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The relationship between pessimism and burnout is like the classic “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” question.
Paradoxically, pessimism is one of the signs of burnout. Yet it’s also one of the conditions that, left unaddressed, can lead to burnout.
At first, pessimism may present itself as negative self-talk. Your normal perspective of seeing the proverbial glass as half-full may wane to a persistent glass half-empty attitude.
And at its worst, pessimism can move beyond how you feel about yourself and extend to trust issues with coworkers and family members, along with a feeling that you can’t count on anyone.
Pessimism, along with its close counterpart cynicism, is an early warning sign of burnout. You simply can’t feel positive about what you’re doing when you’re overwhelmed by everything coming at you in your life — and it’s easy then to misdirect your feelings of anger and disappointment about this toward, well, pretty much everyone.
Though you may normally feel enthusiastic about tackling new projects and taking on new hobbies, when pessimism takes over you’re unlikely to seek out new experiences because you believe there’s no point. You’re sure there isn’t any joy or interest to be found. And that belief sets up a vicious circle that mires you deeper in pessimism.
And pessimism isn’t just a mental state. It also produces stress hormones, so your physical health takes a hit too. Chronic activation of your stress-response system along with the overexposure to stress hormones can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including: anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, and heart disease.
Which came first, burnout or pessimism? Truthfully, when you’re in the throes of burnout-related pessimism, you probably don’t care which came first. You just want it to be better.
So let’s take a look at the six ways you can overcome pessimism and start to regain your cheerful outlook on life.
#1 Stop negative talk. Start positive talk.
Speaking negatively about others or yourself will rob you of your optimism faster than ice melting in the desert. Stop the negative talk. Start positive talk. A tool that can be used to reprogram negative self-talk is affirmations.
Affirmations are statements you repeat in order to affect your subconscious and conscious minds, and they power up your positivity. How do they work? The subconscious mind is 90% of your total Mind and therefore has the greatest influence over whatever it is you wish to create. By repeating affirmations out loud, daily, they influence your subconscious mind and help replace limiting beliefs with more empowering beliefs.
#2 Cultivate an “attitude of gratitude”
Sit with a notebook and a pen, and take time to write down all the things in your life you’re grateful for. No matter how small it may seem, it’s important to acknowledge what’s good in your life. Perhaps it’s appreciation for the comfortable bed you slept in last night. Or the scent of rain-soaked flowers that wafts in through your windows. When you look for things to appreciate, you’ll find them everywhere. This will increase your optimism and positive self-talk.
#3 Focus on the possibilities, not the impossibilities
You become pessimistic when you focus on what isn’t possible. All you see are huge obstacles in your way. You feel overwhelmed by problems, and can no longer see yourself as capable.
Instead, focus your mind on the possibilities. Envision yourself overcoming even just one difficulty. Mentally walk yourself through the challenge, seeing yourself as capable and successful.
#4 Read inspiring stories
Remember how inspired you felt when you learned the stories of some of our most cherished heroes who persisted and achieved their dream? Recapture that feeling – read about Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, or Eleanor Roosevelt. Or whoever inspires you!
#5 Open your mind for new possibilities
If you’ve closed your mind to new possibilities, you can plunge yourself into pessimism. Be open to creating or allowing new perspectives to show you a variety of ways things could work out. You may discover that solutions to problems or life challenges come in unexpected ways that never occurred to you before. Prepare to be surprised and delighted!
This practice has been shown to:
- Increase mindfulness, well-being, self-confidence, and personal power
- Increase your ability to concentrate
- Cultivate a greater resilience to stress, a positive mindset, and a sense of hopefulness and calm
- Decrease stress and stress-related symptoms like frustration, mood swings, feelings of overwhelm or lack of control, anxiety, depression, low energy, headaches, body aches and pains, muscle tension, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and frequent colds and infections
- Reduce or even stop worrying
Get my complimentary “From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice” here.
It’s Time To Regain Your Optimism
Being mired in the dreariness of burnout-related pessimism sucks the life out of you. You look ahead to the future and see…blah. Nothing inspiring. Your hope is gone, and you don’t seem to be able to get it back.
I know; I’ve been there.
But here’s the thing.
Because I turned around my burnout with its relentless pessimism, I know you can too.
Use the tips I’ve given you. And stay connected, because I’ve got more good stuff for you.
You don’t have to face your pessimism and burnout alone. I’m here to help.
