Have you lost your zest for life? Are you finding that your self-motivation is running on empty? That you’re not feeling as passionate about your work, life, or love as you used to?
It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly when this feeling starts or how it happened, but suddenly you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall and have nothing left to give.
This, unfortunately, is what burnout feels like.
The good news is that it’s completely normal. Many people will experience burnout in their lives, especially when they’re working extremely hard trying to achieve their goals and take control of their lives.
While burnout might feel hard to deal with, it’s your soul’s way of trying to get your attention. It’s trying to tell you that something needs to change. That, in order to carry on becoming your badass self, you need to readjust and course correct.
The question is – are you ready to listen to it?
The Symptoms of Burnout
What is Burnout
According to the World Health Organization, burnout is a syndrome “resulting from chronic stress that has not been successfully managed.”
Even though you might feel that it’s come on suddenly, burnout is actually a gradual process.
The symptoms tend to creep in, one after the other. If you ignore them, they’ll get worse until, suddenly, you’re totally burned out.
If you pay close attention to the symptoms, however, you may be able to catch burnout early and avoid it altogether.
Here are the symptoms to watch out for. If you’re already in the midst of burnout, you’ll probably relate to most signs on this list:
Physical
- Fatigue
- Appetite changes
- Sleep disruption
Emotional
- Overwhelm
- Pessimism
- Apathy about work and the future
- Feeling detached
- Lack of motivation
- Loss of enjoyment in daily activities
Behavioral
- Procrastination
- Emotional outbursts
- Isolation from friends and families
- Reduced productivity at work
- Substance abuse
Your Brain on Burnout
“Burnout is nature’s way of telling you, you’ve been going through the motions your soul has departed.”
Sam Keen
For the sufferer, burnout can feel confusing, debilitating and terrifying. But there’s actually a neurobiological reason behind it.
You see, chronic stress is proven to enlarge your amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for regulating your emotional reactions. When the amygdala swells, you become moodier and have deeper emotional responses to external stimuli.
At the same time, this stress also causes the prefrontal cortex to wear thin, which makes it harder for you to learn new things, pay attention for long periods, and remember important tasks.
Finally, heightened, intense stress also reduces neural connectivity between different areas in the brain, meaning enjoyable processes like harnessing your creativity, tapping into your intuition, and using emotional intelligence all become extremely laborious.
The good news is that all of these symptoms are reversible. Our brains are really magical in that way. So, look at your experience of burnout as an opportunity; it’s really your true self trying to get your attention. It feels off-kilter. It knows you’re heading in the wrong direction. It’s inviting you to recalibrate and step into authenticity.
Of course, to do that, you’ll need to understand why you’re misaligned in the first place.
The 6 Causes of Burnout
In the same way that you are unique, the cause of your burnout will be unique too. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing!
Saying that, there are a few recurring triggers that tend to lead to burnout. I’ll bet you identify with at least one of these stressors, if not more:
1. Relying Too Much on Your Pseudo-Strengths
Pseudo-Strengths are Burdening
A pseudo-strength appears as a strength to the outside world, but deep down, it drains you of your energy and vitality. These are things you’re good at, but don’t bring you joy.
See, the thing is, just because you excel at something doesn’t necessarily mean you should make it the focus of your career. Sometimes, our strengths don’t align with our inherent personality traits and passions.
For instance, you might be wonderful at project management, even though spending huge chunks of time developing documents and processes leaves you feeling depleted and disenchanted.
If you’re pouring a lot of time and energy into these pseudo-strengths, you’ll likely teeter with feelings of burnout. After all, these talents lack personal significance. Spend too much time on them, and you’ll feel stressed and disconnected from your true self.
2. Misplacing Your Life Purpose
Research shows that purpose in life is strongly correlated to lower risks of burnout. Your ‘why’ will be personal to you –it’s a recipe formulated by knowing who you are, living in accordance with your values, and contributing to something bigger than yourself.
Have You Lost Your Unique Purpose?
Unfortunately, many people are out of touch with their unique purpose. Instead, they follow the well-trodden path set by others’ expectations – striving for good grades, seeking stable jobs, and buying nice cars – all without fully questioning what really matters to them.
The next thing they know: they crash and burn out. Their soul is yelling at them to make a change, to reconnect with their deeper life’s purpose, and to live authentically.
While the calling is painful to answer, the only way out is through. If something is missing in your life, that’s okay. Listen to the emotions you’re experiencing – they’re trying to tell you something.
