Brief Summary
This video distinguishes burnout from laziness, highlighting that burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, while laziness can often be resolved with simple actions. It outlines key signs of burnout, including loss of passion, gradual changes in energy levels, neglecting self-care, mood changes, emotional detachment, and loss of motivation. The video stresses the importance of recognising these signs early and seeking professional help when needed, providing a roadmap for understanding and addressing burnout.
- Burnout is more than just tiredness or laziness; it's a state of exhaustion affecting body, mind, and spirit.
- Key signs of burnout include loss of passion, gradual changes, neglecting self-care, mood changes, emotional detachment and loss of motivation.
- Early recognition of burnout signs is crucial for quicker recovery.
Understanding Your Fatigue Is More Than Just Laziness
The presenter explains that fatigue is more than just laziness, especially after a busy period where you've been working hard, providing emotional support, and neglecting personal time. Even after a weekend of rest, the exhaustion persists, indicating something beyond simple tiredness. This persistent exhaustion, where your base energy level is diminished and everything feels more difficult, is identified as burnout, a consuming feeling that depletes your body, mind, and spirit. Recognising the weight of burnout is crucial to avoid mistaking it for mere tiredness or laziness, and addressing it is essential to return to your normal, energetic self.
What Is Burnout?
Burnout is defined as an emotional, physical, and mental state of exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. The presenter uses the analogy of a matchstick to represent one's physical, emotional, and mental energy, which can only burn for so long before being completely depleted. It can be difficult to notice the signs of burnout due to the constant pivoting between various crises in life, whether related to work, relationships, family, or broader sociopolitical issues. Spotting these signs, especially in oneself, is challenging, and admitting burnout can be harder than pushing through it.
Loss of Passion
Burnout can lead to a loss of interest in activities that were previously enjoyed, differentiating it from laziness, where that enjoyment may never have existed. Even if you currently love something, burnout can cause you to dislike it. For example, someone who loves lifting weights might find it becoming monotonous as burnout creeps in. If you notice yourself losing enjoyment in something you're typically passionate about, it may be time to take a break to evaluate whether you've outgrown the activity or if you need to switch things up. Consider a different approach, such as a different form of exercise like swimming or running, as sometimes all it takes is a change.
Gradual Changes
Burnout has a progressive nature and isn't a sudden slump or lack of energy; it's often the result of overwork in various areas of life. Each week that passes without noticing the signs is like a domino falling, making burnout difficult to spot. It can be challenging to perceive oneself as someone who needs help, especially when dealing with many responsibilities. Therefore, it's a good idea to check in with yourself frequently by noting your thoughts in a journal, as spinning your thoughts out is often the best and most immediate form of self-awareness.
Neglecting Self-Care
A lack of personal care and social withdrawal are worrying signs of burnout, which can manifest as changes in eating, sleeping, and personal grooming habits. For example, you may lose the energy to cook and start eating ready meals and takeaways more frequently, or you may start falling asleep instead of staying awake with friends. As this is one of the more visible signs of burnout, it's a good idea to take a good look at yourself in the mirror every day, morning, and night, or check in with a trusted friend, as it can be difficult to point out deficiencies in our own lives.
Mood Changes
Increased irritability and mood swings are symptoms of burnout. While feelings of irritability can creep in when you feel excessively tired, if rest doesn't solve your mood changes, it may indicate burnout. A lazy person typically operates with a calm demeanour because emotions are simply too much effort, whereas burnout often demonstrates a dramatic change. It's easy to write off how you feel as being in a bad mood, but when it prolongs, it's time to act.
Emotional Detachment
Depersonalisation, where individuals feel disconnected from themselves and their surroundings, experiencing life as if on autopilot, is a symptom of burnout. This can be particularly saddening when the joy you feel at your favourite beat dropping or the warm scent of your favourite dinner becomes bland, indicating emotional detachment. Enjoying the little things in life adds up and makes the whole experience worthwhile, so it's important to take note when you don't. You can tell when you're emotionally detaching because that feeling of excitement in your stomach doesn't fizz over the things it used to, and it's important not to brush these feelings aside.
Loss of Motivation
A sudden lack of motivation, especially if you were previously self-driven, is a strong indicator of burnout rather than inherent laziness. Motivation is often difficult to come by, but when it's consistently absent, finding it again can prove challenging. A loss of motivation may blur the line with laziness, but when it's significant and consistent, it often indicates burnout. Take note of what you're losing motivation over; if it's something you want to do but haven't started, don't worry, but if it's the force of all of your drive, then take note. The presenter concludes by emphasising that burnout is serious and that it's important to seek professional help if you recognise signs of burnout in yourself or others.
