Beyond Burnout | Prioritizing Mental Health in the Fast Lane of Life as a Young Professional

Burnout affects all of us—the 20-year-old financial analyst, the 30-year-old new mom, the 40-year-old father, and the 50-year-old managing director. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is the “ongoing emotional exhaustion, psychological distance or negativity, and feelings of inefficacy” that a person can experience. Managing your stress can significantly decrease burnout, improving your relationships, work, and overall happiness. In this blog post, we’ll explore what burnout is and provide some effective tools to beat it.

What is Burnout? 

We’ve all heard this word before, especially as it has become extremely buzzy following the shift to at-home work over the last few years. But what is burnout, and what are the signs? Burnout is most typically a form of exhaustion that can be caused by excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress. Some of the signs of burnout include, but are not limited to, feeling tired or exhausted, little to no enthusiasm for your job, negative feelings toward your job, or difficulty performing your job. WebMD explains that sometimes these signs can be confused with depression, and it’s important to monitor the gradual onset of these symptoms as they can lead to a breakdown if left unattended.

Tools To Beat Burnout

One of our favorite books at the moment, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, gives some thoughtful tools to beat burnout beyond the obvious answers of getting more sleep, speaking with a supervisor, and mindfulness. One of the most effective ways to prioritize your mental health amidst creeping burnout is to engage in physical activity (particularly outside, if possible). Another powerful tool is affection. As silly as it sounds, the 20-second hug with anyone you care for can be extremely effective. If you hold someone for that long, it communicates to your body that you have a person in your life whom you love and trust enough and who loves and trusts you enough to stand this close together. Among the many great aspects about this book is the TL;DR recap at the end of each chapter, making it extra appealing to the young professional who doesn’t have the time to read every single word. The book really impresses upon the reader that wellness is neither a state of being nor a state of mind. It is a state of action. You can take actionable steps to help prevent burnout and prioritize your mental health alongside your stressful job.

Conclusion

As the world continues to work from home, it can be difficult to create separation from your work, leading more and more high-achieving young professionals to experience burnout earlier than ever before. By taking actionable steps toward prioritizing your mental health, including weekly therapy, physical exercise, and affection, you can find the balance in your life that keeps you both happy and successful. 

References

Beating burnout: Sisters write book to help women overcome stress cycle. (2019, May 5). NPR. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/05/720490364/to-help-women-kick-burnout-sisters-write-book-to-understanding-stress-cycle 

Employers need to focus on workplace burnout: Here’s why. (2023, May 12). American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-burnout#:~:text=It%20involves%20ongoing%20emotional%20exhaustion,World%20Health%20Organization%2C%202019).

Burnout: Symptoms and signs. (2022, December 18). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs