Severe burnout, may also be a sign of depression. This can be a slippery slope towards hopelessness and even self-harm. It is also feeling exhausted. Disconnected from those around you. And not being interested in things that you know you should be interested in, like your child perhaps. Along with this, comes a deep sense of apathy and you can feel exhausted even after getting good rest.
Burnout is different from stress, because it moves from being a feeling of overwhelm to a feeling of giving in or giving up. You lose interest in things you know you should be interested in such as hitting targets that you always seemed to care about before. Or even not wanting to play with your kids at home because you just don’t have the inclination or the energy to do so.
Often burnout can make you feel ineffective even after you have achieved the outcome you wanted to achieve. It can make you feel disconnected from your team, even though your team are great and supportive. No matter how great your intentions are, it can send your productivity and motivation down the toilet.
At a time like this, the best thing to do is go back to the basics. Stick with a consistent bedtime and a consistent wake up time. And build other healthy habits into your day from there. Eating and exercise will be hard when you have little to no motivation as well as increased apathy overall. Choose one habit at a time and stick with it until it truly is a habit. Only then add a new one and stick with that one. You’ll get back on track slowly but surely.
