Signs of Burnout and How to Manage the Symptoms Through Therapy

We have all felt unmotivated, unhappy at work or in our personal life, and just plain lacking in energy at some point in our lives.  These are all indicators of burnout.  This can be caused by prolonged exposure to stressful situations or just a result of the constant demands of everyday life.  The result can be a disregard and neglect of your responsibilities, an inability to motivate yourself to get things done, and just an overall feeling of emotional and physical exhaustion.  When your family, friends, and your career begin to suffer from an extended period of burnout, it is time to seek professional help.

Finding a therapist to help you through difficult times in your life is an obvious solution.  But you may not realize that therapy can help those suffering with burnout.  Being able to talk openly to a trained professional can go a long way to working out the feelings that have led to this point.  Through cognitive behavioral therapy, a professional can help you to shift your mindset with problem-solving skills that will help you to manage the everyday stressors in your life.

What Causes Burnout

The feeling of exhaustion that comes with burnout has many external factors that can bring you to this point.  In general, too much stress from your personal life, work life, or a combination of both is a big factor that can put you in this state.  A workload that is beyond your means, professionally or at home, can be a big burden.  As you struggle to keep up with this challenge, your emotional and physical condition may suffer.  If you are not receiving any rewards for your contributions to your employer, the household, and other areas of your life, this can become discouraging as you continue to try your best with little or no recognition. 

There are many stressful life events, from starting a new job, to a new baby, or aging parents that you need to provide care for.  When these stresses continue for a long period, there is likely going to be some level of burnout as your brain struggles to manage these stressful feelings.  While you will not be able to eliminate all these stresses, you can condition yourself to manage these in a way that will reduce the risk of burnout.

How Therapy Can Help When You are Burned Out

Those suffering from burnout will often neglect some of their duties or continue to perform them without the joy or happiness that they once felt.  It is important that you seek out professional help from a therapist so that you can once again enjoy life’s milestones.  With therapy you can learn to manage your thoughts, putting your stressors in perspective, and the tools to handle anything that life throws your way.  This will help to keep your mindset healthy, fending off any burnout now and in the future.