How to overcome emotional burnout and regain energy? 

31 Oct How to overcome emotional burnout and regain energy? 

The modern pace of life and ever-increasing demands often make us feel exhausted and out of balance. Emotional burnout is an extremely common phenomenon, but we often don’t know how to recognize it, and therefore we don’t know how to overcome it. To make it easier, we interviewed Jūratė Valackaitė, a psychologist at the “Gali būti” clinic – she shared her tips on how to recognize emotional burnout and what could help overcome it. We hope that if you ever encounter emotional burnout in your life, these tips will help you find a new source of energy, return to daily activities with ease, and learn to take better care of yourself. We invite you to read!

What are the early signs of emotional burnout, and how can you recognize them in your life before they escalate?

One of the challenges in preventing burnout is that it never comes on suddenly, it builds up gradually over months, sometimes even years, and it is very difficult to spot. The early signs of burnout can be subtle, so it is important to spot them early. 

–> Here are some of the most common signs of emotional burnout and how to recognize them: 

– Constant fatigue. 

You feel tired even after a good night's sleep or rest. You lack energy even for simple tasks. This could be the beginning of emotional burnout. 

How to recognize? If fatigue does not decrease after a vacation or rest, it is worth assessing your workload and emotional state. 

– Declining motivation. 

You start to lose motivation for work or activities that used to bring you joy. This could be a sign that you are emotionally exhausted. 

How to recognize? If you constantly feel like even small tasks are too difficult or you've lost interest in things you used to enjoy, it may be time to stop and assess the situation. 

– Irritability. 

You notice that you are becoming more irritable, angry more easily, or more emotionally reactive than usual. You find it harder to maintain emotional stability. 

How to recognize? If you start to get annoyed by little things or feel that even small things easily throw you off balance, these may be the first signs of burnout. 

– Decreased concentration and productivity. 

It's hard to focus, productivity drops, and completing tasks takes longer than before. 

How to recognize? If you often forget what you need to do, or tasks take much longer than they should, it may be worth assessing your mental state. 

– Physical symptoms. 

Burnout often also manifests itself in physical symptoms, such as headaches, muscle tension, or digestive problems. 

How to recognize? If you've started to experience unexplained aches or health problems for no apparent reason, it could be a sign that your body is responding to emotional stress. 

– Withdrawal from social relationships. 

You start to avoid interacting with others, social gatherings become a burden. You may want to spend more time alone. 

How to recognize? If you notice that you are more likely to cancel meetings with friends or family, it may be a sign that your emotional state has worsened. 

– Cynicism or pessimism. 

You start to think pessimistically about work or life in general. You feel that your efforts are worthless, and you struggle to find meaning in your daily activities. 

How to recognize? If negative thoughts begin to dominate, especially related to work, relationships, or the future, it's worth stopping and thinking about the possible effects of burnout.

How to recognize early signs of burnout? 

Self-reflection.  Ask yourself often how you feel physically and emotionally. If you constantly feel exhausted or depressed, it may be a sign that you are heading towards emotional burnout. 

Diary.  Keep track of your emotions and energy levels in writing. This will help you notice when negative patterns start to form. 

Relatives. If your relatives or friends notice that you are more irritable or withdrawn, it is worth paying attention to their observations. 

Early recognition of the signs of burnout will allow you to take timely action and avoid more serious emotional burnout.

How do stress and bad habits, such as poor sleep quality or insufficient rest, contribute to emotional exhaustion?

There are two types of stress: eustress, or good stress, and distress, or harmful stress (depending on whether the stress helps or hinders you from properly adapting to the environment). Many people live under the illusion that a life without stress exists, but this is not the case.Both the stress itself (especially chronic stress) and the methods you use to deal with different types of stress are important. Bad habits are just one of the (inappropriate) ways to cope with stress.. Bad habits, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, unhealthy diet, excessive caffeine consumption or addiction to social media, can significantly contribute to emotional exhaustion. They weaken physical health, and poor physical well-being can affect psychological well-being. For example, excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption disrupts sleep, which leads to fatigue and irritability. 

Practicing bad habits may temporarily seem like a way to escape from daily stress, but over time, they reduce a person's ability to respond appropriately to stress. This promotes chronic fatigue and emotional burnout. Some harmful habits, such as excessive use of social media, can lead to addiction, which reduces the ability to concentrate and manage emotions. In the long run, this can lead to anxiety, inner emptiness and emotional exhaustion. Some harmful habits can promote social isolation, which can reduce the availability of emotional support and reinforce the feeling that you are alone with your problems. 

Meanwhile Sufficient, quality sleep can help both preventively and in the event of emotional exhaustion. Sleep disorders are a sign and cause of the pre-inflammatory state. Sleep is the first and probably most important human need. It is even more important than food: we can go without eating (full) for several days without serious consequences, but we cannot go without sleep. Sleep is one of the most underestimated needs.

