We often underestimate severity of burnout, downplay its impact on our bodies, and push it aside as non-urgent. It’s easy to feel like burnout is our own fault, but it’s not. The key to addressing burnout lies in recognising it, accepting it, and taking proactive steps towards self-care.
Stress is not a normal physiological state, even if it’s common. So we need to stop minimising the physiological effects of chronic stress on our bodies. We also need to stop waiting for others to give us permission to take care of ourselves. It’s up to us to accept the reality of our situation and take the necessary steps towards improving it.
Blaming ourselves and feeling shame is only going to hinder our progress. So instead, we need to do the work, change the toxic narratives in our heads, and shift our mindsets to focus on self-care without guilt.
If we ignore the signs of burnout, we can end up with a significant drop in performance, a feeling of bitterness, and a profound sense of fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest. It affects not only our wellbeing but also our relationships and our ability to function effectively at work and at home.
To start addressing burnout, we need to plot ourselves on the stress curve. This curve, which plots performance against pressure, can help us understand the extent of the problem. Once we’ve identified our place on the curve, we can ask ourselves what factors are contributing to our stress and what we can do to move back up the curve.
This isn’t about blaming ourselves, but about taking control, making changes, and prioritising our wellbeing.