3. Neglecting Self-Care
Even if you’ve already taken bold steps towards a purpose-driven life, burnout can still find its way into your journey.
Surprising, right? Well, research shows that over a quarter of entrepreneurs experience burnout, but it’s not due to a lack of purpose; it’s what scientists call ‘obsessive passion.’
In essence, some people follow their dreams with such fervor and dedication that they forget they’re not superhuman! Often, they’ll forgo fundamental needs like social connection, adequate sleep, and regular exercise.
Non-Stop Work is Celebrated
Unfortunately, in our ‘hustle culture,’ taking breaks can become a source of guilt. For entrepreneurs, in particular, disconnecting from work can feel impossible, which only heightens the risk of burnout.
4. Lack of Social Support
Science shows that feeling socially isolated has health consequences comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily, with numerous studies noting a direct correlation between burnout and lack of social support.
When you think about it, it’s easy to see why.
Humans Are Wired for Connection
Our relationships with other people are intrinsic to motivation, happiness, and fulfillment. When we feel lonely, we can lose sight of ‘the point’ of doing things, eventually finding it hard to accomplish anything at all.
Of course, you don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. If the people around you are unsupportive, critical, and negative, you could feel isolated even in a bustling environment.
5. Unrealistic Expectations
Failure Is a Stepping Stone for Success
Failure is a crucial stepping stone on the road to success but too many failures, too frequently, can easily leave you feeling demotivated, doubtful and downtrodden.
Possibly, you’ve placed a lot of unrealistic expectations on yourself to achieve your long-term goals in a certain amount of time. If you find you’re always falling short, this could increase your propensity to burnout.
You see, our brains need regular doses of dopamine to maintain motivation–and that dopamine release is triggered when we achieve things. By contrast, if you set yourself standards that are too high and don’t reach them, you’ll end up feeling flat and low in energy.
The people around us can also be guilty of setting impossible goals for us to reach. For example, if your boss expects you to work crazy hours or keeps adding to your workload even though you’ve expressed you’re at full capacity, this can easily leave you feeling overwhelmed.
6. Negative Thought Patterns
We’ve all got our fair share of self-limiting beliefs. You know the ones. The thoughts that whisper:
- “I can’t…”
- “I shouldn’t…”
- “What if I fail…”
These critical thoughts have an incredible power to keep us stuck in situations that don’t serve us well.
They can hold us back from chasing our dreams, convince us that we’re not good enough, or cause us to endlessly compare ourselves to others.
Limiting Beliefs Hold You Back
If you allow these limiting beliefs to run rampant for too long, they can take a huge toll on your self-confidence and leave you feeling helpless.
But if you do the deep work of excavating the elements of yourself that have been bulldozed by the demands of your life and career, you can overcome negative thoughts and self-limiting beliefs. The SoulSalt Book is the field guide for achieving precisely this!
7 Ways to Avoid and Overcome Burnout
Far too often, individuals facing burnout turn to medication as a quick fix for their symptoms. Essentially, they seek a doctor’s help to feel better temporarily, only to return to the very circumstances that caused their burnout in the first place.
Medical interventions may play an important role in recovering your physical and mental health.
You see, your burnout is a catalyst – an opportunity to step into the most authentic, badass version of yourself and reach your full potential.
So, here’s how to overcome burnout and stop it from ever happening again.
1. Get Enough Rest
Harvard research shows that the number one immediate cure for burnout is, unsurprisingly, some time off work to recharge.
You Need to Rest and Recharge
Your soul and body are crying out for you to take a break. Be gentle with yourself, pause, and reset.
Of course, when you’re overwhelmed by work or family demands, finding the time to rest can bring up all sorts of negative emotions like guilt and worry. Even though it might be hard to switch off at first, you need to honor your needs. Taking a day to rejuvenate will do a world of good.
Once you’ve done that, you’re ready for the next step.
2. Find the Reason Behind It
Your burnout happened for a reason. Whether you’ve been neglecting your core values, obsessing over work, or being your own worst critic, consider this moment an opportunity to recalibrate.
Something isn’t right, and you owe it to yourself to make a meaningful change.
As you reflect on how you got here, be raw, honest, and vulnerable. What really triggered your burnout? If you’re not sure, here are some ideas to help you find the answer:
- Meditate on your core values to decode where you may be misaligned from your unique personal needs
- Become mindful of your self-talk. Are you your own worst critic? Are limiting beliefs keeping you trapped in harmful cycles of behavior? Do you treat yourself like you would your best friend?
