What Is Burnout, Anyway?: Identifying and Combating Burnout
The best way to define burnout, in my clinical opinion, is to describe it like a candle. When a candle is lit, it slowly burns. It illuminates light and beauty. However the wax of a candle eventually melts and gets to a point where it can no longer be lit.
We as humans illuminate like candles. We exhibit light and beauty to those who are in our personal lives, workspaces, and communities. We love, we care, and we shine brightly. However, we lose our energy and, like a candle, we can lose our ability to be brightly lit. When we get to the point that we can no longer give, we burn out, just like a candle does.
With this image in mind, it is important to name that each of our journeys is different and the relationship we have between the energy we give and gain varies. Learning and knowing what our limits are is essential so we do not get to a point where we have nothing else left to give. How do we work through this? Well, here are few questions to consider:
How much do you hold?
Are there responsibilities and relationships you need to give to?
Can things be re-prioritized?
What would it feel like to take something off your plate? Can something be taken off of your plate?
These were all very difficult questions that I personally have had to grapple with and have learned that I do not need to be the jack of all trades, I just need to be a master of some. In other words, it is important to identify the relationships and other aspects of life that are salient and/or bring the most joy. Focusing on these “trades” means we can give more quality and preserve our candles so we can continue to shine brightly.
Do our candles need to be lit ALL of the time? No! It is actually important to have time to not be burning so that we as individuals can truly rest and rejuvenate. Resting, just like blowing out a candle preserves the wax, preserves us!