What resources do we already have that could help us manage stress and avoid burnout?

Physical activity. Any movement is the first weapon in the fight against stress and burnout. At least 20-60 minutes. daily. 

Breathing. Deep, slow breathing suppresses the stress response, especially when the exhalation is long and slow and all the air is exhaled, even when the abdomen is pulled in. Breathing is best when the stress is not very strong or when you just need to “let off steam” after being overwhelmed by high stress in a difficult situation. A simple practical tip: breathe in slowly for a count of five, hold your breath (for a count of five), then breathe out for a count of ten and hold your breath for a count of five. Do this three times – just one minute and fifteen seconds of breathing, and you will see that you will feel better. 

Positive social relationships. Simple, friendly social interactions seem to tell you that the world is a safe place. Just say hello to the barista after you buy your coffee. Compliment the chef at the cafeteria on her earrings. Reassure your brain that the world is safe. 

Laughter. Laughing together, and even remembering times when we laughed with someone, increases relationship satisfaction. Belly laughter (that deep, "unruly," uncontrollable laughter) is important here.

Attachment. When friendly conversation with colleagues no longer works, when you are too tense to laugh, you need deeper connections with close, loved ones who respect and trust you and whom you respect and trust. Sometimes a warm hug, a safe and trusting environment can help you feel the same way as after running a few kilometers - signaling to your body that you are safe. 

Crying. Crying may not change the situation that caused the stress, but it does help to end the so-called stress coping cycle. By experiencing the emotions with the character in the movie, you allow your body to experience them as well. This allows you to experience the full emotional cycle. 

Creative expression. Creative activities today will give you more energy, joy and enthusiasm tomorrow. Visual and performing arts give you the opportunity to enjoy and experience strong emotions.

How can improving sleep habits and developing healthy daily routines contribute to long-term emotional resilience?

Developing and maintaining good daily self-care habits can effectively help build emotional resilience.

Take care of your sleep. Night sleep consists of three to five successive cycles, lasting 70 to 90 minutes. During each cycle, two phases of sleep alternate. The first is called slow-wave sleep. Slow-wave sleep, in turn, is divided into four increasingly deeper phases of sleep. During these phases, the functions of the body, as well as the brain, gradually slow down. It is this slow, deep sleep that helps to regain physical strength. Therefore, if you are woken up from deep sleep, you feel unwell. As deep sleep approaches its end, sleep activity changes dramatically. The sleeper sleeps in the so-called paradoxical sleep, because the electrical activity of the brain at that time is close to the activity of the brain of a waking person. During this phase, a person dreams about 90% of all dreams, at least those that he remembers. And dreams help to regain strength, but not the body, but the psyche. If a person did not regularly sleep in paradoxical sleep, he would simply go crazy. It is important not to compare yourself to others and to understand how much sleep you need, studying it during your free time, during vacation. All sleep is important, regardless of when a person sleeps. If you sleep less one night, you can sleep longer the next night, in the worst case - the next; then the body always "pays back" with stress, consequences for the immune system, cardiovascular diseases, etc. When the first signs of sleep deprivation appear, you need to stop working immediately and get some sleep.

Take care of relaxation routines. Proper relaxation is related to three natural rhythms: daily (most often sleep), weekly and annual (at least three weeks of vacation without planning and clock are necessary to regain your strength).

Take care of your nutrition. People who work too hard and are stressed often eat improperly, which can lead to weight gain or loss, and a disturbed metabolism. This physiological disorder weakens the body's ability to resist stressors.

Take care of physical activity. A person suffering from emotional exhaustion lives in their thoughts; when they are stressed, they often think too much. Physical activity helps them feel their body again and “turn off” their thoughts. In addition, sports increase their resistance when they are working, and therefore help them fight fatigue more effectively. Physical activity improves the quality of their sleep: after it, you fall asleep faster, wake up less often at night, and sleep lasts longer. Take advantage of all the opportunities that everyday life offers to move.

 What to do when you feel overwhelmed – can seeking help improve your emotional well-being?

First of all, it is important to rest as soon as possible, get enough sleep, perhaps take a vacation and notice whether your strength and energy levels are restored. If, after a sufficient night's sleep or vacation, you still feel tired and exhausted, it is recommended to seek help from specialists. Seeking help can help you better recognize the signs of burnout and take appropriate preventive or treatment actions, thus improving your emotional well-being.

The blog post was created as part of the implementation of the "Gali būti" clinic's project "Increasing Mental Health Literacy through Training and Group Practices" and is funded by the Vilnius City Municipality's Public Health Support Special Program.