Emotionally exhausted? Learn more about Burnout.
April is Stress Awareness Month. Most of us would acknowledge that stress doesn’t confine itself to one month, let alone one day. Stress is a complex term, and much has been written and studied about it through the years.
Over four days, we will explore Burnout and Stress based on the book Burnout, Burnout, Burnout, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Written by twin sisters Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski, Ph.D., we explore Burnout and how it impacts the stress response and ways to move through it.
2020 was a seminal year for collective stress and trauma. Often we “take turns” in our relationships, being in a state of burnout or stress. 2020 spared few, and the responses have varied from relief at not having to interact as much to depression, anxiety, fear, loss, and grief. The pandemic superimposed upon societal shifts, damaged relationships, and uncertainty about the future. In a word, Stressors. Stressors are related to both external and internal threats. Stress is the neurological and psychological shift in the body when we encounter one of these threats.
Today we’ll talk about Burnout and its relationship to Stress.
Herbert Freudenberger described emotional Exhaustion in 1975 as having three components.
Emotional exhaustion--the fatigue that comes from caring too much, for too long;
Depersonalization--the depletion of empathy, caring, and compassion, and;
Decreased sense of accomplishment--an unconquerable sense of futility: feeling that nothing you do makes any difference.
Burnout is highly prevalent.
Emotional exhaustion is linked to negative impacts on our bodies, relationships, and work, especially women.
Emotions at their most basic level involve neurochemicals in the brain in response to a stimulus.
Neurochemicals and electric functions cascade through the body involving heart rate, breathing, hormones, and the gut.
It’s automatic and instantaneous. It’s everywhere and affects everything.
Emotions will end on their own if left to their own devices. They will be distracted or run their course.
In short, emotions are tunnels.
Exhaustion happens when we get stuck in an emotion.
We can get stuck because the stressor is present every day: caregiving, work, relationships, parenting, to name a few.
Sometimes we get stuck because we can’t find our way through complicated feelings. Rage, grief, despair, and hopelessness may be too challenging to move through alone.
We can get trapped by Human Giver Syndrome.
Tomorrow we’ll explore Human Giver Syndrome and how and why we get stuck. The body’s sense of self-preservation is up against a syndrome that insists self-preservation is selfish. We’ll explore how to outsmart the syndrome.
Have you experienced any of the symptoms of burnout or emotional exhaustion? What strategies have you tried, or what’s worked for you? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, Ballantine Books, 2020.
Caregiving can be a challenging time.
Grab my “Getting Your Docs In A Row” checklist to help you prepare to care.