- Imagine waking up as the best, most badass version of you. What are they like? What do they do? And, most importantly, how is their life different from the one you’re living now?
3. Rediscover Your Meaning
If you’re currently working in a job that’s at odds with your values, hopes, and dreams, it’s time to really think about how you can bring more joy into your career.
Inject More Purpose Into Your Work
If you find that you absolutely can’t, consider a vocation change. This is all about reconnecting with what lights you up and stirs your soul, so you can start living an extraordinary life that you’re excited to wake up to.
Remember, too, that meaning extends far beyond the workplace. As Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows, humans have an inherent need for love and belonging.
In fact, the World Happiness Report shows that people with strong relationships experience greater life satisfaction, more resilience, and better mental health than those without them.
So, make nurturing a supportive social network a priority for you too. Build loving connections with the people you care about, get involved in your local community, and consider volunteering for a cause that speaks to your heart. All of these actions will help you to find meaning and recover from burnout.
4. Hack Into Neuroscience
Research from Dr. Andrew Huberman shows that we can combat burnout by leveraging our brain’s inherent reward system. As he recently said on an episode of the Huberman Lab Podcast:
“Dopamine has all these incredible properties of increasing the amount of energy in our bodies and minds, and our ability to focus.”
Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dopamine-inducing activities like cold showers, making regular time for fun, practicing gratitude, and meditating are crucial to keeping yourself healthy and combating burnout.
On top of that, commit to taking care of your basic needs every day: eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
Remember, rest and play are just as important to reaching your goals as doing the work. So, carve out time to take care of yourself each day.
5. Get Out of Your Own Head (and Get Support)
When you’re at the end of your tether, it can be beneficial to take a break from the relentless chatter in your mind and get a fresh perspective from the outside.
Get an Outside Perspective
You could reach out to a friend for some much-needed support or spend time with a neutral third party, such as a coach or therapist.
Both of these activities can be incredibly beneficial in recognizing and addressing the habits that led to your burnout.
When you sit down with someone who’s not entangled in your thought patterns, they can offer valuable insights that help you break free from the cycle of stress once and for all.
6. Set Boundaries
Many of us have been conditioned to believe that it’s selfish to put ourselves first. This societal conditioning often leads to what Ross Rosenberg aptly terms “Self Love Deficit Disorder” or SLDD. It’s a state of repeatedly neglecting your own needs until you end up feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and ultimately, burned out.
The truth is, you need to learn to live unapologetically and start setting boundaries.
Boy, I understand how hard that can be – especially for those of us with pleasing tendencies. But I assure you that enforcing healthy boundaries is essential for a fulfilling life.
To start, recognize that you are not responsible for the emotions of others. This realization will significantly reduce the burden of turning down requests that make you uncomfortable.
Another tip is to assert your boundaries with empathy and compassion. For instance, if a colleague asks for something when you’re already stretched thin, you could say: “Unfortunately, at this moment, I don’t have the capacity to take on more tasks, but I’m grateful that you thought of me, and would love to be considered in future.”
7. Craft Manageable Goals
I won’t sugarcoat it – living your most authentic life is going to have its rough patches. Sometimes, things won’t move as quickly as you’d like or life will throw a curveball that messes up your plans.
That’s when you’re at risk of missing out on vital dopamine, putting you on the slippery slope towards burnout.
Luckily, there’s a way to manage this by becoming aware of your brain’s “monitor” – a term from the wonderful book, Burnout, by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski.
The “Monitor” is Your Neurological Accountant
It weighs up the effort-to-progress ratio for anything you’re tackling. Unfortunately, it inherently has wild expectations. It believes progress should be a rocket ship to the moon when, in reality, it’s more like a rollercoaster with its fair share of twists and turns.
Recognizing the monitor is crucial to managing burnout as you pursue your dreams. It’s great to have a big goal, but you need to break that goal down into baby steps, embrace a growth mindset, and celebrate every little win along the way.
By measuring incremental success, you’ll feel more satisfied, motivated, and resilient as you chase your goals.
Ready to Power Up and Live a Badass Life?
Ultimately, burnout is a calling for you to step into the best, most badass version of yourself. If you’re ready to take the leap, then my new book is for you.
In the SoulSalt Book, I guide you to uncover the key elements you need to close the gap between who you are today and who you want to be.