Burnout, Self-Care
When was the last time you bounded out of bed excited to see what the day would bring? Or felt gratitude for the abundance of well-being in your life?
And how about laughing with friends until tears streamed down your face and you were gasping for breath?
If the answers to these questions don’t come easily, you might be experiencing a loss of enjoyment that’s one of the signs of burnout.
When you’ve lost your joy, it’s like you’re in an extended period of mourning – although it’s not entirely clear what you’re grieving.
You feel listless. All the world’s vibrant colors and textures have sludged into a grey mist. People who care about you entice you to activities they think you’ll enjoy. But your response is “Meh”.
I’m here to tell you: it’s not your fault! Burnout has got you in its grip.
Life Is Meant To Be Joyful But Burnout Can Sabotage It
You weren’t born to have a parched, dusty life as though you’re slogging through the desert with only a few far flung oases of momentary happiness.
Life is meant to be joyful! You were born to discover what you love; to delight in the things that bring you satisfaction and which fill you with a sense of purpose. But if you haven’t yet discovered what fulfills and satisfies you, you could easily become burned out and joyless when your days lack a sense of purpose.
So if you’re mired in unhappiness, despairing of ever feeling purposeful and optimistic again, let’s take a look at what can help you overcome burnout and regain your joy.
6 Questions To Ask Yourself When Your Joy Is Gone
Losing your enjoyment of life can often make you feel like you want to escape to something better. The problem is, there are no guarantees that your new circumstances will be any more joyful or fulfilling.
Zero in on that feeling of wanting to escape. When you dig underneath the feeling, you’ll uncover some clues to your burnout-related loss of enjoyment.
To start, I recommend you take time to ask and answer these questions:
- Do you want to take a break or go on vacation to get away from something specific?
- What do you love most about your life?
- What do you want to remove from your life?
- How do you like to recharge your energy?
- Is there any regular activity or event that you enjoy?
- What gives you a sense of purpose?
Once you answer these, you’ll see that one overarching way to bring yourself back from burnout is pretty simple: commit to doing what you love, and what’s important to you.
Now let’s break that down into some specific actions.
How To Put The Joy Back In Your Life And Move Past Burnout
#1 Schedule what’s important to you
Put whatever is important to you in your calendar be it a massage, some alone time, or having dinner delivered. Treat these activities with the same respect you give to other events like meetings or your kids’ activities. Think of them as checkpoints or life-savers – because they are. They’re your own unique ways to care for yourself.
Any time you start to feel overwhelmed, you can examine your calendar and reassure yourself that you don’t have to stretch yourself thin for long. You simply need to get to the next checkpoint.
#2 Book at least one daily period of rejuvenation time
Even a 15-minute pause in the middle of your day will help revitalize you. Put a short block of time in your calendar at least once a day. It may not seem like much, but knowing you have even one period per day for downtime will help you feel refreshed along with taking the time to recharge.
#3 Reschedule your self-care session if you must miss it
I know. Life happens and sometimes you may not be able to keep your self-care appointments. For example, if you know you’ll be traveling, be sure to plan ahead and reserve a self-care spot in your calendar for immediately after your scheduled return.
#4 Adjust your self-care activities as necessary
Your needs will change over time as your life changes. Keep in touch with yourself through the changes to understand what will best nurture you. Perhaps a treat such as a pedicure is no longer as rewarding as it was, but a workout at the gym would be perfect. Change it! Do what is right for you at your stage of life.
#5 Sign up for a complimentary “Break Free From Burnout” consultation with me
This session is the perfect way to give yourself extra nurturing and support. In this 60-minute consultation you’ll:
- Get simple and practical tips for how to break free from your burnout symptoms
- Create a clear and compelling vision of the burnout-free life you want
- Tap into greater energy and inspiration
- Explore how having a partner on your journey will provide a shortcut to all that you desire.
Click here now to get your complimentary “Break Free From Burnout” consultation.
Let’s Get Your Joy Back!
A lot of people who read posts like this smile, nod their head in agreement, and implement precisely zero of these tips.
But not you. You know wisdom that’s not put into practice is wasted. That’s why you’ve already made a commitment to care for yourself, and to re-infuse joy into your life.
On their own, none of these self-care tips will catapult you to wellness. But each of them, little by little, will help bring you back from burnout and re-ignite your happiness.
So, are you ready to be joyful? Are you ready to go from burned out to balanced?
Then it’s time to start caring for yourself.
