Is your mindset contributing to your burnout risk?

When we think about the causes of personal burnout, what usually comes to mind is toxic workplaces, excessive family demands, financial stress, responsibility overload and tough life challenges. And yes. Before I go on, I will say that all of these things can lead to mental and emotional burnout. But it is worth considering how our mindset may be a contributing factor to our own burnout risk.

We all know those people who seem to sail through life’s challenges and calmly come out the other end, dust themselves off and optimistically move on with their lives. It is this kind of resilience I used to envy… and still do, to a degree, as I am a work in progress when it comes to shifting my burnout mindset.

What is a burnout mindset? Well, as I see it, burnout mindset is composed of internal traits that make external challenges significantly more difficult to navigate… and move on from. As follows:

Perfectionism. When we are setting standards that we can barely live up to - let alone anyone around us - and constantly shifting the goal posts of success, the result is an ever-present feeling of being let down by ourselves and others.

People-pleasing. I have touched on this in a former post. Suffice it to say that you are not going to please all of the people all of the time. Not everyone you meet is going to like you. Desperately attempting to keep everyone happy is exhausting and that is exactly what you will end up being if you try.

Lack of boundaries. Boundaries are the ultimate form of self-care. Without appropriate boundaries  people, our workplaces, family and friends will take advantage of us… and for the most part, they will not even realise they are doing so. You can’t really blame others if you have made being the ‘yes’ person, the person who’ll always be there, step in or pick up the slack, part of your identity. But if you are feeling constantly drained by the demands of others, it’s probably time to consider your boundaries.

Overactive inner critic. If your internal voice is criticising your every move you don’t really need that toxic boss, overbearing parent or so-called ‘friend’ to be doing so. Problem is, if they do start bullying you, you’re more likely to believe what they are saying because your own ‘inner bully’ agrees. With an over-active inner critic you are effectively living in a state where you are constantly in fear of doing… and in fear of not doing because the biggest fear is that you will get it wrong. Anxiety-inducing… and, ironically, not the best headspace for making decisions.

An inability to move on. Life loads us up with enough stuff in the present. Dragging a motherload of trauma from every bad thing that has ever happened in your life will add an enormous weight on top of whatever it is you are navigating now. Learning to let go is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves.

So, there are my thoughts on the burnout mindset. I will be expanding on some of the above points in future posts, but our capacity to make positive changes in ourselves, and our lives, usually begins with awareness. Do a bit of honest reflection and ask yourself if any of the above traits are contributing to your stress levels and have a think about how you can change the narrative.

Clare

Xxx