”Counterintuitively, however, Judy believes that burnout doesn’t stem from doing too much – but doing too much of the wrong thing for us. “I know plenty of people that are incredibly busy, but aren’t burnt out. Burnout could be caused by working in a job that doesn’t align to our values, holding a role that doesn’t have job clarity, or has an unmanageable workload, or even being promoted to arole above our skillsets with little support – and in our personal lives, it could be caused by looking after children or aging parents in a way that is not sustainable.
”Without question, says Judy, there’s been an enormous increase in people suffering from burnout.“It was already on our radar in 2019, but when the pandemic came it completely exacerbated it and shone a light on the problems that already existed. People had more responsibilities in their jobs, working from home had more stressors, work/life balance was thrown out of whack with no dedicated office space.”
What are the symptoms?
While burnout and depression can often present similarly, Judy says that for her,there’s a key difference. “Both are exhaustion, but burnout is being tired from or by life, while depression is being tired of life. While burnout is something that we can address on our own it’s not possible to tackle depression by ourselves, and those that are feeling depressed should get help immediately by phoning the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).”
How do we recover?
Judy suggests using the SPANNER approach when trying to prevent or recover from burnout:
Self: Discover your needs and honour yourself with care, compassion and love.
Peace and Quiet: Spend some quiet time resting and relaxing.
Ask, Accept and Allow: Allow yourself to ask for help and accept advice, compliments and feedback.
Nourish: Eat and do things that nourish your body, mind and soul.
No!: Don’t put yourself in a position of feeling overwhelmed with a too-full plate–remember that ‘no’ is a full sentence.
Exercise: Gentle exercise helps you sleep better, improves your appetite and releases stress from the body.
Relationships, Rest and Relaxation: Invest in the relationships that nourish you, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep and relaxation to recharge your batterie
Get Connected
For those who would like to start their recovery process, Judy has numerous resources on her website, including an e-course that allows you to take your time in working through the causes of your burnout and how you can place more boundaries in your life.
