Dealing With Burnout
what is a burnout?New York psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger, PhD., coined the term, referring to a state of fatigue or frustration caused by devotion to a cause, a lifestyle or an undertaking that did not reap the expected results.
What is key is not what defines a burnout, but rather who is more prone to burning out, what its causes are, how one can recognize it instead of denying it, and finally, how one can put out the fire and get his life back on track.
are you prone?The same way we have Type A and Type B personalities, I believe that people can also be characterized as "pyros" and "aquas." Aqua people (no real relationship to water signs in astrology) tend to be very laid-back, are content with the basics of life, and do not seek to push the envelope. Life can pass them by and they will not care, so long as their life is happy and joyous. The definition of happiness is subjective.
Pyros, on the other hand, are driven beyond the speed of light. They are not necessarily unhappy with their surroundings. Au contraire — it is because they seek a perpetually increasing level of happiness that they push the envelope. While they call time-out often (and some would suggest that their life is an endless recess), many see them as burning the proverbial candle at both ends.
These two categories are by no means scientific, they are meant to provide a framework or checklist for young professionals going forward in their careers, and lives. It is not a coincidence that many rock stars have burned out because of their reliance and abuse of drugs. While many so-called experts would like to extend this argument by saying that one category of young professionals is more prone to rely on drugs than another, for example, that is, in my humble opinion, false. I believe that both categories are just as likely to do drugs, but while one might do so for pure pleasure, the other may look to drug use for both pleasure and escapism.
rub two stones togetherWhen it comes to why people burn out, the reasons are as endless and varied as the stars in the sky. After all, some people burn out because they work too long and too hard. All work and no play spells burnout, and no amount of "special Rolaids" will help the case. If anything, not understanding the real causes of burning out and instead relying on substances will only exasperate the problem, like it has done for many executives, entertainers and athletes that I will not name.
But what I will list are some of the reasons behind burnout:
Get a grip before you go up in smoke...