Why Burnout Isn’t Normal
New York City is filled with the most ambitious people and capable people from around the world, coming here to prove themselves in some of the most intense professional environments. You may work in a place that expects 80-hour weeks and sets demanding deadlines that require you to work evenings and weekends as a part of normal business. And these conditions might be normalized. A necessary part of your career trajectory. But they can have serious effects on your physical and mental health that may lead to feelings of burnout.
Burnout is a condition brought on primarily by external factors, usually related to workplace stress but personal commitments such as caregiving can also have an impact. It is characterized by feeling exhausted or depleted, feeling distanced and/or cynical about your job, and reduced professional performance. It is not the same as depression, although burnout conditions could lead to a depressive episode. While depression can be triggered by externalities its roots are more complex and may have biological, social and psychological factors whereas burnout is more directly attributed to environmental stressors. A vacation or redefining your work life balance will likely reduce burnout feelings, whereas for depression it might not help.
While certain industries and career trajectories normalize conditions that lead to burnout, it is not normal to subject our brains and bodies to this kind of pressure. And it’s understandable that in the face of this kind of stress our minds and bodies respond with exhaustion and distance. Burnout is our body’s way of challenging or rejecting this kind of intense pressure our environments put on us.
If you think you are experiencing burnout, or in an environment which may put you at a high risk of it, it’s worth asking yourself some questions. These may be:
Is the financial reward worth the pressure?
Does the future goal justify the here and now pain?
Am I doing this for myself, or to prove something for others?
Can I set better boundaries in my current environment?
If not, can I change the environment?
Some of these questions relate to wider psychological factors. Some folks work in high pressure environments and careers because they have an attachment to the status and rewards these careers provide. They may feel familial pressure to succeed. While burnout conditions are normalized for some, they should never be considered normal. If you’re sacrificing your health for your career, this situation should be challenged. If you’re struggling with feelings of burnout, talking to a therapist to explore how to cope and manage your situation may be beneficial.
