“I just feel a little burnt…”
If you can recognize this feeling before you go into full burnout mode, you’ve done a great job. Burnout is an elusive and secretive beast whose signs and symptoms are easy to ignore. It seems like low level stress at first can quickly turn into anxiety, and then depression before you can even send a supposedly ‘urgent’ email.
What are the signs and symptoms of burnout?
- Honeymoon Phase: This happens when you are starting a new job, or a new role at your current workplace. Everything is good – so good, in fact, that you take a lot of extra work to prove your worth and deepen your job satisfaction.
- Onset of Stress: Soon, you will notice a feeling of stiffness. Cold days are few and far between. Dr. Ashley says that there are three things that characterize this stage: lack of time for personal needs, seeing friends and family less, and feeling that work is the most important thing. You may have headaches, aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, as well as some emotional symptoms.
- Chronic stress: Your ability to focus and solve problems starts to be affected. Dr. Ashley says you may feel out of control and powerless. Your productivity drops as a result, which brings feelings of overwhelm, failure, guilt and shame. There is also a sense of denial at this stage, which forces the sufferer away from colleagues and loved ones. Some people can self-medicate during this stage.
- Burnout: According to Dr. Ashley, the main symptom of burnout itself is apathy. You will also experience critical fatigue and tiredness that should not be felt in line with the amount of sleep or ‘rest’ you are getting.
- Burnout Habits: Here you will need external intervention from a doctor or psychologist.
By checking in with yourself to see where you are on the personal stress barometer and taking appropriate action, you can actively prevent a mental health crisis that requires a longer recovery time. Dr. Ashley says if you’re in stages one through three, you have a good chance of taking action now.
How to prevent burnout?
There are different ways you can burnout. First and foremost is recognizing the onset of chronic stress. From here, you can talk to your boss about your concerns and adjust your schedule. Then, personal work begins:
- Perspective: As difficult as it is, finding a perspective that allows you to prioritize and delegate instead of treating all work requirements as a full-blown crisis is essential to preventing burnout. Move away from a perfectionist mindset and set realistic goals while prioritizing your personal health every day.
- Support System: Lead friends and family – that’s what they are there for. Organize activities outside of work and drink with the good people in your life who know you better than anyone.
- Self care: Although choosing an outfit or cooking a simple meal can feel like a marathon, simple self-care is essential to prevent burnout. This could be a bath with all the accoutrements (we’re talking salt, essential oils, foam – a lot) once a week, a professional facial, a massage or even just a short walk through the farmer’s market on Sunday.
- Movement and meditation: Learning how to stick around for a moment or two is just as, if not more, important than getting the job done for the day. If meditation doesn’t come naturally to you, consider joining a yoga class or lifting weights at the gym. Relaxing but repetitive movements can help you escape from your own thoughts.
What can be done to alleviate burnout?
“When recovering from burnout, essential oils like lavender, bergamot, frankincense, and ylang-ylang are especially helpful because of their calming, grounding, and mood-enhancing properties.” Says Yasmin Sharp, In-House Aromatherapist at Nikura.
“Nikura’s Positivity Essential Oil Blend has a blend of Bergamot and Frankincense: bergamot lifts spirits while reducing stress, and frankincense helps with mental clarity and emotional balance. These oils, when used in combination through diffusers, topical applications, or baths, can help restore energy, relieves feelings of overwhelm, and brings a sense of peace and renewal during the recovery process.
Brigitta Lark, Holistic Therapist at Almora Botanica adds, “Taking care of yourself and showing love is the fastest way to recover from burnout, and in it, massage is a great tool to reduce tension. I like to use natural oils, like Almora Botanica’s Nourishing Night Face Oil with the gua sha tool, gently massage key areas that are prone to tension, such as the jaw and temples. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and as you gently massage the tool into the area, feel the tension disappear.
We’ve put together a selection of tools, gadgets and accessories that will help you prioritize self-care this burnout season.