P.S. You don’t have to do this alone. Sign up for my free From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge. During these 7 days, we’ll look at what’s really going on beneath the signs of burnout and I’ll give you simple strategies for how to turn things around so you can get on the path towards balance and enjoying your life (again).
If you’re ready to break out of the burnout cycle and desire to be…
- Relaxed and confident, knowing you’re tending to the most important priorities
- Energized, clear and focused
- Calm, easy-going and peaceful
- Sleeping like a baby and waking up rested
- Engaged, inspired and passionate about your life
Join me by clicking here to sign up for my next From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge. It’s Free!
Burnout, Self-Care
You’re sorry. Truly, you are.
You exploded with rage at someone you care about, shredding them to bits until they were in tears.
The funny thing is, you can’t even remember what set you off. You just know you were so angry it scared you and left you shaken.
Deep in your heart, you know this anger isn’t normal. It feels like a part of something much bigger.
You’re right; it is. Anger is a sign of burnout. You know you’ve been stressed out for awhile, yet you’ve been telling yourself you’re mostly fine.
Until this latest blow-up. Now you’ve got to face it: your anger has gotten the best of you.
But don’t despair. I’ve got some excellent tips and techniques to support you.
First, let’s take a look at what can cause anger that’s related to burnout.
Causes Of Burnout-Induced Anger
Your everyday circumstances are major contributors to anger. You may feel stressed at work, have financial pressures, dysfunctional family situations, and overwhelming demands on your time and energy.
One day, the stress simply gets to be too much. You have no idea how to handle it anymore. At this point, you explode with anger. And of course, unremitting stress can easily lead to burnout.
When you’re experiencing stress and anger, did you know there are often other feelings fueling them? You may feel overwhelmed, disrespected, helpless, fearful and so on. These feelings, too, are classic parts of burnout.
Anger isn’t something to get down on yourself about. It’s a signal you need help.
You must be wondering, okay, I need help. How do I get it?
Here’s how.
How To Deal With Burnout-Induced Anger
Keep in mind that addressing both your anger and burnout is crucial since they’re so intertwined.
Here are 5 specific techniques to help you get relief from your anger:
#1 Exercise
Exercise helps reduce stress that can cause you to become angry. Plus, it stimulates the release of your own natural “feel good” chemicals called endorphins – talk about a win! If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run, or spend some time doing other enjoyable physical activities.
#2 Take a timeout
Yes, give yourself a timeout just like the ones you give your kids. Take a short break during stressful times of the day. You’ll get some quiet time that will help you calm down and be better able to face the rest of the day.
#3 Practice forgiveness
Forgiveness is such a powerful tool. If you can forgive someone who angered you, you can strengthen your relationship. Additionally, forgiving keeps you from drowning in bitterness.
#4 Use relaxation skills
Practice deep-breathing exercises. Take a long, slow, deep breath while you count to 10. Then slowly exhale. Visualize a relaxing scene, listen to music, journal or do a few yoga poses — whatever it takes to encourage relaxation.
#5 Get my complimentary From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice. This practice has been shown to:
- Increase mindfulness, well-being, self-confidence, and personal power
- Increase your ability to concentrate
- Cultivate a greater resilience to stress, a positive mindset, and a sense of hopefulness and calm
- Decrease stress and stress-related symptoms like anger, frustration, mood swings, feelings of overwhelm or lack of control, anxiety, depression, low energy, headaches, body aches and pains, muscle tension, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and frequent colds and infections
- Reduce or even stop worrying
So, make sure to click here now to get my From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice. It’s FREE!
Free Yourself From Anger Caused By Burnout
When you find relief from your anger, you’ll notice how much more smoothly your life flows. You’ll notice when people or situations that used to set you off hardly blip on your radar. You’ll smile when you notice how calm you’ve become.
Don’t get me wrong; you’ve got to address your burnout too.
So take time to care for yourself in the ways I’ve mentioned here. You’ll help bring yourself back from burnout and soothe your anger as well.
All it takes is a solid commitment to your well-being. An acknowledgement that you’re worth the investment – because a life free from unmanageable burnout-induced anger is waiting for you.
Want to quick-start your progress? Sign up for my free From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge.
During these 7 days, we’ll look at what’s really going on beneath the signs of burnout and I’ll give you simple strategies for how to turn things around so you can get on the path towards balance and enjoying your life (again).
