EP 13: how to cope with burnout
Hosts: Jade and Deniece
ABOUT THE EPISODE
In today's episode, our hosts talk about "Burnout". Describing the different stages of burnout, they also highlight the major causes, and offer suggestions on how to deal with it.
A MILLENNIAL MESS
EPISODE 13 PODCAST SHOW NOTES
Episode Timeline:
[01:16] Jade and Deniece give shoutouts to followers and listeners who have been giving encouraging reviews.
[03:50] Jade describes her lifestyle as packed and fast-paced prior to Covid-19, with very little time to slow down and relax. Millennials seem to be the Burnout generation. Statistics show that there is burnout from chronic workplace stress, and W.H.O defines Burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
[06:53] Burnout is also defined as a state of vital exhaustion. Deniece shares that she did not recognize it at the time she was experiencing burnout. Burnout can sometimes be caused by self-imposed lofty expectations, colleagues, clients, or work itself. Sometimes a sense of responsibility is so overwhelming that you don't sense burnout.
[11:26] How do we identify burnout? At some point in her life, although Deniece was stressed, she was happy and did not realize the impact of her burnout on the interaction she had with people. When she started to get feedback, however, she saw how her deep focus on her work made her distant and unfriendly as a person.
[20:20] Jade may not seem like the type to have burnout because, unlike Deniece, she generally always considers her needs first. However Jade experienced burnout a few years ago when she overworked herself to prove to her parents that she could survive on her own working in the arts.
[23:12] The 5 stages of Burnout (from "this is calmer" blog): The first stage is the "Honeymoon" phase which comes with high job satisfaction and free-flowing creativity; with good coping mechanisms in this phase, it can continue indefinitely. Stage 2 is the "Onset of stress" where there is the awareness that some days are more difficult than others, optimism is waning, and stress symptoms manifest physically, mentally, or emotionally. These symptoms include teeth grinding, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, neglect of personal needs, palpitations, and others. Stage 3 is "Chronic Stress", and is characterized by experiencing stress symptoms more frequently, increased caffeine or alcohol consumption, physical illness, decreased sexual desire, or incessant lateness. Stage 4 is "Burnout" where symptoms become critical and it is more difficult to cope and continue normally. It is key to seek intervention at this stage. Symptoms are chronic headaches, stomach and bowel problems, suicidal thoughts, feeling empty inside. Stage 5 is "Habitual Burnout" where people remain in a state of perpetual burnout with chronic mental and physical fatigue, as well as unexplainable chronic symptoms that often do not respond to the typical medication or have an identifiable cause. Here people may go into depression.
[36:32] How can we break burnout? Jade shares that her first step was to quit her job, after which she started creating better habits like exercising, eating healthy, having good sleeping habits, and prioritizing tasks. For employers, understanding their workers and knowing the best place for them to function based on their personalities will help reduce burnout. Deniece advises employees, on the other hand, to consciously decide which kinds of companies or teams they want to work with, and to be sure it aligns with their values. Our hosts recommend the blog "anxiety no more", where there are articles that can help people with anxiety. Jade emphasizes the need to schedule personal time to focus on yourself and your needs while Deniece encourages listeners who would like to talk to a therapist to contact her to get linked with her therapist.
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Hosts:
http://instagram.com/jade.kerr
http://instagram.com/deniecefoo