Why Am I Burned Out?

One of the major issues that leads people to feel like they can no longer focus and feel depressed is not feeling satisfied. When it comes to burnout, I am usually referring to work-related issues. However, one can feel burned out in their every day lives as well and that lack of satisfaction can stem from all areas of one's life. Whether at work, at home, in relationships, etc., not feeling satisfied with one's life can lead people to ask the questions "What am I doing this for?" and "Why am I not happy?". Our culture is dominated by the idea of success and doing whatever is necessary to feel successful, even if that means doing something you are not interested in. More and more, we are learning we don't need to do the types of jobs we though we had to. People are switching careers after years because they are burned out and need to find something satisfying.

Another major issue leading to burnout is isolation. Do you work in a job that does allow for much socialization? Does taking care of the home mean feeling alone for many hours of the day? If so, this is something to be especially aware of. As humans, we need contact with others. This does not mean we need to be bonding with others all day, but not seeing other faces throughout the day can lead people to feel lonely and depressed.

A third concern that can lead to feelings of burnout is exposure. Being exposed to difficult work on a regular basis can affect how we view the world and make us more critical. Working as a divorce attorney may provide a biased view of marriage and relationships. Working as a police officer may lead one to see the world as negative and cold. Working in social services may provide negative feelings about society. These jobs can see much more negative in the world than other jobs. This constant exposure to sadness and anger can weigh on an individual and may be difficult to separate from.

There are several other issues that can arise to cause burnout in one's job or life, but these three are major concerns that can be easily recognized. Being able to see the potential triggers for you can help you to seek out methods of making sure you do not burn out. The next post will focus on self-care methods that people can incorporate into their lives in order to prevent burnout- a change to the uplifting!