I’m tired of everything: What is emotional burnout, how to deal with it and how to distinguish it from depression

I just woke up and I’m already tired, everything is annoying, I’m tired of everything and I don’t want to do anything – sound familiar? If these types of emotions occur constantly, you are most likely facing emotional burnout.

In 2019, the WHO defined it as a syndrome resulting from unmanaged chronic stress in the workplace. Christina Maslach, professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, one of the leading modern researchers on the problem of burnout, notes that burnout is directly related to sustained activity: This is what distinguishes the syndrome from other emotional changes.

For example, in Japan, it is considered good form to work 10-15 hours a day and spend your whole life at work. Working overtime is highly encouraged and considered the norm. In this context, there are frequent cases of death due to overwork in the workplace. But going on a planned vacation or sick leave, even if you’re tired, is considered bad manners.

Although there is a contrasting view on work in Russia, more than half of employees worldwide experience burnout. A Deloitte study found that 77% of employees experience burnout and that millennials are the group most susceptible to burnout.

Causes of emotional burnout

You don’t have to go far here. We all encounter some warning signs from time to time. Most people who experience burnout are those who work in one place for long periods of time.

Reasons include:

1. Unfair treatment in the workplace;

2. Uncontrollable load;

3. Lack of role clarity;

4. Lack of communication and support from superiors;

5. Worthless fees.

Natalya Lapshicheva, neuro-psychologist, hypnologist, author of the training book “Plus or Minus Infinity”:

“Deadlines, multitasking, living at high speeds; All of these trigger emotional exhaustion. The most susceptible to this are those who work in “helping” professions – doctors, psychologists, teachers, rescuers. Or those with a savior complex – “the main thing is someone else’s life, and mine will wait.” Developed empathy plays a cruel joke. Physical fatigue during overwork, as well as distraction and lack of focus on multiple tasks, cannot be ignored. Not being paid a reasonable wage for the work you do – both physical and moral pay.”

We must not forget that work takes up 80% of most people’s time, so it replaces life. And if earlier it was mainly those who worked with people susceptible to this disease, now this is attributed to any activity. You may also run out of “leave” to care for a child. Or when everything is boring.

How is it different from depression?

Symptoms of emotional burnout are similar to symptoms of depression. But the difference is that burnout only occurs in relation to work (or any other regular activity). When everything is boring and exasperating, when there is complete indifference to the task, productivity drops. It is difficult for a person to concentrate and gather strength. The usual way of life collapses, relations with others deteriorate, a constant feeling of doom and loneliness gnaws, everything quickly becomes boring. With depression, interest in all areas of life decreases. And you wonder: “Why don’t I care about everything?”

Margarita Aristarkhova, psychologist, Ph.D.:

“Depression is already a disease. Some symptoms similar to burnout occur, but emotional exhaustion is still not a disease, but a condition (which can lead to illness without correction).

Burnout feels different. Let’s say the holiday was a long time ago, it becomes even more difficult to wake up and get to work. The work day seems endless and it becomes difficult to concentrate on responsibilities and meet deadlines. A person feels exhausted, exhausted, tired. If irritability, irritability and constant dissatisfaction with what is happening are added to such emotions, perhaps these are the first signs of emotional burnout syndrome. It is the name given to a person’s gradual loss of energy and strength, manifested by physical fatigue, mental and emotional exhaustion.

Three types of burnout symptoms

Emotional-psychological:

• indifference, indifference to what is happening;
• intolerance towards others, dissatisfaction with loved ones;
• irritability, irritability, irritability;
• lack of faith in yourself, your strengths and abilities;
• loss of motivation, collapse of ideals, rejection of moral standards;
• feeling of worthlessness, frequent self-criticism, self-flagellation;
• constant bad, melancholic mood, feeling of loneliness.

Social-behavioral:

• partial or complete loss of adaptation skills;
• low productivity, avoidance of responsibility and obligations;
• loneliness, isolation, desire for limited social contact;
• active expression of anger, jealousy, desire to blame others for their own problems.

Physically:

• fatigue, constant fatigue;
• muscle weakness, pain in the joints, lower back;
• decreased immunity;
• frequent migraines, dizziness, darkening of the eyes;
• Sleeping disorder.

How do you know if you’re hurting?

With all these symptoms, it is not surprising that any doctor will say that you need to be more careful with yourself, and he will be right! After all, people often realize that something is wrong only when hormonal and physical depletion of resources becomes apparent. A situation arises: “Everything is boring.”

Ksenia Avers, psychologist:

“Every morning and every evening, ask yourself this question: Where is my energy from 0 to 100, what is my mood from 0 to 100, what is my well-being and health from 0 to 100, how long do I want to live? 0 to 100. If one of the indicators remains below 50 for more than three days, this is a sure sign of burnout, which manifests itself in a decline in well-being and health. Such situations require very serious correction, including vitamins and supplements.

If you find signs of burnout in yourself, do not rush to blame your boss or lover. In fact, we “burn” ourselves without providing nutrition in the form of rest, change of environment, pleasant emotions, walks in the fresh air, good sleep, sports, proper nutrition.

What should we do?

As with any treatment, an integrated approach is needed. According to the psychotherapist, this process consists of several steps:

• Accept that you have the syndrome. When a person realizes that everything is tired, he is tired of everything, mobility, strength, the meaning of life is lost, it becomes much easier for him to find new sources of energy and stimulation.

• Slow down the pace of the activity; Give up the desire to do everything at once. You need to take a break from work at least once a week and give yourself a day off. Reward yourself for fulfilling your responsibilities.

• Don’t accumulate negativity. Walking in the fresh air and exercising are great for emotional relief. You can also use relaxation and meditation techniques to clear your mind and get rid of negative experiences.

• Tell a friend or relative about your problems. Talking with another person helps analyze all the facts and find the cause of the syndrome. If there is no such person, you can write your experiences on a piece of paper.

• Set priorities. Figure out what’s really important, what you want, and do the rest to the best of your ability.

Three life tips from psychologists to avoid burnout

There are three effective ways to overcome burnout.

Natalya Lapshicheva:

“Start journaling. “In this way, you can track where and when tension occurs, energy leakage (food, communication, environment, jobs, tasks) and then energy is added.”

However, there are people who cannot afford to establish a moderate regime and for one reason or another are forced to constantly engage in farming. What should they do?

Christina Avers:

“sprint system. Roughly speaking, you agree with yourself that after 2 weeks of urgent work, you promise yourself 3 days to regain your strength, for example, lie down and look at the ceiling. However, such a promise must definitely be fulfilled. If you deceive yourself and do not receive the promised reward at the end of the sprint, the next time you will encounter sabotage at the psychosomatic level, for example, at the most critical moment the temperature will rise – this is how the body protects itself. .”

True, there is another trap here. Often people have difficulty achieving goals and later it turns out that these achievements do not make them happy. There is only one reason for this; implementation of goals imposed by others. They are imposed on us from birth: get a good education as a lawyer, for example, and then make faces on TikTok. Therefore, it is important to follow and understand your true desires and not waste your life by other people’s standards.

Activity change. You need to start a hobby that you will spend at least one hour a day on. You need to be able to transition to a comfortable state and give your body a break.