In today’s world, burnout symptoms are not only normalized but often mistakenly praised. Clinically defined by emotional exhaustion, reduced productivity, and increased cynicism towards work (Maslach, 2021), burnout diminishes the joy in our work and seeps into our personal lives, affecting both our family dynamics and individual well-being. Seeking therapy for burnout can help individuals discern whether it’s the broken systems around them contributing to their burnout.
By gaining clarity on what aspects of our circumstances we can control and what lies beyond our influence, therapy enables us to mitigate the impact that burnout causes in subtle yet significant ways, ultimately enhancing our overall well-being.
One of the key distinctions between counseling and self-help approaches lies in the exploration of past experiences that shape our perceptions of ourselves and the world, as well as understanding how distress and emotions spill over into our professional lives. Through cognitive restructuring or the process of reframing our thoughts about work, therapy doesn’t necessarily reduce the number of demands on our plate, but it does alter the emotional toll each demand takes on us.
Burnout Treatment
One common barrier individuals facing burnout encounter when considering therapy is their existing emotional exhaustion. That’s why we begin with small, manageable changes, typically around 1-2% adjustments, which yield substantial increases in flourishing.
These changes go beyond mere “self-care,” which can often feel like just another item on our endless to-do lists, and instead focus on regulating our nervous systems to cultivate the grounded calm necessary for effectively managing stressors (Nagoski, 2020). Take one small action step for change by scheduling a free meet and greet session with Katherine Smith, our counselor who specializes in Burnout Prevention and Work-Related Stress through this link
Works Cited
- Maslach, C. (2021). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Christiana Maslach.
- Nagoski, A., & Nagoski, E. (2020). Burnout Challenge. Amelia Nagoski & Emily Nagoski.
