I don’t know about you, but by the time we hit December at work, it is hard to keep focus. Now this post is from the perspective of an office worker in the US so I don’t know if this is the same experience for those in other professions & countries. I feel like this phenomenon may be universal, but I didn’t hunt down those resources. Anyway - regardless of where you live, I hope this helps validate how you’re feeling.
What is burnout?
Burnout is physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. This isn’t caused by one specific thing - it’s more of a perfect storm of factors. Not that this is specific to December, it’s technically called “winter burnout” and even before the pandemic, there are tons of causes.
Because the days are shorter, the changes to the daylight schedule can mess with your sleep schedule. Add to that the stress of the holidays. And then on top of that, there are feelings of regret because of those goals that we didn’t meet during the year. That last one was a surprise to me, until I really thought about how easy it is to procrastinate- especially when the goal is a big one. And all of this is exacerbated right now with quarantining and the inability to spend time with friends and family.
All of these factors mess with our hormones and wreak havoc on our bodies. The increase in constant stress really screws up our fight or flight instincts. When we’re stressed, our bodies react by increasing cortisol and glucose. If we don’t come down from that stress, we can’t get down to normal levels and our bodies will continue to try to meet the demand. By working so hard on that, there’s not enough left in the tank to take care of the rest of our functions. I don’t know about you, but this is when my foggy brain really starts to set in. This is explained by the toll on your brain interfering with executive functions which interferes with memory, attention span, and impulses.
Okay, so what can we do to fight it?
I’d like to say I found a miracle cure. But really, it’s a bunch of stuff we all already know and probably should be doing more regularly. The answer is that we need to focus on self-care! Like I always say, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are a few things I’ve found that anyone can work on to avoid burnout.
1. Recognize that you’re burning out. If you don’t see that you're going down, you won’t know that it’s time to make some changes. And it doesn’t hurt to have others check in on you - they may see something that you don’t.
2. Get 7-8 hours of sleep. I’m sure it’s not just me that has been told by a gazillion doctors that we all need more sleep. And you’d think it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but sleep is one of the first things we’re willing to sacrifice when there’s a lot to get done.
3. Set and respect boundaries. I’ve found it easier to adhere to others' boundaries easier than respecting my own, which isn’t healthy. But once you’ve determined them, communicate your boundaries (whether for others or for yourself) so the correct expectations are out there. I’ve written about this specifically, so check out the long post for more detailed thoughts.
4. Get moving. I’ll be the first to admit that I do not exercise as much as I should - it just feels like such a big chore! But especially in winter, we need those endorphins to help boost our mood. There are tons of websites and YouTube videos out there giving us ideas for things we can do without spending a bunch of money. My goal is going to find something I can do at least 15 minutes a day in the next week. Gotta start somewhere, right?
Like I said/typed earlier - these are just a few things we can do to fight winter burnout. It’s really up to you and what makes you feel better - except for sleep. We all need quality sleep. So when things start feeling crazy, slow down, breathe, and remember what’s important in your life. That’s where your energy should go. And be kind to yourself!
Articles & Resources
Psychology Today - 4 Signs of Burnout as a (Mental) Health Professional by Valentina Stoycheva Ph.D.
Right As Rain by UW Medicine - How to Cope When the Winter Burnout Struggle Is Real by McKenna Princing
BlackDoctor.org - 4 Tips To Reduce Winter Burnout by Sloan Luckie
theJournal.ie - How can we avoid burnout through this strange winter? By Tracy Ward
Picture credit: https://tinyurl.com/y2a5keu7
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