Photo by Luis Villasmil
Burn out is often a function of sustained, consistent stress.
And stress is a real thing, ya’ll!
While there are many causes of stress and burn out, some of the most common are:
- Too much to do. Our culture rewards martyrdom and being busier than the next person has become a dysfunctional status symbol full of endless one-upmanship. “I’m busier than you are” becomes a badge of honor.
- A lost sense of purpose. When busy people disconnect from the “why” when they’re doing something, it creates stress, which often leads to burnout.
- A lack of self-care. Taking care of yourself is an inside job. No one else is going to do it for you. It must be intentional and by choice. Putting on your oxygen mask first and not pouring from an empty cup should be ingrained lifestyles, not just quaint clichés.
- A lack of alignment. Burnout often comes from A discrepancy between what you’re doing and what you WANT to be doing. Stress arises when you’re not doing something that’s in keeping with your personal values, individual goals, and deep beliefs. This disconnect can lead directly to feelings of burnout.
- A lack of a support system. Burnout often happens when people feel as if they have to do everything themselves. Building a strong support system of friends, family, and significant others can reduce the sustained stress that leads to burnout.
If you find the stress rising, check back with this list and see if the origin of the stress has to do with an of these root causes.
Sometimes knowing where something negative is originating is the first step to eradicating it. TZT