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Burnout symptoms are not always easy to recognize. They often resemble complaints that usually go away on their own. If you sometimes don’t sleep well, or don’t feel like going to work in the morning, how do you know whether this indicates an impending burnout… or not? However, if you feel less energetic and positive for a while, it is wise to keep your finger on the pulse. Because even though we know a lot about burnout and all know someone who has it, burnout can still creep into your own life unnoticed. In this article, mindfulness expert Marisa Garau explains how you can use mindfulness to quickly recognize any burnout symptoms… and intervene decisively before you slide into a burnout.
Well wrong. I got burned out at the age of 37, but it was only years later that I could realize that I had had a real burnout. At the time itself I was just suffering from a lot of stress and I didn’t like my work… there didn’t seem to be anything else going on. But something was definitely wrong:
- I didn’t realize that I woke up every morning with a stomach ache because I was afraid of what the day would bring.
- I didn’t realize that I was working overtime every weekend because I was a perfectionist and my performance (in my eyes) was never good enough.
- I couldn’t see that I was locked in a spiral of endlessly spinning negative thoughts.
Shadow side
I was not only burned out, but also blacked out : deaf and blind to all the symptoms that forced themselves on me every day. The intense stress that regularly burst through the surface… of course I couldn’t ignore that. But that whole mess of nonsensical and harmful beliefs that swirled around inside and caused fear hid in the shadow side of my consciousness.
Repression
If you’re busy, busy, busy all day long and wondering how long you can keep this up, you don’t give yourself time to take a good look inside and see what’s really going on. I know for myself that the idea of looking within was so frightening that I immediately started a new to-do list to suppress the urge for reflection and self-examination. I preferred to bury my head in the sand rather than consider the possibility that I might need to change some things about my attitude to life. Of course, this was a vicious circle: the more afraid I was to scrutinize myself, the more I worked, the more I stressed, the more I had to push away, etc.
Also read: Why Self-love Starts With Recognizing Your Limits
Unknown phenomenon
I was completely unaware that I was developing burnout because burnout was still an almost unknown phenomenon at the time and I had no idea of the standard burnout symptoms, such as insomnia, finding everything too much, overtiredness, irritability, boredom. And because I worked for myself, there was no HR manager or company doctor who could point it out to me.
Extraterrestrial
But of course this game of hide and seek had to come to a screeching emergency stop at some point. And so, one day, when I was in an unprecedented mood, I decided I had had enough of my successful career and left my very own advertising agency, wow! However, the lollipop-sweet honeymoon of several weeks of voluntary unemployment (and rest) came to an abrupt end when I started to worry again: that I was now undoubtedly the loser of the century and that things would never work out for me again. Fortunately, a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of positive thinking that was alien to me, and only after taking the mindfulness training was I able to give my attitude to life a complete makeover.
Personal
Because burnout is very personal and not all burnout symptoms adhere neatly to the standard research charts, it is important that you keep a close eye on yourself so that you can intervene in time if things threaten to go wrong.
Also read: My Journey to Recovery: How I Ultimately Overcame Burnout
Use mindfulness
I have developed a simple step-by-step plan with which you can start to take the first burnout symptoms seriously in a mindful way and thus get out of the grip of that ancient I’m-not-good-enough belief. .
Step 1: recognize your situation If you are currently suffering from lethargy, worrying, palpitations, headaches, fatigue or insomnia, it is wise to take a good look inside yourself. Don’t wait until these types of burnout symptoms completely dominate you, but recognize that this is happening in your life. You do not need to do anything in this phase. Simply recognizing what is going on is enough. This step is essential, because only if you admit your complaints to yourself can you make real changes later.
Step 2: Examine your beliefs If you realize that you always push yourself beyond your limits to be ‘good enough’ and try to gain appreciation, you can ask yourself some important questions, such as:
- Why do I actually think I have to perform?
- What happens if I don’t give my best? Will the world end then?
- What would my life be like if I didn’t work and achieve so hard? Would that perhaps give me room for more valuable experiences?
Step 3: Let go of your fear Now that you know how fear of failure and perfectionism work together to make your life miserable, and now that you also understand that you no longer need this survival strategy as an adult, you can confront your deeper fear — that you are not good enough you are — letting go little by little. By regularly using mindfulness in everyday situations, you will quickly reduce your fear and uncertainty, and you will consistently build a solid foundation of self-confidence and resilience.
Courage
I know from my own experience that it is a big step to look the dominant duo of Fear of Failure & Perfectionism straight in the eye. It took me years, plus countless consultations with doctors and specialists, before I could muster the courage to take an honest look at my own actions and thoughts. But thanks to mindfulness, I succeeded, and I was able to give my life a positive makeover. Try out the power of mindfulness yourself, because it will open your consciousness step by step and help you shape your life according to your own preferences.
Also read: Overcoming Burnout: How to Rebuild Confidence in Your Recovery Journey
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