We all deal with varying levels of stress in our daily lives, but at what point does that stress turn into burnout?
With Stress Awareness Month (April) approaching, we spoke to experts to better understand what burnout really means and the five key ways it can affect the brain.
They also shared some useful tips on how to break free from what can often feel like an inescapable cycle of burnout.
What is burnout?
“Burnout is a syndrome, so is a collection of symptoms, and WHO (World Health Organisation) defines it as an occupational phenomenon,” says Dr Elisabetta Burchi, psychiatrist and head of research at Parasym. “If you think about burnout in the workplace, you think about somebody that feels emotionally drained, detached from their own duties and a perception of reduced efficacy in the workplace.”
She explains that, in terms of symptomatology, it resembles what is described as a ‘chronic stress condition’.
“When we get a request from our boss we might experience a physiological fight-or-flight response, which is the acute stress response that helps make us more capable of adapting to the environment,” says Burchi. “However, when this is repeated over and over again, what happens is that it goes from being an effective, useful response to something that is detrimental to our health and other areas of life.”
Dr Matt Rowett, neuropsychiatrist and regional medical director for neuropsychiatry in the north at Cygnet, agrees and adds: “Chronically high levels of cortisol can weaken the immune system and make people become more prone to infections, flu and colds. In the worst-case scenario, chronic stress can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.”
Here are five key ways burnout can affect the brain…
1. Impacts cognitive function
“When we are overwhelmed with stress, our thoughts might appear slowed and we might previously have been able to juggle a few things, but now we can’t. For example, deadlines and the quality of the work might start to slide,” says Rowett.
Burchi agrees and adds: “Burnout can impact our cognitive function by making us less capable of focusing or decision making. The concept of ‘brain fog’ can summarise broadly what you can expect.
“In addition, there is also a detachment aspect, where you feel less present.”
2. Impacts memory
“Chronic stress can affect our autobiographical episodic memory, which is the ability to remember events from our own life,” highlights Rowett.
“For example, you might still be able to remember facts and figures but can’t remember what you did for your birthday last year because burnout affects the medial hippocampus, which plays an important role in our memory.”
3. Impacts emotional regulation
“Chronic stress and elevated cortisol affect our frontal lobes, which are partly responsible for our emotional regulation, drive and motivation,” explains Rowett.
“For example, someone who was previously very levelheaded might become uncharacteristically irritable, more emotional, and they might snap at their colleague or partner.”
4. Impacts mental health
“Burnout can have catastrophic consequences for your mental health because if it’s unrecognised by the individual and by the people around them, they can get into this vicious cycle of perceiving that they are failing at the things that are important to them and might start to become depressed,” says Rowett.
“Someone might start experiencing very negative thoughts about themselves and get into a cycle of looking for the evidence to confirm all of the things that they are worried about.”
He highlights how a lot of the symptoms of depression overlap with burnout.
“You lose enjoyment, are not able to sleep as well, lose your appetite, become more irritable and that can have a negative impact on your relationships,” says Rowett. “If this remains unrecognised and isn’t intervened with treatment, in some extremes people can start to experience suicidal thoughts.”
5. Impacts sleep
The brain requires restorative sleep to recover from emotional and cognitive exhaustion, but burnout creates a negative cycle where exhaustion disrupts sleep, which in turn deepens the burnout.
“Sleep is essential for processing our memories and our experiences, it’s when our body repairs itself, but stress can affect people’s ability to get to sleep,” says Rowett.
“If we don’t rest and get that sleep, then we’re very poorly prepared to deal with the stressors we’re facing. So, you can end up in this reinforcing cycle where you were struggling to sleep, which makes you tired and affects your concentration, which means you’re not performing as well as you are used to. This can make you even more stressed, which can then led to even more poor-quality sleep.”
Here some expert strategies for overcoming burnout and getting out of this vicious cycle…
Being aware
“Being aware of burnout is a good first step because often people have all these symptoms but don’t recognise that they have this syndrome and need help,” says Burchi. “The sooner you are proactive and act, the better your recovery will be.”
Build self-care into your routine
“Self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” says Rowett. “You have to fight for it because your employers want you there to do a job, so won’t necessarily think about your welfare.
“Self-care looks different to every single individual and doesn’t have to be a big, dramatic things like a spa weekend. It can just be little everyday things that are built into your routine, such as reading a book or going for a run.”
Prioritise sleep
“Part of that self-care should also be to make sure that you’ve got a good sleep routine,” recommends Rowett. “Do something relaxing, like running a bath, so your body is prepared for sleep.”
Do a mindful activity
“Doing a mindful activity which consumes your thinking and helps you escape reality for a bit can be helpful,” says Rowett. “This could be meditation, yoga, watching a film, listening to music or engaging in crafts.”
Consider counselling
“Counselling provides a space to be able to reflect on things with a safe person,” says Rowett. “You might not be able to tell your employer or partner that you are struggling, but you can say whatever you’d like to your counsellor.
“If you are experiencing really negative, distorted thoughts, rather than keeping it in your head, you could open up to a counsellor who can reflect a more accurate view back to us, or present theories to consider.”
