Is burnout an emotion?

I’m caught in a loop of shame, because I hate when something is obvious, and Yet I wont get it, or I’ll ask something I know the answer to. I’ll even know the answer in my head, but still say or act on the the wrong answer. Why?

I think it happens when I’m overwhelmed, too tired, stressed, etc.
It makes me question myself, and the truth is I get to a place where I can’t trust my own eyes, thought process, intelligence, and so on. I guess I have a condition that flares up, and I’m afraid people will see it and think (know) I am (or can be) an idiot.

I think I’m usually competent? But I’m not sure. I think about the times I’ve been ridiculed. I try not to take myself too seriously, but this feels like something deep I have a hard time controlling. I’m wound tight.

My ego is wounded perhaps. All I know is my stomach keeps burning about work. Perpetual fear of doing something wrong, stupid, or not measuring up.

I can believe how I became this vulnerable, as I did have a number of hurdles and scares, aside from my stress job.

I just can’t stop feeling bad about myself in my work capacity. I get so upset with myself when I’m not bright!

To answer your title question, I don't think burnout is an emotion. I think it's more a physical state that tends to put a damper on your mental and emotional capabilities. i.e. When you're burnt out, you can only feel a few, usually negative, emotions and your thinking tends to be mostly negative. So that's three different issues, physical, mental and emotional, that can easily spin out of control.

As I moved up in my career the feelings of self-doubt started to rise. That gave way to trying to combat that by working more and taking on more tasks, to prove myself. Worse, I stopped taking time off from work. That lead to months and months of 60-70 hour weeks. Any doctor will tell you that's not sustainable. I stopped getting adequate sleep and my body was not doing well, as I was eating more junk because I didn't feel I had the time for something better. So I was living a pretty terrible life of stress and self-doubt and I started being short with my dogs when we went on walks and just trying to get back home to work, rather than taking a few extra minutes for them and me to be outside and relaxing. I felt resentful when the company had a long weekend holiday, because all of my peers were taking theirs.

What stopped me finally was needing to go to the ER a couple of times because my heart was racing and I just knew I was going to have a heart attack. Fortunately, I didn't, but it was a good wake up call. My body was under tremendous stress, which is not good. My emotions were basically anger, worry and sadness. And my thinking was that I just wasn't good enough, which led to pretty significant impostor syndrome. So, I quit. I walked away. I choose me over work. It took 6 months before I stopped waking up in the middle of the night to check emails. But I'm much better now overall, though I still have some significant self-doubt.

I think the best thing, is that you recognize that things aren't quite right. The only advice I can offer is to pick one of those 3 components and really focus on it. I chose physical. Long walks with my pups, exercise and diet changes. But then do little things as you can to support the other 2. Disconnect from the world for a few hours a day. Walk, journal, meet with friends (when this is all over). Get some sleep Take a real vacation. Get back to your hobbies and interests. And learn more about ego and how it's holding you back.

I hope this helps. Good luck, you are totally not alone in this. It's was common before the pandemic and it's only getting worse. Choose you.

Sounds like me, though I think you never explicitly named 3 components, I'd say they are exercise, good food and free time.

Mind you, I mainly take care of the last at the moment. Maybe time to change that.

Yes. This is what’s happening it seems. Thank you sharing your experience. It does sound similar, although I do not have opportunity to work 60-70 hrs a week since overtime is not permitted. Instead I have 70 overdue tasks.

My thoughts are negative and I wince constantly thinking about what I didn’t get to yet, and what backlash I will endure. I fear people thinking I am incompetent. It can make me rigid, which feels gross.

For remedy- I am pretty good at emotional management, I guess, and I do give time to my true interests. Definitely I need to work on mental issues. I get so many feelings in my body that I assume means “emotional.” I guess it’s stress feelings and fear. I do need to swallow my pride and accept that I don’t always think clearly when stressed, especially when overloaded, and run down. Instead of beating myself up, I need to care for myself more.

I just hate when I don’t think clearly, and involve others. I don’t think it is okay to not think clearly, and need someone else to point out the obvious. It’s embarrassing. It’s my ego. I start to think the “work me” is not the real me, it’s not where I shine, and I’m just barely good enough.

I can find another job, and maybe this won’t be an issue. My ego wants me to stay and solve my issues and keep getting smarter and more competent.

I'm not sure if this can work for you, because I don't know your boss or work culture, but can you ask for help? And see if someone else could take a couple off your plate? When I was in the deepest depth of my burnout, I finally had a talk with my director and laid out all of the tasks that needed to be accomplished and how long they were going to take. That helped me because it got the weight of it all off my shoulders and we were able to get some of the tasks canceled or handed off to someone else. Your ego will HATE that, but you are in charge, not your ego.

