How To Know If You're Experiencing Burnout

Even as a counsellor, I am not exempt from experiencing burnout. Becoming a counsellor was a rewarding yet chaotic road filled with juggling roles of being a student and a professional, minimal downtime for self-care, and learning who I was in my new career. My first position as a certified counsellor was working in a post secondary setting, often meeting folks who were at risk, greatly struggling, and needing intense amounts of clinical support. By the end of my term I was burnt out, exhausted and wondering why I was feeling this way. I feel like it is often our first train of thought to blame ourselves, wonder if we did something wrong, and feel like we are the only ones experiencing this. 

In my experience burnout did not hit hard and fast, but was a gradual build up of exhaustion, stress, and the inability to cope. I found myself unmotivated to do things, isolating at home, and seeking comfort with a huge fear of being in stressful situations again. Thankfully, I was able to take some space and time to find myself again, gradually get back into a more balanced sleep routine over the span of months/ a year, and slowly open my window of tolerance. 

Queens University (n.d.) discusses that burnout often feels like: 

• Forming an extremely negative attitude that you just can’t shake 

• A loss of pleasure or enjoyment in life, sometimes resulting in dread

• Low energy, difficulty sleeping, and irritability

• Feelings of emptiness or a lack of purpose

• Physical symptoms such as headaches or body aches

With these symptoms in mind, there can be phases that we move through ranging from the deep need to prove oneself, to inner emptiness and depression (Queen’s University, n.d.). Each person’s experience with burnout is unique, nuanced, and deeply personal. If you feel as though you have been impacted by burnout, I am here to support you. I know firsthand how impactful burnout can be, and can offer you some helpful tools to cope through this challenging period including boundary setting, increasing self-care practices, and creating a more balanced schedule.  

Reference 

Queen’s University (n.d.). Burnout: Signs, causes, and preventative strategies. https://pros.educ.queensu.ca/blog/burnout