Experiencing Burnout

 

I’m sure that over the past few years you will have heard the phrase burnout being uttered. Especially if you frequent LinkedIn on a regular basis. I saw this phrase explode during the pandemic and since, it seems like burnout is still very much a popular conversation topic.

To begin with, I thought that people were simply talking about burnout to gloat about how hard they are working. However, the more I sat and thought about it, the more I realised that I could relate to this enormous topic. Which is why I wanted to spend some time talking to you guys today about when I have experienced burnout and how I have overcome the feelings.

 

 

Working too hard.

I love to work and thankfully, I am every lucky that I earn money in a variety of methods. Aside from my full-time marketing role, I have this site, I write freelance, and I am a ghost writer for novels. I just love to be busy. Not to mention, I love to earn money because I still find it incredibly hard to believe that this is my life and I have the money that I do. Because of that, I continuously try to prove myself and my worth by pushing myself. At times, a little too much.

 

Thinking too much.

If there is something that I can overthink, you better believe that it is already whirling around my mind at a million miles per minute. Whether I am thinking about work, relationships, my site, the future, you name it… I am overthinking it. Eventually, I get tired of that constant panic and whirling thoughts, and I experience a form of burnout. One that is much more mental than physical, but still just as overwhelming.

 

Not allowing myself down time.

I have OCD, as I have shared numerous times before. Because of this, there is always a metaphorical list of things in my mind that I should be doing. I very rarely have a moment where I sit and relax. Usually, I adore this. I love being busy and having a long to do list. But I also need to recognise that actually taking time, to just be and relax is vital to my overall mental and physical health.

 

Staying in the house for too long.

I love being in my home. Still to this day, I cannot believe that I am lucky enough to own the home that I do. Because of this, I love staying home. Sometimes, all I do is go to work, do the grocery shop and then stay home. Even though this is what makes me happy, sometimes it gets to me, and I end up burning out. Leaving the house and doing something socially instantly rejuvenates me and gets me back on track. But before I do this, I can end up sat there feeling overwhelmed because I don’t even realise that I am couped up.

 

Shouldering too much responsibility.

I am the kind of person who cares too much about everything. I want the best for everybody, especially those in my family. Because of that, I shoulder hell of a lot of responsibility to ensure that everybody is happy, healthy and well looked after. Even though I love doing this, I know that I put unnecessary strain on myself. I need to share the load, lean on my friends and family, but I personally feel that it is all my responsibility.

 

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this blog post and found it relatable. Burnout doesn’t always have to come from your job. I have certainly discovered that over the last couple of years. There are a number of things in my life that allow these feelings to build up until I am in a position where I need to take a step back and gain some clarity. As always, I would love to hear from you guys on this. Have you ever experienced this for yourself? If so, how did you overcome it? Or is it something that you are still working on?