Also, do you have a single list of all of your tasks? If you are keeping it all in your mind, then your mind starts to feel cramped, which can make it worse. I find a brain dump of everything on my plate helps a lot. Getting it all out of your head and into a list will help get you started. Then prioritize the tasks. Before leaving work each day, review the list to see if the priorities are the same and create a todo list for the next work day of 2-3 tasks. When you get to work, only focus on those, if you can. If you don't prioritize then everything seems to be important. As you get each task completed, cross it off and give yourself a mini reward. Maybe take a short walk or just get outside. Drink some water. Give yourself a small pat on the back for getting that task done. Go you. If you get done with those tasks early and you can, pick the next most important. If you don't get them all done, recognize that you're trying your best and then let go. I know your ego doesn't want you to, but leave work at work. You are not your work. If you over identify with your work self, eventually that's all you are.

Again, good luck. It's good that you recognize the problem.

Edit: Sorry that all sounds like trying to fix the issue rather than listen and sympathize. I do recognize a lot of me in what you've written.

So Sorry that you're struggling. i agree with the other wise and wonderful posters about burnout being more ovwerwhelmed with emotions and stuff. What about seeing a therapist to cope with it if you aren't already seeing it? So Sorry that things are being hard. Please try to focus on things one step at the time like the other wise and wonderful posters have suggested. Sending many Safe, warm hugs to BOTH you, @Cardooney, your Family, your Friends and ALL of your Loved Ones! Keep fighting and keep rocking NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, OK?!

your title question is burn out an emotion answer yes.

burnout is a special kind of physical and emotional exhaustion, usually the term is associated with professionals / long term careers persons. examples teachers, physicians, therapists, psychiatrists, nurses... people who have to take on helping others solve their mental and physical health problems while at the same time keeping their own issues bottled up or under wraps so that their own issues dont affect their clients.

its extremely draining physically and mentally on people in long term careers to have to set their own lives separate from their clients in order to treat their clients mental and physical health issues or teach or what ever the profession that requires one to hold their own lives separate from the client.

symptoms of burn out are similar but different at the same time as depression -
fatigue (physical and mental) / lack of energy,
moody, rage, anxiety,
sleep deprived,
job expectation stress and anxiety,
migraines/ headaches
ulcers/ stomach aches

and more

all these mental and physical health issues that a career person dealing with the public has to keep from their clients adds up and one day the career person calls in to work because just trying to get out of bed is physically and mentally close to impossible. they are just drained of all their energy, and will to go out there and help others that they are ready to throw in the towel.

if the burnout isnt treated it can lead to major health problems like stroke, diabetes, alcohol, drugs and suicide.

most professions understand about burn out and require the career person to have their own mental and physical health treatment providers.

example mental health therapists in the USA are usually required to have their own mental health treatment providers and attend to their own therapy and physical health treatment plans, and the first few years to be under close supervision of a job supervisor and the state board to ensure the treatment provider has a support network they can depend upon to help guide them with their job, job stress and so forth.

If you feel you are going through "burnout" please contact your treatment providers, they can help you get into specialized treatment plans for this very special kind of problem.

Thanks! There is no one to take tasks off my plate unfortunately. I’ve been taking on someone else’s tasks. I do have a list of tasks to work from, ever growing. I did try to go easier on myself today somehow..not sure how, but I guess I just tried to remember not to be so afraid and hard on myself.

Thanks mickeycheeky. I will keep fighting and rocking it

Thank you. Definitely a big part of my burn out is due to client’s problems that I deal with. I hear so many people cry in emotional pain, constantly it feels, or hear their fits of anger and disappointment. situations that trigger me. I had several difficult conversations in a row at work when I started this post, and then several strange frightening situations going from work to my car in the same week (run ins with addicts, and people in crisis). I hid from one guy, another guy ran after me. 4 run ins total just in the one minute it takes to walk to my car.

At work, I had an extended conversation with someone in what seemed like psychosis, or bi polar type meltdown and then a few days later they critically injured themselves, I found out. I’m not trained for that type of thing, it’s not the direct nature of my job. my husband has bipolar, and went through scary times not so long ago..so yeah very triggering. I literally shook hearing that the person was injured, and I had to sit on my husband’s lap like a baby during lunch that day, while he gave me a hug.

There’s just a lot. I am empathetic, so it’s not easy for me. I blame myself a lot, so the way I am, and the way things are, cause me to feel badly a lot.

I really do need a therapist. I also don’t understand what my big deal is though. I feel like I’m perceiving a problem that isn’t there? I don’t know what that means.

