The Brain and Burnout

Going like 90—working long hours, burning the candle at both ends, setting the world on fire—all comes with a price. Unfortunately, burnout sneaks up on us and we don’t realize we’re toast until smoke gets in our eyes. Burnout is a condition caused by unbalance: charging forward in the fast lane, a workaholic, a perfectionist, stretching ourselves too far, losing our sense of “center.” What does burnout look like: exhaustion, illness, toxic emotions, anxieties, depression, utterly overwhelmed, when everything under the sun becomes too much effort. It’s burnout when you can’t believe under any circumstances, that you’ll want to have fun again, or you find yourself cranky all the time, going into a rage at the slightest provocation. It’s burnout when you feel trapped and hopeless, or when you don’t have a clue as to what’s wrong or how to fix it; because everything is wrong. How do we stop our world long enough to take a breath, to find a detour?

Pace Yourself: Speeding trains slow down at intersections. Even God rested when He created the world. We, all the more, need to rest, to pace ourselves. Our bodies weren’t designed to go full speed all of the time. Consider taking mini-breaks throughout the day, i.e. a short walk, sit outside, or if you can’t get away, then close your eyes, escort yourself to a hushed place in your mind.

Edna St. Vincent Millay: My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night.

Listen to Your Body: Your body will send clear signals when it’s tired, used up, burned out. It’s tough to recognize these signs when we’re living in the fast lane. But think for a moment: How does your body try to attract your attention? Through insomnia? headaches? stomachaches? loss of appetite? If we refuse to listen to these warnings, a bout of the flu—that you can’t seem to shake—could plague you. Or chronic fatigue may haunt you. Do yourself a favor. Turn up the volume. Listen to your body.

Stay Alert: Know when your passion turns to poison. The unanticipated outcome of working/performing at high levels is that you set a standard for your accomplishment, for your day-to-day productivity. High performance becomes an expectation. It becomes the norm, the standard. Burnout isn’t about raising the bar. Stay alert to the entrapment of burnout, and shift gears to a lifestyle of balance.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: This time like all times is a very good one if we but know what to do with it.

Your Favorite Things: Whatever brings you joy shall also give you hope, exhilaration. Make a list of your favorite things. Take a moment to ponder them, to enjoy, to dream. When was the last time you thought about your favorite things? A long time, huh? Today, do something good for yourself—do one of those things. Return to what can energize you.

Thomas Kincade: When I filter the sunshine in my life, I bask in the light of a transforming and inspiring reality.