Last Updated on December 19, 2020
3. What causes emotional exhaustion?
Nurses from the previously-mentioned study suffered from chronic stress because of the nature of their job. However, this doesn’t mean that emotional burnout is linked to certain jobs or people. Anyone can be exposed to emotional exhaustion. Anyone among us can get progressively overwhelmed with negative thoughts, emotions, or feelings to the extent that they can no longer cope with the stress. The feeling of fatigue may escalate throughout the day, especially when dealing with highly demanding tasks, and it can only get a little better when there is a perceived reward (personal or financial) to compensate for it. Besides being exposed to a highly demanding work environment, other circumstances could also bring about emotional exhaustion, such as: â–ª Having a chronic illness â–ª Being financially unstable â–ª Feeling social pressure from your family and/or at school â–ª Going through a big change in life (death, divorce, …)
4. Signs of emotional burnout
Although emotional exhaustion can hit silently, you can still detect it by listening to your body and paying attention to certain symptoms, like when you have sleeping problems, depression, headaches, or when you feel more physical fatigue than normal. But keep in mind that certain symptoms have no link whatsoever to exhaustion. In this case, it’s best to seek professional help. What’s more, when suffering from emotional exhaustion, you may also find it hard to focus on or visualize things. So if you suddenly begin to have difficulty concentrating, staying organized, or planning things in your mind, then it’s a strong sign you might be emotionally exhausted.
5. How to recover from emotional burnout
The best emotional burnout treatment is making some effective lifestyle changes to help relieve stress, exhaustion, and discomfort. These techniques might not be as easy as you’d like them to be, but trust us, they certainly will get much easier as you begin forming healthy habits. Introducing these small changes into your daily habits can significantly help you manage your symptoms and even prevent emotional burnout: ✔ Get rid of the stressor Even though it isn’t always possible, eliminating the stressor is the best way to treat stress. For example, depending on what’s getting on your nerves, you can change your job/company or get transferred to another department. ✔ Eat healthily You should choose a balanced diet that’s rich in lean meats, whole grains, veggies, and fruits while avoiding processed/fried food and sugary snacks. Eating healthy can improve your digestion, sleep, and energy levels, which, in turn, enhances your emotional state. ✔ Exercise You can choose any physical activity you like. Even a 30-minutes walk every day can remarkably improve your emotional state and take your mind off your daily problems. ✔ Limit your alcohol consumption Alcohol may boost your mood, but it’s only temporary and will likely leave you more anxious and depressed than before. ✔ Get enough sleep Making sure that you get enough good sleep every single night is a crucial part of both your emotional and physical wellbeing. ✔ Practice mindfulness Mindfulness techniques can reduce stress and anxiety as well as help balance your emotions. You can try meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, regular walks in nature, or writing down your thoughts and feelings. Whatever works for you. ✔ Connect with someone you trust Talking it out can go a long way in relieving you from stress and improving your mood. ✔ Don’t forget to take a break Take a vacation, go to the movies, treat yourself to a spa day… Just remember that you deserve a nice break every now and then. ✔ Meet with a professional Along with making lifestyle changes, a therapist can help you work through a stressful period using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), talk therapy, or applied relaxation techniques… Tell us about your own experience with emotional burnout and which method worked best for you.
