Five signs you may be suffering burnout

We’ve all probably heard or read about burnout and imagine it only applies to the busy executive types, or perhaps people with high-stress jobs. Perhaps we think that burnout is more to do with organising your time more effectively. After all it’s only stress and we’re all stressed these days. Wrong!

Burnout can happen to anyone, regardless of your occupation, age, gender or profession. In fact it can creep up on you without you even knowing. It has been described as a “total extinction of motivation or incentive” and it affects the most willing and committed people; from caring for a child or relative to the office worker, shop workers, managers - anyone. 

Burnout is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress is like drowning in responsibilities, burnout is being all dried up. While you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

Burnout may start out as feelings of stress, forgetfulness, agitation, feelings of being overwhelmed or problems sleeping (sleeping more or less). The five signs you may be suffering burnout are: 

• You feel exhausted all the time: you are sapped of all energy.
• Taking longer to get things done and/or making frequent mistakes.
• Detachment: no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to make a difference.
• Frequent feelings of illness: headaches, aches and pains.
• Taking your frustrations out on others.

Burnout happens in stages from the compulsion of having to prove yourself in the workplace or at home. This leads to working harder and neglecting your own needs, which then leads to work playing a greater importance. This may lead to feelings of withdrawal and an inner emptiness which may lead to depression and can have negative effects on your home life, as well as on your body. You may become more vulnerable to illness.

There are three things you can do to help you with burnout. Firstly, recognise any of the warning signs. These could be any of the above. The next step is to reverse the symptoms, this is done by seeking support. This is where hypnosis can help.

Hypnosis can help with tackling negative thoughts, increasing self-confidence and ego strengthening. Hypnosis can also help you relax. Relaxation helps tackle the ‘fight or flight’ response which occurs when stressed. When you are in a state of relaxation, your body cannot be stressed at the same time, you’ll be shown how to relax and how to engage effective responses when feeling stressed. Moreover, it is also important to build into your day time for yourself and to ‘check-in’ with yourself to see how you’re feeling. 

Hypnosis can also look behind the reasons and identify where the burnout may be arising. This could be work-related, for example working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment, an unclear or overly demanding job or having little or no control over work. Perhaps the burnout may be to do with lifestyle. This could be working too much, being expected to be too many things to too many people or the lack of close, supportive relationships. Or maybe your personality traits are contributing to burnout. You may have perfectionistic tendencies, the need of control. Whatever the reason, hypnosis can help you find where the issues are by the use of hypnoanalysis or parts-therapy. These will help you identify and change your responses at the powerful unconscious level.

Lastly, hypnosis not only helps you reverse the burnout, but builds resilience for the future, by helping you with relaxation, setting boundaries for work and family, adopting healthy eating, exercising and sleeping habits. Moreover, hypnosis may also help you determine what is important to you and in re-evaluating your life.