Unfortunately, we live in a world of chronic overload.
We’re bombarded constantly by advertising – everywhere we look.
We never get a moment of actual quiet. And we often jam a sh*tload of activity into the time we have free.
As humans, we’re made to loaf about and do bugger all much more often than we ever do.
Add to that working long hours, being under pressure to meet targets or to please your unpleasable boss, running your kids to the millions of after-school activities (not to mention being involved in the ever-present power struggle to get them to do anything), looking after your aging parents, making sure the dog’s eczema doesn’t get out of control, putting everyone else first all day everyday, and realising that when you finally have a moment for yourself, you’ve run out of hours in the day.
No wonder we get burnt out.
Burn out isn’t just for people in serious and stressful jobs. Or even just for people in the helping professions (doctors, nurses, teachers, psychologists).
Burnout can strike anyone if the conditions are right – too much giving, too much stress, and not enough down time.
Burn out can affect you emotionally, physically and socially.
Emotionally, it can be a bit like depression – lack of motivation, general sense of apathy and unhappiness, and for many, a sense of being a bit empty emotionally.
Physically, you can feel lethargic, foggy headed, and have trouble with your memory and concentration.
Socially, you may want to withdraw from people (especially if your work or home life consists of looking after other people), you may be more cynical and therefore feel less fun to be around, and you may even start looking at people as problems.
If you’re feeling anything like this or you know someone who is, don’t despair, there are plenty of things you can do about it.
I’ll continue on in the next blog with more information about burnout for you.
