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Need to know
‘I’m exhausted.’ As a clinical psychologist who specialises in burnout and chronic stress, I hear these two words frequently. Many people around the world are under chronic stress these days, and burnout is rampant. Perhaps you are going through it yourself. If so, you might see elements of your experience in mine.
For me, burnout happened when I was working as a psychologist on a medical team, in a hospital setting. My workload was demanding, and I was having trouble keeping up – with patients, trainees and ceaseless administrative work. I had two young children at home, so my downtime was limited, and I always felt as if I was dropping too many balls, both at home and at work. Without realising it, I got to the point where I was emotionally drained and disengaged from my work – work that I normally love. I felt like I was going through the motions, instead of feeling my usual level of passion and enthusiasm. I started to get irritated by little things. I was utterly depleted. It took me a while to recognise what was going on and why I was feeling this way.'
[edited by moderator]