Burnout has started to become more recognized over the years. The term burnout was coined by Dr Herbert Freudenberger in his book Burnout in 1974. He defined it as — ” the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce a desired result. “
Burnout is well recognized and has a medical diagnosis by ICD-11 and WHO. Occurs when our brain and body responds to prolonged stress and feel discouraged and exhausted. It impacts our ability to perform, become highly – critical of oneself and overwhelmed/ irritable.
Here are 5 signs that can help you identify burnout:
1. Inability to sleep adequately/ insomnia/ trouble sleeping
2. Exhaustion
3. Feelings of negativism, or cynicism relating to job
4. Lack of accomplishment and sense of ineffectiveness
5. Brain fog
If you or someone you know is experiencing these signs, I would suggest to take time and seek for early identification and eliminate those stressors. Early intervention is always a good idea.
Remember a day when you just got frustrated with anything to anyone. It could be something at work that engages you for hours and you come home with thoughts that just makes you feel irritatable.
We all have days which aren’t just as sunny. But while I say that it’s important to not forget that all days aren’t rainy either. It’s just like a spectrum which has variations and of course variables.
You will be surprised to know that too much complaining has a negative impact. The more you practice it the more your brain gets rewired. A research from Standford University has shown that — complaining shrinks the hippocampus. Hippocampus is the area of brain that is responsible for critical thinking, learning and memory. 🧠
Here are 2 ways and you can choose either:
1. Shift your perspective towards things you are grateful for because complaining won’t get you anywhere either. Complaining sometimes leads to release of cortisol, too much release of cortisol is not good on a long term. So, try to cultivate an attitude that helps you.
2. Complain but with a solution-orientation. Think about why you are complaining and how can it be resolved. Try to identify the purpose, what are the different ways of looking at it and what are the ways to get over it. Obviously, it’s not a day thing but try a constructive manner.
And lastly, excess of anything always results in danger☠️. When you see yourself engaging in complaining, remind yourself to stop and break the wiring.
The world of cinema has made attempts in capturing and raising awareness about suicide.
Here is a list of eye-opening movies that draws our attention towards the causal factors and possible reasons what causes suicide. In some cases, helps us build awareness about the magnitude of the problem.
1. Perks of Being a Wallflower
This movie is which talks about a socially awkward teenager Charlie (Logan Lerman) who is a wallflower who meets a free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller). Both of them help Charlie discover the joys of friendship, first love, music and more. However, as his new friends prepare to leave for college, Charlie’s inner sadness threatens to shatter his newfound confidence.
2. 13 Reasons Why
It is a Netflix original series in which Newcomer Katherine Langford plays the role of Hannah, a young woman who takes her own life. Two weeks after her tragic death, a classmate named Clay finds a mysterious box on his porch. It is not only explores the meaning of life (and of a possible afterlife) but also suicide.
3. The Dreamseller
It is based on The Bestselling Book “The Dreamseller” written by world renown Brazilian psychiatrist and psychotherapist Augusto Cury. In this movie a disillusioned psychologist tries to commit suicide until he strikes up a friendship with an unlikely savior who teaches him a new way of living.
4. 3 idiots
It’s a bollywood movie. The movie centers around the lives of three students in one of the most famous engineering colleges in the country (India). While two of them barely scrape by in their exams, the third one, Rancho, always tops the class in every subject. Those students who are constantly bogged down by the pressures of these colleges sometimes even take steps as drastic as suicide.
5. The S Word
A documentary on suicide attempt survivor is on a mission to find fellow survivors and documents their stories of courage, insight and humor. Along the way, she discovers a rising national movement transforming personal struggles into action.
I hope these help you understand how suicide is far more than a single word. Not only it impacts the individual but those around them.
You must be knowing that the more you repeat, the better it gets in your system and remember it for a long duration. Similarly, when you focus on the negative aspect or a thought for too long, you are rehearsing it into your system.
Studies have shown, that when you focus on the negatives for long, even when you are shown the positive aspects. You tend to feel low because you have focused on the negatives for too long.
For instance – when you get a job, you are likely to feel happy and return back to your normal state. But, if you get rejected, you are likely to feel low for a prolonged period of time and even if you happen to get a job after that rejection, the level of happiness is likely to be a little less.
Now what happens here…
Look at the two frames – the gain frame and the loss frame, using the example of a glass half full and half empty. The half full glass i.e. the gain frame is likely to make us feel happy and satisfied. While on the contrary, half empty glass i.e. loss frame is likely to make you feel gloomy and low.
Now what to do about it, rehearse on the good parts which would boost you and prevent you from drowning in the pool of miseries. What about a switch from thinking about it one way to thinking about it the other way?
It is pretty easy to tilt towards the negatives because it is so rehearsed in your system. For instance – if you get criticized by a co-worker, you will focus on it all your day and make your day clouded by those thoughts – Am I not god enough? He/she are the worst people… or the world sucks.
Try beginning that shift of you day to – what are the other things happened today? What are the things that made you feel grateful for? How can you make your evening better?
The matter is about shifting your rehearsal pattern. Focusing on the things beyond a negative pattern.
“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” –Aldous Huxley
OnPathToGrowth 