in order to prevent them from taking hold.
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I hope you enjoyed this overview of how to overcome emotional burnout and found it useful. Comment down below what you think of these techniques. Have you ever been in an emotional burnout? if so how do you deal with it? Please share with us your experience if you feel it could help.
Looking forward to reading your comments, sending you love and positive energy!!!
