Help for burnout
|
|
Who's afraid of big bad burnout? I am, and you should be too.
Remember the nursery rhyme, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" Well, burnout is a great deal scarier than the bite of a big bad wolf. As I explained in my book Beyond Your Confines, burnout can thin the gray matter of your prefrontal cortex (you need this part of your brain to reason and make decisions), and it can enlarge the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system). As a result, you can end up producing more stress hormones which can damage blood vessels and arteries and raise your blood pressure.
Our obligations have become endless. At work and at home, there are constant encroachments on our time and energy, and it is exceptionally difficult to erect and maintain healthy boundaries. Difficult but, with the right help, and with a bit of assertive communication, it isn’t impossible.
One of the biggest issues that can lead to burnout is a lack of self-esteem. If you don’t value yourself, it can be exceptionally hard to maintain those boundaries and communicate assertively. If you believe your value is conditional on your career or your role in the family or the favors given to your friends or family, you can quickly end up feeling depleted and resentful.
The first step is to acknowledge that you might be suffering from burnout, or at least in danger of burning out if you don’t make some changes. Have a quick look at the symptoms of burnout, and if you have questions, reach out and make contact:
If you recognize any of these signs of burnout, reach out and contact us.
And if you have any questions, book a free ten-minute telephone consultation here.
Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist
Remember the nursery rhyme, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" Well, burnout is a great deal scarier than the bite of a big bad wolf. As I explained in my book Beyond Your Confines, burnout can thin the gray matter of your prefrontal cortex (you need this part of your brain to reason and make decisions), and it can enlarge the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system). As a result, you can end up producing more stress hormones which can damage blood vessels and arteries and raise your blood pressure.
Our obligations have become endless. At work and at home, there are constant encroachments on our time and energy, and it is exceptionally difficult to erect and maintain healthy boundaries. Difficult but, with the right help, and with a bit of assertive communication, it isn’t impossible.
One of the biggest issues that can lead to burnout is a lack of self-esteem. If you don’t value yourself, it can be exceptionally hard to maintain those boundaries and communicate assertively. If you believe your value is conditional on your career or your role in the family or the favors given to your friends or family, you can quickly end up feeling depleted and resentful.
The first step is to acknowledge that you might be suffering from burnout, or at least in danger of burning out if you don’t make some changes. Have a quick look at the symptoms of burnout, and if you have questions, reach out and make contact:
- Cynicism
- Reduced interest in things you usually enjoy
- Anger
- Irritability
- Apathy
- An overwhelmingly negative outlook on life
- An inability to think clearly
- Breathlessness
- Reduced effectiveness with tasks
- Dizziness
- Helplessness
- Changes in your eating habits
- Exhaustion
- Insomnia
If you recognize any of these signs of burnout, reach out and contact us.
And if you have any questions, book a free ten-minute telephone consultation here.
Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist
Parental burnout
When it comes to the mental health of your children, it might be that they are fine. They are benefiting from a wide range of research from neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and psychologists, much of which is probably informing their social and emotional learning at school. But what about your own mental health? As a psychotherapist and parent, I have worked with many people who have experienced parental burnout.
We have struggled through a pandemic, and technology has presented unique challenges to parenting. Forget "good enough" parenting, we have had to respond to increasing pressures to adopt a "do more" parenting approach. In my work, I have seen this lead to parents experiencing anxiety, depression, and an increase in other symptoms relating to historic trauma.
Yet here's the trap: Because we are parents, it can be hard to prioritize our own mental health. For some of the people I've worked with, it has helped them to remember that we are helping our kids when we tend to our own mental health needs. We wouldn't drive our kids if we had no sleep or too much to drink, so we need to avoid parental burnout if we are to offer our children a safe and calm home.
If you need to discuss parental burnout, book a free ten-minute telephone consultation here.
Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist
We have struggled through a pandemic, and technology has presented unique challenges to parenting. Forget "good enough" parenting, we have had to respond to increasing pressures to adopt a "do more" parenting approach. In my work, I have seen this lead to parents experiencing anxiety, depression, and an increase in other symptoms relating to historic trauma.
Yet here's the trap: Because we are parents, it can be hard to prioritize our own mental health. For some of the people I've worked with, it has helped them to remember that we are helping our kids when we tend to our own mental health needs. We wouldn't drive our kids if we had no sleep or too much to drink, so we need to avoid parental burnout if we are to offer our children a safe and calm home.
If you need to discuss parental burnout, book a free ten-minute telephone consultation here.
Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist
Latest blog posts to help you with burnout