A Refreshing Take on Burnout and Fatigue: A Christian Perspective
If you’re human, you have probably felt exhausted before. You have probably had a moment, day, or season when you’ve felt there is way too much on your plate, and you cannot carry it any longer. Maybe you ended up skipping plans you originally looked forward to, called out from work, or missed a night or two of quality sleep. You were probably experiencing burnout, which is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive, prolonged stress. It happens when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.
You may find it comforting to hear that experiencing burnout is very common. You are not the only one feeling at your wit’s end without any rest. Many individuals experience burnout when their job becomes too overwhelming, while others experience compassion fatigue when some aspect of caregiving becomes too overwhelming.
Signs of Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
The signs are similar in both burnout and compassion fatigue. While neither is a mental illness, they are serious experiences and may show up in several warning signs:
Disconnection from tasks at work, school, or home
Mental fog surrounding tasks
Loss of sleep
Decrease in energy related to work, school, or home activities
Emotional numbness
Headaches, stomachaches, digestive problems, etc.
Difficulty concentrating
We are currently living in one of the most hardworking, fast-paced times in history. Young adults are enrolled in college while also working one or more part-time jobs. COVID-19 has forced many Americans to become caregivers to at-risk family members while also working to maintain an income in the midst of quarantines and lockdowns. Medical professionals are working harder than ever to meet the needs of millions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, often working 12+ hour shifts.
Whatever circumstance you find yourself in, it is easy to believe that you must keep going in order to survive the season in which you are experiencing burnout. You might be thinking “If I stop even for just a day, things will get too piled up” or “I can’t afford to take a break.” However, these thoughts are certainly not the antidote to burnout.
Humans are Not Invincible. We’re Created with Limits.
You may have experienced firsthand what happens when you try to ignore your body or your mind telling you to take a break. The work you do becomes exhausting, and your body, mind, and spirit feel exhausted too. Failure to acknowledge this over time would be detrimental to your overall health.
A Christian Perspective on Burnout and Rest
May I submit to you that you do not have unlimited energy, time, and resources to give to your job, school, or home activities. A Christian perspective acknowledges that we were made to work and commanded to rest. According to the Bible, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:2-3).
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Find comfort in this, knowing that:
God himself shows us how to rest in Genesis on the 7th day, after creating the heavens and filling the earth.
We were created with needs that only our Creator could fill.
It is normal to try to take on more than we can handle.
Finding true and satisfying rest is refreshingly simple.
Practical Ways to Combat Burnout
In addition to taking time to meditate on Scripture that helps us understand rest, here are some ways you can practice combating burnout and fatigue in your daily life.
1.Identify boundaries.
Give a set amount of time in your weekly calendar to practice self-care in a way that fits for you. If possible, turn off work-related phone and email notifications when you are not at work.
2. Practice journaling.
Use prompts or write freely about your experiences. Ask yourself intentional questions about your work, what gives you joy, and where you would like to see improvement.
3. Talk to a Counselor.
Mental Health Counselors have a wide array of resources and would love to partner with you in identifying goals you have related to burnout. Sharing your experiences with a new set of ears can be incredibly insightful and offer some perspective you may not have considered before.
4. Get comfortable with the idea of resting.
Sometimes it is hard to slow down and “do nothing” out of fear that we are wasting our time. If the idea of rest is challenging for you, just remember that the work that happens while you rest is vital to your health and overall functioning. Resting is actually extremely productive in that it is a necessary practice in charging up your battery that powers you through the important work you do in school/your job/at home. Rest plays an important role in keeping you going through challenging seasons, and should be kept as a sacred practice in your everyday life.
Be encouraged going forward, knowing that you are not alone and that there is much you can do to actively address feelings of burnout and compassion fatigue. Consider the steps you are willing to take to address burnout in your life. Which of the strategies listed above are you willing to take?
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Interested in Faith-Based Counseling for Anxiety, Fatigue, Burnout, Stress, and Worry?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Faith-based counseling for anxiety, fatigue, burnout, stress, and worry aren’t the only services offered at our Maryland office
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Written By: Mickayla Waldhauser, LGPC
Photos: Sora Shimazaki, Karolina Grabowska, Claire Morgan, and cottonbro on Pexels
Date of Download: 1/18/2021
