Burnout is becoming more common among caregivers, teachers, therapists, healthcare workers, and more due to the COVID-19 virus. Below we are sharing new tips to recognize and address burnout!
Identifying Burnout
Last year, we shared a blog post about burnout and tips for combating burnout. We wanted to revisit this topic after so many individuals have expressed their experiences with burnout last year. 2020 was a challenging year in many ways, and the COVID-19 virus may have led you to feel burnt out. For many individuals, this virus has led to financial stress, worries about health and job security, and new challenges with teaching or working from home. It is important to check in with yourself and look out for some of these signs of burnout:
Neglecting your personal needs- focusing on everyone around you
Overworking/excessive drive in one area of your life- working long hours and staying busy, but possibly feeling less productive
Displacement of your emotions- lashing out at your spouse or child due to frustration at work
Mental/Physical exhaustion
Having a "short fuse"
Problems sleeping
These are all possible signs of burnout, and there are also many other possible signs that might be true for you! The more that you are able to take moments to pause and check in with yourself, the more familiar you'll become with behavioral changes that are true for you.
Addressing Burnout
In our previous post about burnout last December, we shared lots of tips about prioritizing time with loved ones. Currently, many of us are unable to see our loved ones face to face in order to keep everyone safe. In this post, we are focusing on ideas you can use while at home to help yourself reset and prioritize your wellbeing.
Create a daily routine
Prep your meals
Take time away from screens
Spend time in nature (socially distanced)
Meditate and/or use a gratitude journal
Call a friend or family member
Move your body- walk, dance, workout, whatever it means for you!
Talk to a therapist
Set boundaries and advocate for your needs
Showing Compassion
Burnout can often arise from trying to accomplish too much, or feeling powerless despite working extremely hard in a situation. In 2020, many of us have been put into situations where we needed to go above and beyond to keep our homes and workplaces running. It is important to show yourself compassion, and recognize how much strength it has taken just to survive a pandemic, racial injustice, and political polarization as a nation, as well as so many more challenges that arose in your own personal life. Remind yourself how hard you have worked this past year, even if you didn't meet any of the goals you had initially set for yourself on NYE 2019!
If you are a caregiver or therapist of a child with special needs, you might be struggling to support them with virtual learning and therapy sessions, and you may be seeing some regression. It is important to remember that we are all doing our best to adjust to learning from home, and you and your child are doing a great job!
I hope you find these tips helpful and you are able to incorporate self-care practices so you can be the best version of you for those who need you!