It’s easy to overlook feeling tired from the daily grind that we all have to make. After all, everyone goes through these emotions. However, it’s important to recognise when these feelings become signs of burnout. Sierra Recovery offers cost-effective treatment for burnout and other mental health struggles.

Burnout Syndrome: Is It Serious?

Yes, burnout is serious. The constant feeling of exhaustion and excessive stress from work and other responsibilities can become a more serious problem in the long run. Although the occasional stress is a normal part of life, once it starts overshadowing other areas of your life, it’s time to find ways to address the problem.

Burnout doesn’t mean you don’t like what you’re doing. It might just mean that it’s time for you to take a step back and reassess whether what you’re trying to deliver exceeds your capacity.

Are you feeling it’s too taxing to try and live up to other’s expectations constantly? Don’t worry. We’re here to help. Sierra Recovery is here to help you look at the situation in a different light and build healthy coping strategies.

You don’t have to feel this way forever. Our team is here to help you take small and manageable steps to overcome burnout.

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

Burnout is something that may manifest over time. It also shows up in different ways – physically, emotionally, mentally. However, the signs of burnout aren’t always immediately evident.

Some people may experience burnout physically. For example, you may be constantly tired even if you already have enough sleep. No matter how much rest you get, it seems like there’s always something weighing you down.

Burnout may also show up emotionally. If you’re experiencing this syndrome, then you probably get easily irritated or overwhelmed with daily responsibilities. The things that you used to do without breaking a sweat have become too much of a burden.

Emotional burnout can also show up as being numb to your feelings. You might feel like you’re on autopilot, succumbing to a routine to help you get through the day. It may also manifest as difficulty concentrating or making decisions that often result in a drop in the quality or consistency of your work.

These are some of the signs that you have burnout. If you experience them, please reach out for help. This is a serious condition that can worsen your overall health without the proper intervention.

Stages of Burnout

There are five stages of burnout, which means that burnout doesn’t just happen suddenly. It progresses over time, and you’ll go through several stages before burnout eventually takes over your life.

Stage 1: Honeymoon Phase

The honeymoon phase is when everything is still okay. You feel excited about committing to a job or responsibility and feel energised and creative during this phase. There’s a lot of optimism during this stage. You may encounter some stress, but they don’t affect your work output.

Stage 2: Stress Onset

The next stage is stress onset. As you slowly accept more responsibilities, you may also experience the stress that comes with it. This stage may make you feel more anxious or irritable, so there’s a chance that your productivity may also decline. You may also experience physical symptoms such as constant headaches.

Stage 3: Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is when things start taking a turn for the worse. If you constantly have responsibilities you can’t handle, the stress can get too much for your brain and body. This stage can make you feel more apathetic or aggressive.

In job burnout, you may also start to resent your work and the responsibilities that come with it. It becomes more difficult to accomplish your tasks because you aren’t thinking anymore.

Stage 4: Burnout

This stage is when burnout sets in, making it a critical stage in the burnout timeline. It’s when you’ve reached your limit and have difficulty coping with your emotions. One of the common symptoms of this stage is isolation. As your responsibilities get more exhausting, you tend to withdraw from others and be alone most of the time.

Stage 5: Habitual Burnout

The last stage is called habitual burnout, where these negative feelings become a part of your daily life. You may feel like there is no way out of experiencing burnout anymore. Sadness, fatigue, and hopelessness all become routine and can lead to serious mental health conditions that require professional help.

What Are the Causes of Burnout?

Burnout doesn’t just happen because of a singular reason. Many contributing factors increase the likelihood of burnout. Learning about these causes can help prevent burnout from happening in the first place.

Excessive Workload

Excessive workloads will make you feel like there’s always too much on your plate. You will have a very difficult time finishing all the tasks you have to complete on time. This can make it feel like you never get a break from all the work you have to do, and over time, this can get too overwhelming to deal with.

Toxic Work Environment

A toxic work environment may come in different forms. It might be a boss who micromanages, workmates who always gossip, or even a lack of recognition for your work. These can make you feel emotionally drained. If you constantly have to deal with this kind of environment, you may experience increased levels of stress that eventually develop into burnout.

High Expectations

High expectations can also make you more susceptible to burnout. Feeling like you must overwork yourself to reach unattainable goals can make you more tired and hopeless. You won’t be able to reach these milestones all the time, and the constant failure can make it difficult to feel accomplished in your job.

Lack of Support

The lack of support, whether in your work or personal life, can make you prone to experiencing burnout. This is because you may feel like you have nobody to confide in. The lack of social connection can make burnout even more isolating and difficult to deal with.

Treatment Options for Burnout at Sierra Recovery

At Sierra Recovery, we help you manage the symptoms of burnout and address it so that it doesn’t affect your daily life anymore. Our approach combines different practices and therapies to feel more in control of your life.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) will help you identify any burnout-related triggers. You will work with a therapist to reframe negative thoughts for a healthier perspective. CBT teaches you to develop coping mechanisms to manage stressful and overwhelming situations.

Stress Management

At Sierra Recovery, we’ll provide specialised workshops to help you manage stress more effectively. Stress management includes time management, boundary setting, and self-care. These workshops will be personalised according to your lifestyle and goals so that you can get the most out of them.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation are grounded in spirituality, but they’re great for helping you be present in the moment. These practices can help you reconnect with your inner peace and be able to regulate your emotions. We’ll help you practice mindfulness and meditation through guided sessions and breathing exercises.

Equine Therapy

Equine therapy utilises working with horses to help you stay grounded and relaxed. Activities like grooming, herding, and feeding encourage you to regulate your emotions to connect with the horse. This approach also promotes mindfulness so that you feel less stressed and more present.

How to Prevent Burnout Symptoms

First and foremost, prioritising self-care is always important when things get too stressful. There’s no need for elaborate skincare routines or baths – simply taking more time at night to prioritise good sleep or choosing meals filled with nutrient-dense foods can do wonders for your body.

When preventing burnout, you should also learn how to set clear boundaries. This can get hard when it’s time to impress your boss, but it’s essential for your overall well-being.

Learn when to say no and establish strict work hours. When you have specific start and end times to your work day, you can create a healthy work-life balance that doesn’t make you consistently tired.

What Happens When You Don’t Address Burnout?

When you don’t address constant stress and burnout, then it can slowly turn into more serious health problems. This is why it’s important to address the first signs of burnout immediately.

If you always feel emotionally exhausted, it’s possible that it can result in chronic physical and mental health problems that become more difficult to treat.

For example, feeling like you’re stuck in a toxic work environment can increase the risk of developing depression. This is a mental health disorder that requires professional help, and it’s going to take some time to cope with the symptoms eventually.

Seeking help for burnout shows that you’re brave and strong. It shows that you can show up for yourself when you need to. Don’t be afraid to reach out when times are tough.

Your Mental Health Matters

If it feels like work is getting too much and affecting how you deal with everyday life, it’s time to seek help. Your mental health matters; we will always acknowledge its importance here at Sierra Recovery.

Burnout can seem nonsensical to others, but it’s the root of many people’s inability to live a more fulfilling life. Learning how to deal with burnout properly can help you realise that you have the power to take control of your well-being.

Facing burnout is serious, and our team is here to help you. Sierra Recovery’s team is just a phone call or email away. We’re here to provide the tools and guidance you need for a brighter future.

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