What is Burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Burnout specifically refers to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be used to describe experiences in other areas of life.
Burnout is characterized by three dimensions:
· Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
· Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativity or cynicism
· Reduced sense of professional competence and/or decreased job performance
Are you burned out? See the Burnout Checklist below! If you check 5 or more, you could be headed toward burnout. If you’re headed in that direction, don’t sweat it. We’ll return next month with some tips to coach you up!
For more information on the impact of pandemic burnout and prolonged stress, check out The Atlantic article, Only Your Boss Can Cure Your Burnout.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/03/how-tell-if-you-have-burnout/618250/
To learn more about the pandemic’s unique impact on mothers, read The NY Times article, Working Moms Are Struggling. Here’s What Would Help.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/parenting/government-employer-support-moms.html