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Burnout, unfortunately, is no longer an unknown concept. In the U.S, more than 1 million people suffer from burnout complaints. But there is one group that is often underexposed: young women. They are relatively often struck by serious burnout complaints at the beginning of their career. How is this possible? What makes young women so susceptible to burnout?
The seeds of a burnout are planted early. Boys and girls learn at school that if they want to succeed in life, they have to try very hard. Not only at school but also in their social life, sports, family, volunteer work and part-time jobs. The message that they also need to take good care of themselves is not always as clear as the message that they need to be successful . And this has consequences especially for women.
In their late 20s and early 30s, many women forget to take good care of themselves. They are too busy and driven to find a good balance between work and private life. They are also often very insecure, afraid of making mistakes, which makes them put in extra effort compared to their male colleagues. So taking on extra work and working long hours doesn’t seem to be a problem, this often compensates for their feeling that they are less good than the rest.
Also Read: And then your partner, girlfriend or daughter suddenly has a burnout…
This uncertainty also affects them in other areas; colleagues can abuse their enthusiasm and work drive. Experienced colleagues enjoy working with young women because of their boundless energy and commitment. But where is the limit when you have more and more on your plate?
Women are also more sensitive to atmosphere than men. When they do not belong to the ‘group’ or when there are tensions in the workplace, women often take this much more personally than men.
Also Read: Back in the office after your burnout, what now?
Beliefs that women may have that cause them to become burned out or not be able to get out of it.
If you want to beat a burnout, you have to take a good look at yourself. Which means you have to confront your beliefs and change your current mindset. Women who cannot get out of their burnout or who keep relapsing may have the following beliefs:
- I have to be a perfect mother, wife, friend, neighbor etc
- I must not be weak, I am strong
- I can do it all myself, I don’t need any help
- It’s good to think of others first, I’ll deal with my own things later
- I still want to do/achieve this in my life
- Good mothers will/must/will never ………………………. (fill in the blank – always make a healthy and nutritious meal, put the children to bed every night, take their children to daycare every day, etc.)
Also Read: What not to say to someone who has a burnout
In short, these women set high standards for themselves. They know that they have to change something, but if the switch has not yet been turned and the above thoughts and beliefs are still deeply rooted, it is difficult to get out of a burnout.
A burnout can be very annoying and the recovery slow, but sometimes it is a life lesson. It is not without reason that you often hear the statement: my burnout helped me and did me good. Maybe hard to believe when you are still in the middle of your burnout or when you just can’t figure it out. But then it might be a ray of hope for you that the sun has started to shine again for many burnout patients.
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