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Working with high achievers is something we do best. We live it, we experience it, and understand the need to keep pushing yourself to the next level. Maybe, you keep aiming for the a big promotion, to make partner, or are completing your master’s on the weekends. You keep pushing… Until you just don’t want to anymore. The motivation is gone and is replaced with numbness or dread.

Other times, it’s the constant pull of trying to balance work aspirations with family life desires, or exhaustion of the constant parenting demands. We understand all these stressors. We know that many of us high achievers have unrealistic standards and a need to keep pushing to the next level in life and career. Eventually pushing yourself this hard ends in a crash; a feeling of emptiness, and the constant drive is left with a “blah” feeling. This “blah” feeling is also called work burnout, and it’s a common problem for successful professionals.

Burnout is a Real Issue Amongst Professionals

Did you know that workplace burnout is surprisingly common? In fact, a recent study by Gallup found that out of of nearly 7,500 full-time employees, 23% of employees reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, and 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. So, this means that almost two-thirds of the workers were experiencing workplace burnout.

Common Signs of Burnout Include:

A feeling of numbness or “blah” toward work: Many people start to lose goals or positivity towards their work. They may start to view everything with cynicism and through a negative lens.
Psychosomatic (Physical) Symptoms: Chronic stress and anxiety can do a number on the body. Actually, it weakens your immune system and can often lead to headaches, digestive issues, and stomachaches.
Lack of Motivation: Burnout causes people to lose compassion and empathy toward their work. And, this can be even more noticeable if you are in a helping profession. You might find yourself numb to stories, or people that previously elicited your empathy and warmth towards. Ultimately, burnout can lead to feeling exhausted and ultimately to avoiding work and work tasks.
Reduced performance: Burnout often leads to poorer work performance. So, you may be avoiding tasks, procrastinating, and not doing the things you previously conquered.
Sunday Scaries: Many people experiencing burnout, talk about the “Sunday Scaries.” This means, your anxiety starts to creep into your mind on Sundays. This happens because your body is bracing for another week. Your mind races with anxiety inducing thoughts. Maybe, you start practicing escapism, such as numbing out to Netflix, social media, or alcohol/drugs.

Work Burnout and COVID-19

During the pandemic, we are all more prone to feeling burnout because we are losing the things that balance us, such as vacations and social get-togethers. Many high achievers don’t mind the push of working extra because they like the rewards of the slow-downs of vacations. Without this balance, many individuals are starting to rethink their values and goals in life.

Parental Burnout is Common, Especially Now

During the pandemic, the American Psychological Association found that almost 60 percent of parents were feeling overwhelmed or looking forward to a break. You can be a wonderful and loving parent and still feel burnt out. You can daydream about a break, or time you can spend taking care of your own needs. This feeling can often lead to shame or guilt, feeling like you should be happier being a parent. This is normal; this is parental burnout! But it’s also a sign to take care of yourself.

Some signs of parental burnout include:

Exhaustion: You may be unable to get out of the bed in the morning. You are chronically exhausted and no amount of naps will help you!
Detachment/ Lack of Enjoyment: Many parents of burnout begin to feel emotionally detached or no longer take pleasure in parenting/family activities. Things you previously looked forward, now cause dread.
Change in Behavior : All of these symptoms are a change from previous behaviors and feelings.

Professionals in a Helping Field are the Most Susceptible to Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Many individuals in the helping professions experience secondary trauma at some point in their career. Secondary trauma is the experience of psychological symptoms in a practitioner who bears witness to survivors' accounts of trauma. The body can only hold so much emotion. So, it can start to go numb to protect itself from what you’ve witnessed and the emotions your clients elicit from you. Many of our clients who are mental health professionals, medical doctors, and social workers come to us feeling overwhelmed. Being in the helping profession comes with an unrealistic expectation to not just hold everything, but to hold everything together. You are not alone in your experience. Working with other therapists, doctors, and helpers is a specialty of ours. We want to hold space for you and give you space to be without any expectations. This time is for you.

Overcome Work Burnout in Counseling

The good news is that burnout doesn’t mean you hate your life, job, or family. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need a change of career. Instead, it means we need to treat you and the burnout symptoms. And you need a break, a rest, and some self-care. We have a special place in our hearts for anyone experiencing burnout.

Begin Counseling for Burnout in Houston, TX or San Antonio, TX:

We know what it’s like to be in your shoes, and we can relate to the burnout you’re feeling. But, you don’t have to endure it alone. We can help you overcome burnout and get back to doing the job you were meant to do. To begin counseling in Houston, TX or San Antonio, TX, follow these steps: