Are you looking for treatment to help with burnout? The way towards a total burnout recovery is challenging, and can take months, sometimes even years. Therefore, in this blog, we will take a moment to take a closer look at what burnout is and how it arises, in order to find a method that helps you treat it.
What is burnout?
YBurnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by a prolonged period of stress and tension. Not only stress at work can cause it, but private matters are also a common cause. Often it is a combination of these two that cause someone to get burned out. When someone is diagnosed with burnout because stress complaints are ignored for too long, they usually are too exhausted and have no energy and motivation for everyday activities.
Burnout symptoms
When someone is suffering from burnout, they can experience total exhaustion, frequent headaches or muscle pain, and a change in appetite or sleep habits. The simplest of household tasks become impossible to do. Besides physical complaints, burnout also holds emotional symptoms, like the withdrawal from responsibilities, procrastinating, taking out frustrations on others, and isolating oneself.
Burnout, fatigue, or depression?
Even though some of the burnout complaints correspond to fatigue (for instance, restlessness, loss of concentration, or insomnia), burnout and fatigue are two different conditions. A good indicator to tell the difference between the two is the time it takes to recover. Overcoming fatigue may take several months. Someone with burnout usually has to stop working for a longer period in order to recover. It all depends on the intensity and length of the burnout. The longer the period of stress and exhaustion, the longer it takes to recover from it. It sometimes can take up to several years to fully recover! The difference between burnout and depression is the desire to do something about it. For example, someone with burnout wants to do something about their state but cannot due to a lack of energy. Someone with depression could do something about their state but their feelings make it hard for them to do so. You could say that burnout is an energy disorder and depression is a mood disorder.
Types of burnout
To find a successful burnout treatment, it is important to know what type of burnout occurred, as this will indicate the cause. Research suggests that there are three types of burnout: frenetic; worn-out; and underchallenged. Each of these types has its own causes that must be taken care of. Below, we will go into this in more detail.
Frenetic burnout
Frenetic burnout is probably the most common form of burnout. People with this type of burnout work increasingly harder in search of success, to the point of exhaustion. Connected to a lifestyle of overwork and stress, this type of burnout is distinctive for highly dedicated employees, driven by the ambition to work harder to achieve success, frequently at the cost of their own personal life and health.
Worn-out burnout
Someone suffering from worn-out burnout struggles with constant stress combined with negligible rewards. Most of the time, they feel they have little control over their work. Faced with too much pressure and little gratification at work, these people ultimately choose to neglect their work.
Underchallenged burnout
People who suffer from underchallenged burnout feel underappreciated and bored. They cope with unstimulating conditions that fail to provide learning opportunities and professional growth. This results in indifference, avoidance of responsibility, and an overall disengagement with work.
The Wim Hof Method as burnout treatment
Are you dealing with constant tiredness and stress? If not treated on time, your situation will get worse. After a while, even the most mundane tasks become immense assignments. Luckily, there are many things that you can do to cope with it. For instance, there are a lot of natural burnout treatments. Gentle exercise, getting enough sleep, managing stress levels, and seeking social support are some examples. Read more about these remedies here.
If you are struggling to find a burnout treatment, the Wim Hof Method can help you. The method provides techniques that help you get a grip on daily struggles, resets your nervous system, and provides you with the energy needed to recover from burnout. The combination of breathing exercises, meditation, and exposure to cold has a significant positive effect on the body and mind, helping you to keep a healthy mind and prevent burnout. Familiarize yourself with the method by following our free Mini Class within the comforts of your own home. In addition, download the Wim Hof Method mobile app for instructional videos on breathing, yoga, and cold showers. Ready for more? In our Fundamentals course, you develop a consistent practice that you can sustain on your own, even when the 10-week course has finished.
