Do You Have Worry Burnout? Here's What You Can Do
There's been a 186 % increase in searches for "Signs of burnout" in Singapore. And it's not just about work!
With so many devastating events happening now in the world, it is normal to feel overwhelmed.
From dengue clusters to record inflation… it seems like most of the news we hear now is depressing. We all have to face problems in life, but the difference now is that all these worries come after we're already endured the pandemic. Those years of worry have already put our coping skills to the test.
Clinical Psychologist Vicki Knott explains, “When we face problems we need to draw on our internal emotional resources. But after the pandemic, many of us are already operating on reduced emotional resources. When people are already feeling stressed, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have to cope with yet another problem.”
Perhaps this is why there was a dramatic 186 per cent increase in searches for "Signs of burnout" in Singapore last year, demonstrating that workers juggling WFH and the new normal are feeling mentally drained and overwhelmed. The survey by Instant Offices also shows that searches for "What is burnout" went up 180 per cent and searches for "Burnout symptoms" went up by 53 per cent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called burnout a post-pandemic “occupational phenomenon” that causes exhaustion, feeling of negativity, and reduced efficiency. But you can feel burnout even if you do not work full time, or you are choosing to focus on your family responsibilities, right now. So what's going on?
If you are feeling tired or burnt out at the moment, you are definitely not alone. A feeling of overwhelming tiredness if often one of the first symptoms of stress, explains Vicki. She explains that there are different kinds of stress.
Acute stress happens when we experience a one-off stressful situation, while chronic stress is when the problem is long and ongoing.
She says, “Unfortunately, many of us are experiencing a cocktail of both of these stresses now, and that leads to a lot of feelings. For many people. The stress has gone on so long that It’s developed into a feeling of burnout - that’s a kind of learned helplessness. Burnout is when you have a sense that nothing you do matters anymore, so why bother trying.”
She points out that an event does not have to affect you personally to affect you emotionally. For example, you may not know anyone personally affected by the war in Ukraine, or the collapsing economy in Sri Lanka. But seeing their troubles on the TV can still strike a nerve in you.
“As humans, we can feel sympathy for other people in trouble. Their problems can even make us question the safety of our own lives, and our mortality,” explains Vicki.
So, all in all, you are not a failure if you feel burned out right now. “Remember that the feelings you are experiencing now are normal. It’s okay to acknowledge your feelings - even if you are feeling grief or confusion - these are normal human emotions,” says Vicki.
“If someone you know is struggling, the best way to help them is to start by validating their emotions. Yet all too often people jump in with recommendations of what they should do. But that can make people feel like they are not being listened to, and not being supported. It can feel like a criticism.”
Instead, try to listen, and ask if there is any practical support you can offer them to make things easier.