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Burnout: Are You Grinding Too Much?

By on July 8, 2019
burnout

By Natasha Nikolova

When you work hard, you reap the rewards. But when you work too hard and do a lot of grinding in the process, you may end up with a burnout.

Burnout is not something that happens only to workaholics. It’s a national problem – your parents, your friends, and your bosses may have dealt with it at some point. But because burnout tends to cause shame, they may have never opened up about it.

Because it blurs the line between mental and physical unwellness, between depression and physical exhaustion, burnout can be difficult to deal with. But it’s important to recognize that it can happen to anyone.

What Is Burnout?

Burnout may sound like an obvious condition, but it can be insidious. It can creep on you with every extra task, every new project, and every overtime hour you spend in the office.

Even if you don’t work in a cubicle, even if you work from home, burnout has long tentacles and may catch up with you in time. But none of this means you have to succumb to it.

Signs That You’re Suffering a Burnout

If you are experiencing one or more of the following signs, you may be suffering from a burnout.

  • Low energy at work and in your personal life
  • Feeling of dislike for the work you do
  • Feeling that you are not in the right place, that you could be doing greater things with your life
  • Escapist behavior, whether it’s excessive drinking or smoking, or watching YouTube videos endlessly
  • Delaying work and procrastinating
  • Brain fog
  • Poor sleep
  • Dread about going to work – you may never have been a fan of Mondays, but now you positively hate them

Dealing with Burnout

If burnout is the result of grinding too much, grinding less should make things better, right? In theory, maybe, but that’s not always possible in practice. Even if you want to work less, your job may not be flexible enough. Or if you want to quit, you may not afford to do so.

In many cases, however, you can deal with a burnout without making any radical decisions. Here are some of the best ways out, all of them refreshingly simple.

  • Take time off. It doesn’t have to be a vacation in a fancy place. A restful week at home may be enough. It will also help you tell whether you miss work or not.
  • Learn to say “no” to extra projects and tasks. There’s only so much you can do before exhaustion kicks in.
  • Work fewer hours, even if it means earning less for a time. Discuss your options with your boss.
  • Get active if you’re not. You don’t have to go to the gym. Take long walks through the nearest park, go to a museum, or ride your bicycle. Moving helps fight exhaustion.
  • Eat healthy. A junk food diet rich in saturated fats and added sugars can fuel burnout and depression.
  • Drink tea. Green tea, and especially matcha, is rich in antioxidants, which help protect your body from stress.
  • Take a power nap during the day. A power nap not only refreshes your mind but helps you stay awake for longer and work harder. It also helps improve your associative memory, alertness, and concentration. The best time to nap is around 3:00 pm.

Overcoming Burnout

Sometimes burnout isn’t a simple mental and physical problem – it has existential roots. That’s why you may have to reappraise your values and see whether they align with the work you do. Burnout can be a sign that it’s time for you to move on to newer, better things.

But in most cases, burnout doesn’t require a career change. That’s why it’s good to start by taking some time off work and mitigate the effects of your exhaustion with a healthy diet and power naps. These can help you overcome burnout and find pleasure in your work.

Meta description: When work turns into a daily grind, you may end up exhausted and sad. But you don’t have to succumb to disenchantment. Find out what you need to do to get back on track.

 

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NatashaNatasha sleeps about 7–8 hours on average. Maybe a bit more on the weekends. In her free time, she enjoys travel and listening to music. Natasha’s writing has been featured on multiple international publications.

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