Stress and Burnout
Stress and Burnout are Treatable
Whether you are here because you are experiencing burnout or feel you are on your way towards it and want to be proactive... there is help.
​
Stress and burnout are often spoken about in relation to the workplace, but something that is just as important is caregiver burnout or parental burnout.
Whether you are caring for a relative or a child, the demands of caregiving can often become overwhelming and are frequently compounded by guilt and feeling like "we shouldn't feel this way".
​
A similar feeling can occur with work related burnout due to the perpetuation of hustle and productivity culture and feeling like we "should" be able to keep up.
We are here to tell you these feelings are normal and there are ways to address burnout.
Signs and Symptoms of Burnout
Physical​
-
Physical exhaustion, feeling drained or constantly tired
-
Frequent headaches or muscle pain
-
Change in eating or sleep habits
-
Gastrointestinal problems
-
Getting more frequent illnesses
​
Emotional
-
Self doubt
-
Loss of motivation
-
Irritability
-
Feeling helpless or trapped
-
Feeling of failure
-
Detachment or dissociation
-
Negative outlook
-
Lack of joy in previously enjoyable activities
-
Emotional detachment
-
Lack of a sense of accomplishment
​
Behavioural
-
Isolating
-
Withdrawing from responsibilities
-
Procrastinating
Causes of Stress and Burnout
Work
-
Unreasonable demands or working hours
-
Lack of communication or support from management
-
Unreasonable time constraints
-
Lack of role clarity
-
Unfair treatment
​
Caregiver
-
Unrealistic expectations
-
Unreasonable or conflicting demands
-
Lack of control
-
Role confusion
-
Workload
​
Parental
-
Parenting alone or with little support
-
Lack of identity outside of parenthood
-
New additions to the family leading to increased demand for care
-
Balancing employment and parenthood either inside or outside the home
-
Children's developmental stage
-
Children with additional needs
-
Parental perfectionistic tendencies
Alleviating Burnout
-
Addressing sleep issues
-
Creating a support network
-
Exercise
-
Eating well
-
Prioritizing self care
-
Mindfulness
-
Set boundaries
-
Practice self compassion
-
When dealing with burnout related to work or caregiving, considering options such as switching jobs, taking time off or finding alternate care
​
If you continue to struggle
-
Talk with a doctor
-
Attend therapy
How We Help
Dealing with burnout can be a journey with various ups and downs. When our clinicians work with clients experiencing burnout we take time to get to know you and your specific circumstances. Burnout is normalized and we work together to create goals and a plan of action to get you to a place where you are enjoying life again.
​
Some areas we may work on include:
-
Creating accessible and sustainable self care routines
-
Evaluating what is inside vs. outside your control
-
Stress management techniques
-
Considering your values both inside and outside work
-
Communicating boundaries and asking for help
These skills will, over time, help reduce symptoms of burnout as we work to understand the underlying cause. We may also address how preventative action could keep you from being in this place again.
If this is something you would like to work on with one of our therapists, I encourage you to reach out for a free 15 minute consultation.