We live in a fast-paced society that rewards people for their productivity and hard work. While it’s good to be ambitious, the pressure that comes with the need for success can be exhausting. The exhaustion that comes from work, school, social life and more can contribute to feeling burnt out. Becoming burnt out can negatively impact physical and mental wellbeing — but are ways that can help prevent feeling burnt that we can all work towards.

Burnout can present itself in ways you wouldn’t expect, and can take a toll on your mind and body. Physically, burnout can cause irregular sleep patterns, fatigue, irritability, physical pain, and changes in appetite. It makes functioning day to day harder than it would normally be.

Mentally, burnout can manifest through brain fog, anxiety, depression, mental exhaustion, and reduced efficacy. Even with all these symptoms present, it can be difficult to identify burn out as the cause. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Initially, the signs and symptoms of burnout are subtle, with gradual progression. Although aware of negative changes in their mental
(emotional, cognitive) and physical functioning, at first, many affected individuals neither recognize nor understand the connection between these changes and the depletion of their resources of mental and physical energy and well-being.”

It’s easy to minimize the stress that comes from simply being alive, but life truly is stressful and there should be no shame in admitting that. Feeling burnt out doesn’t make you any less of a person, it just means you’re experiencing human emotions. Learning how to combat feelings of burn out and knowing the steps to mitigate potential burnout is very important.

The key is to find a balance between work, relationships, and all the other factors that make up your life special. Practicing self-care, setting boundaries, and having a steady support system are three ways in which we can treat and prevent burnout. Self-care is the act of doing things that make you feel good, and help you unwind in order to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing. Self-care can look like taking a nap, going out with friends, watching movies, or eating your favorite meal. Essentially, they should be acts that promote inner happiness and rest. Setting boundaries is another step in creating harmony between work and social life. Setting boundaries can be putting your phone on do not disturb at a certain hour of the day, or saying no to things you don’t want to do. Lastly, having people you can depend on when you’re feeling down can help lift morale. Find people who can help recharge your social battery. Feeling burnt out can be unavoidable at times, but knowing the steps to treat it can make all the difference.

Article written by: Paulina Barker “My name is Paulina Barker and I have a passion for mental health. I obtained my bachelors degree in psychology from California State University, Northridge and am currently in the process of trying to pursue my master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. My area of interest has always been eating disorders and body image. I believe everyone deserves to feel worthy and live in harmony with food. I’m one step closer to reaching my goals everyday.”