Saturday, November 08, 2008
Burn(out) Baby Burn(out)
Still too lazy to go back to school. Still want to enjoy the monotony of a presure-less existence. Still want to procrastinate. Still want to sleep for eleven hours at a time. Still want to go out and drink without worrying what time to wake up the next day. Still ant to enjoy eLBi as a hangout and not as a campus (cue: Take Me Back to Elbi).
Ewan. Burnout.
Whee.
(taken from Inquirer.net)
Trying to beat the school burnout
By Angela V. Ignacio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Last updated 19:14:00 11/07/2008
NOT too long ago, I was taking an exam when I suddenly found myself staring blankly at the wall. I could hear frantic, frustrated scribbling around me, but I remained motionless, pen poised in the air.
When the proctor chirped, "Five minutes," I was the only one who didn't scream, groan or yell barely disguised expletives. I tried to focus on my exam, but all I could think of was, "Ayoko na."
I calmly handed in my nearly spotless answer sheet and went straight home, not caring that I'd just skipped the rest of my afternoon classes. Classmates kept calling, my family was getting worried, but I just shrugged off their concerned inquiries.
And so I sat in my bed, staring at nothing and caring about nothing, until I finally fell into a deep but troubled sleep.
This wasn't the first time it happened, and a tiny part of me knew something was wrong. Stressed? Definitely. Depressed? Not really, or at least, I didn't think I was. Then it hit me.
"Holy crap, I think I'm burned out."
What it is
Some people have equated it with "being jaded" or "being fed up with the world," but there's so much more to burnout than that. In 1972, American psychoanalyst Dr. Herbert J. Freudenberger coined the term to refer to a subtle, gradual process of becoming physically, mentally and emotionally fatigued in response to prolonged stress.
Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your strength, making you feel increasingly powerless, cynical and resentful. When you're burned out, it's like you're a walking herald of gloom and doom--problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it's difficult to muster the energy to care about anything or anyone.
The unhappiness burnout causes eventually affects your academic performance, your relationships, and ultimately, your health.
Burnout can happen to virtually anyone whose job or course demands so much from them, or those who have been shouldering too much responsibility since they were young.
Those in the medical profession are particularly notorious for getting sucked into this "black hole" syndrome. An article from the American Medical Association website cites that in the US, an estimated 400 physicians commit suicide each year. Also, a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal found that 50% of approximately 2,200 medical students from seven medical schools reported burnout, while 11% said they considered suicide in the past year.
Stress vs. burnout
Contrary to popular belief, burnout isn't the same as stress, although the latter is a major cause of the former.
Stressed-out people tend to be frantic, hyperactive and highly irritable, but still get the job done.
On the other hand, those experiencing burnout feel empty, hopeless and emotionally detached. They usually think, "I'll just do a botched job anyway, so what's the point?" and abandon their work altogether, not caring about the consequences of their (in)action.
The main difference between stress and burnout is the fact that indifference and reduced personal competency are what mark burnout. While stress turns people into water balloons ready to burst at the slightest prick, burnout turns them into prunes, all shriveled up and devoid of motivation.
Four stages
In his popular website, Mark "The Stress Doc" Gorkin lists four stages of burnout:
1. Physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.
After such a hellish semester, you'd think that a few weeks of R&R would be enough to recharge your body batteries for the next term. But how come you still feel so drained and worn out despite the sembreak?
Burnout can occur when you feel so overwhelmed by your workload that you lose your self-confidence and start making more mistakes. You put in more and more effort, but with less and less favorable results. That's why you feel completely exhausted inside and out, even though there's nothing stressing you out at the moment.
2. Shame and doubt.
Once you start losing faith in your own abilities, it's all downhill from there. Never mind that you were the class valedictorian, or the editor-in-chief of your high school paper. You're not feeling confident about the future, and you're feeling pretty lousy in the present, so it comes as no surprise that you start thinking that your past accomplishments don't matter.
3. Cynicism and callousness.
What do snails and turtles do whenever they feel threatened or vulnerable? They hide behind their hard shells, just like burned-out people do. Because you've begun doubting yourself and other people, you put up some heavy defenses to protect yourself. You become cynical, bitter and indifferent, thinking that as long as you're pushing everyone away, no one will notice what a failure you really are. This is when your relationships crumble and your social life goes completely kaput.
4. Failure, helplessness and crisis.
The old saying "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" couldn't be more appropriate. You know you can't quit school, but if you don't, you'll become worse. Either way, you lose. You start thinking, "I've become like this and there's nothing I can do about it." As you sink into hopelessness, your grades and social life go down the drain as well. Before you know it, you've turned into your own worst nightmare.
Climbing back up
One doesn't necessarily pass through all four stages, but more often than not, they all eventually hit rock bottom. It takes a while to recognize burnout, and sometimes, an even longer time to recover from it. It took me a few months, maybe even years, to realize just exactly what I've been suffering from, and I'm downright appalled by how unproductive and uninspired I had become. But now that I know what I'm up against, I can now look for ways to climb out of this hole that I've unknowingly dug myself in. After all, when you've reached the very bottom, there's nowhere else to go but up.
E-mail the author at avignacio@gmail.com.
Burnout-busting tips
Burnout isn't something that happens overnight. Because stress plays a big part in its development, you might want to watch out for the things that subject your mind, body and soul to too much pressure. The earlier you recognize the signs and symptoms and address them, the better chances you have in preventing yourself from going into that downward spiral.
Effective burnout-busting strategies include taking care of yourself emotionally and physically, asking for help when you need it, and staying connected to other people.
Stop, look, listen. While you're usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don't always notice burnout when it happens. Hopelessness, cynicism, detachment from others and other symptoms of burnout can take months to surface. If people close to you start pointing out changes in your attitude or behavior that are typical of burnout, you might want to listen to them.
Rekindle the fire. Pessimism prevents you from drawing motivation from the things or people that would normally inspire you. It's good to have something on hand to remind you of the reasons you're still doing what you're doing. On your notebook, stick a picture of the new laptop model your dad promised you for Christmas if you get high grades. Or, place a foreign language book beside your bed so you can dream of the trip to Japan that your mom plans to give you as a graduation gift.
Repeat the words "I can do this" over and over until your nose bleeds if you have to—turn your stress into something positive and use it to rekindle your burned-out spirit.
Take a break. If you find yourself spacing out in the middle of doing homework, get up and find something to amuse yourself with. Have a snack, watch TV, or annoy your little brother while he's playing Warcraft. Distraction may not be the best option for some people, especially when they're neck-deep in workload, but it can help clear your mind so you can better focus on the task at hand. Just don't dawdle too long, or else it'll come off as procrastination.
Change course. If, after months or even years of fighting the good fight and still you feel like you're on the losing end, maybe this is just not your battle to win. You know it's time to give up on your dreams when every waking moment is turning into a nightmare. If you don't like the person you're becoming, choose another career path that you feel will make you happier and more relaxed.
Stay connected. Burnout tends to make apathetic loners out of people. The key to overcoming this emotional void is to surround yourself with the people you love and who love you back, instead of pushing them away. Nurturing your relationships with your family and friends can alleviate the feelings of under-appreciation and boost your self-confidence. Make new friends, go out on dates, meet new people—make sure your social network stays up and running.
Seek help. If you think you can't deal with this anymore, it's time to ask for advice. Talking to your guidance counselor, parent or trusted friend can work wonders; don't keep everything bottled up inside, even if you don't feel like sharing. Also, don't be afraid to consult a psychiatrist. Chances are, they'll know how you can deal with your problem effectively, with or without medication.
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