I’m burnt out, but I did not recognize it.
I fought, like the good soldier that I was, model employee. Sacrificing what I had, and what I wanted to do, to get things done. All the hardships and pain I endured, a badge of honor, something to boast.
For the now, for the family, for the dream.
Then, suddenly, I just stopped. My back, my health, my mind, all gave out at the same time.
Burnt out. Like spent charcoal, turned to dust, with nothing left.
Recognize the signs, before it’s too late.
What are signs of burnout that you may not recognize?
Feeling dry inside
When I was burnt out, I felt dry. No inspiration, no spring in my step. I didn’t feel inspired or motivated to even get out of bed, at times.
And I chalked it all up to fatigue, to just being tired from a good week’s worth of work.
But then, I realized that I had been giving more of what I had, and not recharging enough in return. I wasn’t as creative, as fast, as decisive. I wasn’t even half as positive and as happy as when I started.
I was giving more than what I could sustain. And I didn’t realize that, because all I was worried about was doing a good job.
That only helped me do a good job today. Then for the next 3 months, I suffered for it.
The dryness I’m talking about isn’t just fatigue. It’s slowly being drained of your resources and energy. A growing hole of resentment, boredom, and helplessness.
It’s the helplessness part that’s the most dangerous. When you burnout, you burn away your capability to make any meaningful change and action for yourself, until you heal and recharge first.
To burnout, is to become helpless, ourselves.
Becoming a vegetable
As in all you want to do today is to become a couch potato. To just stop, and not do anything.
Maybe for a day. But, even weeks, months, and even years! I went through two years where I did not want to do any productive work, and just wanted to chase after mindless pursuits.
When we’re burnt out, all that we want is healing. To heal the tiredness not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, as well.
That’s why we become couch potatoes, or “veg out”, because our resources are drained to the point that our minds, bodies, and hearts just want to STOP, and regain it’s energy, composure, and to just refill.
This here’s a sign that we’re drained. Too drained, and in the negative already.
But I used to think it was just, again, tiredness, and me wanting some brainless entertainment. And by some, I meant around 5 to 8 hours of the stuff.
Because I was burnt out. I was in pain. I wanted to avoid thinking, moving, doing, because of all the hurt, fatigue, helplessness, pointlessness, and resentment that I faced on a day to day basis.
You don’t need rest. You don’t need more brainless entertainment time.
You need to re-engage what inspires you, and what makes you feel alive.
That, and the right amount of sleep and rest.
Excess
Too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing.
And I found out that if there’s something that I’m indulging too much time, energy, and resources into, that’s not aligned with what I want, or just to make me feel good and safe, then that’s a sign of burnout.
There were days where I slept 10 hours, easy, because I had been working several 12 hour days straight. I didn’t want to stand up. I overate, and spent waking hours watching videos. Not the sort of videos that would help me in the long run.
Or the time where every week, there was a day when I’d eat at a buffet. I wanted the choice, to eat a ton of food to feel full.. Or rather, full-filled.
I was looking for what would make me feel better, to distract me from the pain and the burnout that I was experiencing then.
When you’re overindulging, it’s no longer a matter of just getting rest, or what’s pleasurable for you.
It then becomes about what inspires you, and the true mission and goals that you have.
It’s not about getting rest. It then becomes about doing activities that reconnect you to who you.
Because the road to burnout strips you of a genuine connection with your mission, your goals, what you want to achieve, and of yourself.
Especially, with yourself. We end up in burnout because we aren’t aware enough to be in touch with ourselves, and to recognize the signs of energy and vision being drained, and the overextendedness and overexertion of your self.
Too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing.
No flexibility, creativity, and openness
Because a burnt out person, wants nothing else, but to refill themselves up. To stop the madness and emptiness that causes.
When you’ve spent all your resources just staying alive, and making it day to day, you no longer have any energy left for higher functions, ones that require you to be flexible, be creative, think outside of the box, and to think up of new ideas.
Maybe, even the openness and humility to accept another way.
You may recall having your best ideas when you least expect them. In the shower, by the beach, right when you wake up, or as you’re drifting off to sleep.
You get your best ideas when you’re relaxed, and ideas flow. You flow. And not when you’re spent and have no energy left to give.
When you’re stuck in a rut, doing things the same way over and over again, and you can’t seem to get any new ideas, those are symptoms that you’re burning out, and you’re not recharging yourself.
Burn bright, don’t burn out
Because our light is what illuminates our way forward, as well as shines a light on the path for others.
And you won’t be able to do that if you’re burning out, snuffing your own light.
What are not-so-obvious signs of burnout you’ve encountered? Please share in the comments below!
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