Burnout Syndrome: Bish, Don’t Kill My Vibe! Intentional

Two words: Burnout Syndrome! They’re two words I’m dangerously familiar with. Two words that have hit me more than enough times & sent my life into a tailspin. Two words that I’m very close to being acquainted with again soon if I don’t have an intervention.

What is Burnout Syndrome?

Burnout syndrome is defined as symptoms you experience as a result of not managing chronic stress at work. It affects your energy levels, mood, level of commitment, performance, health, & attendance. Some signs include:

Chronic fatigue, exhaustion, or tiredness
Negativity & irritability
Feeling helpless
Easily angered
Isolation
Frequent illness
Headaches
Decreased performance, focus, motivation, or creativity
Frequent absences or tardiness
Depression
Trouble sleeping
Appetite changes
Increase in drug or alcohol use

Me Versus Burnout Syndrome

I’m a workaholic. There’s no other way to describe it. Work ethic was ingrained in me as a child, & I inherited the constant need to be in grind mode from both of my parents. Even in retirement, they can’t sit still. Mom un-retired twice to go back to the medical field, & Dad got his doctorate & insurance licenses post-retirement. All of my sisters stay on go mode; working, running businesses, &/or achieving professional degrees & licenses. I worked on my Masters while being a mother, wife, & working a job or two. Working is just a part of our lives, simply because we want more for the generations to come.

Not only do I work (either at my full-time job or on Intentional) every day literally, I strive to make sure my work is quality. Work ethic is EVERYTHING! I refuse to allow my track record to include anything less than stellar. I believe when you’re gone, your work speaks for itself, & I’m not with leaving a negative impression behind. It’s a gift & a curse though.

That perfectionism is a beast, & that mentality has driven me to burnout a few times in the past. I’ve either been to the point where I was cynical & would make any excuse not to go to work, or I was sick to the point I couldn’t move literally. When I got to those points, I knew it was time to dial back or find something new to do. Not to mention, I’d get a stern word from my parents or hubby about going too hard for too long.

Put the Gloves On & Fight

In all transparency, I love the job I have now, but I need to start dialing back so I don’t have to leave. I’ve turned into an Angry Bird over the last year, so I know I need to change some things. Adding starting a company & developing content & products didn’t help either. But the love of behavioral health & self-care keep me pushing. Those two industries take a lot out of you! I just know it’s time for me to re-establish boundaries & reinstate my self-care routine. Fatigue has caused me to fall off of my nightly yoga & gym routines, & my body has definitely felt & seen the results of that 😩. I’m going to commit to get back to it soon though. Just going to require some motivation, a strict health goal, & a whole lot of accountability.

In the spirit of commitment (especially since we’re heading into the final quarter of 2022), I want to end this year on a high note & establish positive habits before New Year’s resolutions roll around (& out of mind) again. Check these tips out for how to balance self-care while working or being a business owner.

https://www.keepertax.com/posts/self-care-business

https://www.strikingly.com/content/blog/self-care-tips/

https://www.keepertax.com/posts/self-care-business

https://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/self-care-strategies

https://hbr.org/2017/06/6-ways-to-weave-self-care-into-your-workday

Will Smith said something on Oprah awhile ago about putting the same amount of time into your relationships as you put into your craft. My spin on that is: if you put 40 hours per week into your career, put another 40 into yourself. You have to keep yourself running in order to keep the business going! Be easy & INTENTIONAL, my Evolvers!