Regarding "perceiving a problem that isnt there", may I suggest going back to your training manuals, training notes or talk with your supervisor. they will be able to help you lighten your caseload so that you dont have clients chasing you down in parking lots and such. its pretty standard for parking areas to have motion detecting cameras. so your supervisor can also use the camera footage and report the dangerous situaitons you posted so that they can get security footage from other companies around where what you posted happened.

your supervisors can also up the security in general so that others dont have to go through what you posted.

my suggestion contact your supervisor and your treatment providers, they can help you with all that needs to be done to ensure your safety and mental wellbeing while treating those addicts and people in crisis that you posted above about.

Oh wow. No wonder you are struggling with these situations. They are difficult situations even for trained people but without training it's ridiculous imo to put you in this situation and expect you to cope.

Have you been in this job long? Is it one you want to stay in?

Thank you.

The people I’m encountering while walking to my car aren’t clients; they’re just people who are walking in the same area. I think it’s because there is a bus stop right there, so there are people going from the bus to the underpasses to do drugs, etc. it doesn’t happen often that I have issues with anyone, but for some reason I had four encounters in one week! It was out of the norm luckily!

If a client is unruly, which isn’t often, I do report it to the boss, especially since I note everyone interaction with clients to the file. My boss gets bothered by more people on the street than I do! They don’t like the way he walks or something, he says.

Thank you. I’ve been there almost 4 yrs. I would rather have a different job for sure, but I’m thankful to be employed and I do keep learning new skills.
I don’t know many people who love their job, so I guess I see this as the way things are for everyone. But maybe that attitude holds me back, even while that attitude keeps me going.

Honestly I’m not expected to cope with anything. We do have problem clients, but everyone in the office would have to deal with them. Sometimes I think we should not work with a client, yet the boss keeps them; but more often, they fire clients quicker than I’d think to.

I wonder if I’m perceiving a problem that doesn’t exist, and I’m just feeling what’s natural, considering. I need to take better care of myself, and I realize what that means is I need to “talk” nicely to myself and not hate myself for being behind, overwhelmed, slow, unsure about some things, or making mistakes. I have a hard time making mistakes because “I should know better, slow down, pay better attention, etc. I shouldn’t let the stress affect my performance.” My self discipline might be useful, but it doesn’t solve everything.

I guess an issue is that I am determined and don’t give up, but sometimes I notice I apply that to things when it doesn’t make sense to. So I’m trying not to do that, I hope.

I just always believe things will get better, or I will.

I think I figured one thing out just now...I hate annoying people and I feel very bad about myself when I annoy people.

Hmmm.

I am still burned out though, whatever the reason, And I’m trying to take that seriously.

Hi cardooney.
Like some others here, I also suffer from some of the same self-degrading thoughts as you. Had them most of my life, and a feeling of ineptitude was always prevalent. It took my life exploding and the help of a therapist to become aware of what I was doing, to myself.
It sounds cliché, but loving yourself is the backbone to eradicating these self-sabotaging thoughts (that can lead to actions).
Loving myself is hard, for reasons long gone and through memories faded..but bit by bit I am discovering the real person that isn’t crippled by doubt and fear, and I am slowly falling in love with him.
In my experience, you can find love when you make yourself proud, mostly when you are proud of doing something you enjoy, like to do. I realized my work does not fulfill me, it isn’t a very big source of pride, but many other things closer to my heart are, and there I find myself more and more these days.
It’s by no means a smooth road, full of setbacks, reversions and newly discovered hurdles, but once you decide to set out on it you just keep walking.

I’ve read some of your poetry, it beautiful, and did not come from the mind of an idiot.
I end up talking about myself a lot but I do it in the hopes that it may strike a chord, that and I cannot speak for anyone else.
A reason I put up with my self-sabotage for so long is that I was terrified of the alternative. Success, recognition, attention, or in cases where there was disagreement, I feared confrontation. I found myself agreeing to things that went against the warnings from my body and the lamentations of my mind.
Ugh, I hated myself for being that way, for so many years..there is still residual disdain held there but also sympathy and a growing compassion.
I really didn’t know any better and life is linear, regrets are foolish.

My advice, and as others advised already, find a nice therapist and start walking.

Cardooney, I read some of your other posts and, as I’m sure you are aware, you have a lot on your emotional “plate”. Dealing with many issues on many fronts, it sounds exhausting.
I see why you feel burnt out. Hang in there!

Thanks ReptileInYourHead. I’m happy you read my poems and responded to this topic. I’m grateful for your spark, commiseration, and encouragement. I hope you keep walking forward without regret holding you back. I hope you continue to revel in the love of what you enjoy and what gives you pride.

I have a love/hate with myself, which is better than the hate/hate I had in decades past. I can rationally say I’m happy with myself and such, but my feelings don’t align often enough. It’s true I’ve had so much on my plate and have experienced many big blows. I know it impacts me.

I want to feel good. But I just know it’s on the other side of a cry or a scream. I suppress my emotions and it’s doesn’t always help me.