Are you feeling physically and emotionally drained? Do you find yourself disconnecting from family or friends? You may notice yourself increasingly needing to take time off work, or lacking the motivation to complete routine tasks. 

Sound familiar? If so, you may be experiencing burnout. Burnout is about feeling not enough. It is about feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring.

Here are some ways to prevent feeling burnt out…

1. Be aware of what you can and cannot control, and focus on problem solving the things you can control
Put things into perspective! We often feel demotivated and deflated when things don’t go to plan, however it’s important to remember that we don’t have control over absolutely everything. We may encounter obstacles that were unforeseen and unavoidable. Life happens. Focus on problem solving the things you can influence, and you will feel more accomplished. 

2. Simplify your day, and know your limits
Ask for help and learn how to say “no”... and mean it! We can’t do everything for everyone, despite what we think! It is important to maintain boundaries with family, friends and/or colleagues. Sometimes you just need to switch off. You can't be available to everyone at all times!

3. Write a to-do list
It is important to start each day with a purpose.  Each evening, list three tasks that you will aim to complete during the course of the following day. Checking off tasks each day is one of the best ways to feel accomplished and satisfied. 

4. Practice mindfulness
It is important to take time out of your day to give yourself the chance to ground yourself and come back to the present moment. It's important to routinely take time out to breathe and re-centre. Regular practice will help you feel more in control and be better able to make good decisions. 

5. Remember to schedule self care into your week
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but really, how often you you deliberately schedule in self care to your routine? I’m sure like many, we have good intentions to carve out time for ourselves, but we let other priorities often get in the way. You are doing a disservice to your loved ones by not looking after yourself! Keep it simple...exercise regularly, maintain a well balanced diet, start a new hobby, learn an instrument, keep up with social connections, the options are endless!

If this is sounding all too familiar are you are wanting some extra support, please book in an appointment with one of our clinicians

You might be able to recall a time where you’ve felt...

- emotionally drained;

- you’ve become more distant at work;

​- and you’ve started to feel like nothing you do is ever good enough.

Does that sound familiar?

Now, more than ever, employees are reporting high levels of burnout.

You’re exhausted. We all are.
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I encourage you to focus on nourishing your body.

Notice what it needs and respond accordingly.

Think about the last week...

How mindful have you been about what you have put into your body?

Have you made it a priority to move your body?

How kind and compassionate have you been to your body?

Have you taken the time to really treat and care your body?

If you are feeling burnout and require therapeutic support, we have immediate availability with for adult clients

Emily Vujicic, Psychologist

Sometimes it’s incredible to think about what our body can take during times of stress. We can continue to ‘soldier on’ during busy and stressful life events, while juggling work, family, friends, finances, and the list continues. Being a parent can bring about some of the most stressful times of our lives. We can find that we become exhausted, and resentful, and while juggling all of those balls, it often feels like what we are doing is just not good enough.

Most of the time, we find that we can do this OK, but ‘burning the candle at both ends’ over a prolonged period of time can have a significant and detrimental effect on our health and well-being.

There are 6 specific areas of life/work that have been identified as contributing to stress and burnout.

A feeling of a lack of control, and not having a say in what is going on can be created by the uncertainty or ambiguity of a situation.

When your core values are in conflict with someone or with an event, this can be very stressful. This may be an increase in work demands that is impacting on family time.

Feeling taken for granted or feel like you are not being appreciated can be a common feeling for all parents and can be a contributor to those feelings of resentment.

With demands of home and work, it can often feel like it is impossible to prioritise. Everything seems like it is the most important task, and it can feel endless.

Feeling on top of things can be even harder if you feel like there is something that is unfair about what is in front of you.

Finally, if you feel like there is a breakdown of in the connection between your loved ones, it can feel incredibly stressful and isolating.

As the stress continues we find that we continue to get sick. This is because our immune system is being weakened, and we are more vulnerable to illness. It also takes us longer to feel better when we are stressed. We also feel a lack of energy or fatigued. It might mean coming home from work and being unable to muster up the energy to do extra things like exercise, or hobbies that you enjoy.
 
To help reduce the chance of burnout, it takes practise to remind ourselves to be “good enough” and not perfect. This is not always easy, and it much easier said than done, but it helps us to remember the good and positive things that we are doing and achieving, rather than the things we are not doing, or missing. The feelings of gratitude are a major contributor to happiness, while perfectionism can be linked to depression and anxiety. Read Part 2 of this blog post to learn how to help bring your focus back to the positive.