Am I Burnt Out or Lazy?
Am I Burnt Out or Lazy?
In a society that glorifies hustling, going hard and constant productivity, it makes sense that you may be wondering if your energy levels are lower because you are burnt out or lazy. The truth is, capitalism and white supremacy culture often makes us feel shame or guilt for wanting or needing to rest, take things slowly or do less. The label of “lazy” is often seen as negative or that there is something wrong with you for lacking motivation or effort. I’m here to tell you that instead of trying to figure out if you’re lazy or not, it may be more helpful to offer yourself compassion and get curious about your energy levels without the negative judgment.
Burnout is completely different from laziness and can absolutely be the culprit to your low energy levels. Burnout is the result of chronic stress, excessive workload, insufficient resources or support and lack of control. Burnout is often a result of work related pressures, but can also be due to personal demands. Burnout can have long lasting negative effects on your mental and physical health. Let's explore burnout deeper:
Signs of Burnout
Burnout manifests as a variety of physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms. These symptoms include:
Persistent fatigue
Feeling drained and depleted
Decreased performance
Difficulty concentrating and increase in procrastination
Emotional detachment or cynicism
Increase in irritability and frustration
Feelings of inadequacy, sadeness and helplessness
Sleep issues, headaches, muscle tension
Loss of passion, enthusiasm or motivation
All of these symptoms can be exasperated in Black women and women of color in the workplace due to racism, sexism, micro-aggressions and unrealistically high work performance expectations.
If you resonate with any of these symptoms, just know that you are not alone! It’s hard out here trying to survive under capitalism. Give yourself some grace and compassion.
Cultivating Self Compassion and Rest
Because burnout is a chronic condition, it takes long term work to heal from. Sometimes it takes changing your circumstances or environment as well. In order to do that longer term work, cultivating a foundation of self compassion and rest are key. Self compassion is a powerful tool to combat self critical thoughts that come with being burnt out. Instead of giving yourself harsh criticism, embrace the idea that you deserve rest, recovery and pause to recharge. Prioritize self care without guilt. Offer yourself compassion by asking yourself “what would I do for a friend who is struggling with burn out?” and give yourself that same kindness. Take time off from work or your obligations (if that’s accessible for you) and do activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. By acknowledging your exhaustion and taking steps to offer yourself care, you’re actively participating in your healing.
Ask for Help
Navigating burnout can be challenging to do on your own. And we are not meant to navigate life’s challenges on our own. This may be a great time to lean on your support system. That may look like talking to loved ones about your struggles, asking for help or delegating tasks to others with more capacity. Accessing support can also include joining support groups or seeking therapy. If you’re looking to work on your experiences of burnout with a therapist I invite you to book your consultation with me today.
