Is Burnout Real?
If a friend, or maybe an employee, has recently come to you complaining about a condition known as burnout, you may be wondering if this is a real condition or not. The answer is that burnout is real! And it certainly isn’t as easy to solve as some doubters of the condition may lead you to believe.
Burnout Is Not Just “Stress”
People who argue that burnout isn't real will try to explain the feelings associated with burnout as just simple stress. This couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, chronic stress is a condition related to burnout. But while stress can go away on its own, burnout is a very complicated condition that won’t just “go away” one day. Rather it will likely take action, and a lifestyle change, to fully remedy it, and you can't fix it by just taking a day off. Rather it will need a broader approach to address the systematic problems which are causing it.
Burnout Doesn’t Just Happen One Day
Another thing the skeptics will have you believe is that burnout just happens one day. But this isn't true at all. Burnout isn't something you just wake up with one day. Rather, it is something that occurs over a long period. Burnout formulates over years of having too heavy of a workload, too much stress, and little or no reward.
Burnout Causes Real Damage
Another thing about burnout that makes it a real condition is that it has the power to do some serious damage to the body if it is left untreated. Not only can it lead to mental issues such as depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, but it can also lead to physical issues. While they can start as something simple such as headaches, these physical issues can quickly escalate to cause lasting damage to the body's digestive system, nervous system, and even the heart.
There are many skeptics out there who doubt that the condition of burnout is real. This is probably only because they haven't experienced it for themselves and can't imagine the difficulty of a condition like burnout. Burnout is real. It isn't stress, it doesn't happen overnight, and it does cause real damage. This is why it is important to ensure you take all the steps you can to avoid burnout.