Supporting Men Feeling Burnout
Burnout is not just being tired, it is more prolonged and also more serious. It is deep fatigue, loss of motivation, rising cynicism, and a sense that effort no longer means results.
Burnout makes people quit their jobs, ditch their relationship, avoid their hobbies or even hide from the world altogether.
For some people, burnout has a clear cause, like work pressure or constant demands from a relationship.
When you have burnout you can’t just ‘sleep it off’. Often you need to negotiate some large scale changes to your life. Therapy is all about negotiating changes, which is why it’s a good place to start when we are suffering from burnout.
Burnout also frequently overlaps with anxiety, low mood, and sleep problems, so part of our work in therapy is to separate the different threads and treat the right thing first.
Whatever the cause, burnout is a signal from your mind and body that you’ve been pushing too hard for too long.
Finding relief
Work, study, relationships, and responsibilities don’t just stop, even when we are running out of steam.
When we are recovering from burnout, what’s needed is a shift in perspective. Using techniques like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we can better judge our opportunities, our obligations, and the deeper nature of our commitments. Some things will still be indispensable, but some things are just easier to live without.
One important technique from ACT which helps with letting go is the practice of diffusion, in which we manipulate mental imagery in order to slowly lessen our connection to a painful memory or emotion.
If you’d like something you can work on right away, use this for quick at-home exercises that can help you start to feel more like yourself. If you would like to work on these issues with me directly, get in touch for a free 10-minute chat about starting therapy.
Ready to talk?
I offer counselling appointments in Penrith, or tele-health Australia-wide. After hour appointments available. No GP referral required.
The first step is to book a free 10 minute phone chat. ​​