If you’re ready to break out of the burnout cycle and desire to be…
- Relaxed and confident, knowing you’re tending to the most important priorities
- Energized, clear and focused
- Calm, easy-going and peaceful
- Sleeping like a baby and waking up rested
- Engaged, inspired and passionate about your life
Join me by clicking here to sign up for my next From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge. It’s Free!
Burnout, Self-Care
Are you shocked because you just screamed at some poor innocent person who stopped by?
Sure, they got on your last nerve. But all they did was ask for something minor. And before you knew it, you were shrieking like a banshee.
Even though you’re known for your peaceful disposition, it’s…gone. Vanished like ice in the desert.
What gives? Where did your calm, happy nature go?
Let’s take a look at what might be going on with you.
Irritability Can Be Serious
You know irritability when you experience it, right? Being irritable feels like anger, but there’s a difference. Anger is usually an emotion triggered by a specific event; it’s why we say we’re angry about something in particular.
Irritability is more accurately described as a mood. In other words, you can feel irritable all day long but there’s nothing in particular you’re mad about. You’re just cranky.
Irritation can be a normal experience. Sometimes it’s just one of those days.
But I want you to be aware that irritability can be much more than a cranky day. If it’s present at chronically high levels, irritability can be a red flag for underlying mental health issues. Two of the most consequential are depression and anxiety – and together they could be signs of burnout.
When it’s related to burnout, irritability can leave you feeling ineffective, unimportant, and useless. You experience an increasing sense that you’re not able to do things as efficiently or effectively as you once did.
In its early stages, burnout-related irritability can interfere in personal and professional relationships. At its worst, it can destroy relationships and careers.
5 Common Causes Of Burnout-Related Irritability
Let’s take a look at some common causes of chronic, intense irritability that come from burnout.
#1 Emotional exhaustion is one burnout symptom. When you’re emotionally exhausted, you may notice that you feel cynical or pessimistic. You could even lose your motivation to work, socialize, or perform simple tasks. Eventually, as these feelings become stronger, you may feel trapped and fearful – leading you to feeling highly irritable.
#2 Lack of quality sleep is another very common sign of burnout that can lead to chronically high levels of irritability. You may wonder, who wouldn’t be irritable without enough quality sleep? And you’d be right. But ongoing poor sleep – including insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and waking too early – not only sets your irritability into high gear but can rob you of your overall well-being.
#3 Chronic anxiety is extremely common when you’re burned out. In its early stages, you may have nagging feelings of tension, worry, and mild irritability. Over time, your anxiety may become so severe that it interferes with your ability to go to work or take care of your responsibilities at home. You may feel highly irritated.
#4 Depression can cause you to feel sad from time to time. This is normal. But with burnout, depression is more than just fleeting sadness. In its early stages, you may notice that you’re having more bad than good days. You also may feel like you have no energy, or you may feel irritable and restless.
#5 Stress and burnout go hand-in-hand. It’s often difficult to see where one ends and the other begins because burnout is the accumulation of rampant, chronic stress over a period of time, and can lead to ongoing irritability.
See how burnout, irritability, and its causes all intertwine?
And you don’t want to miss this next part – I’ll give you tips and techniques to overcome your irritability so you can start to feel calm and cheerful again.
How To Overcome Your Burnout-Related Irritability
When you’re chronically, highly irritable because of burnout, it’s important first of all to simply acknowledge what’s going on with you. Take time for some gentle, non-judgmental reflection. Journaling or sketching are especially valuable ways to chronicle your experience without negative self-talk.
Next, here are some tips I found especially helpful when I brought myself back from severe burnout several years ago:
- Put your focus and energy toward moving beyond burnout. Write or sketch your vision of your life once you’ve regained your ease and sense of well-being.
- Make your physical health a top priority. Eat nourishing food. Exercise, even something as simple as going for a walk.
- Re-engage with your preferred spiritual practice.
- Take time each day to check in with yourself. Ask, how am I feeling? What’s good in my life? What do I appreciate?
- Work with a therapist, counselor, or coach.
I’ve also posted about specific ways to help with insomnia, reduce your anxiety, and get more rest. These resources are for you, so I invite you to dig in and get the relief you want.
As well, you can click here to get my complimentary “From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice.” This practice has been shown to:
- Increase mindfulness, well-being, self-confidence, and personal power
- Increase your ability to concentrate
- Cultivate a greater resilience to stress, a positive mindset, and a sense of hopefulness and calm
- Decrease stress and stress-related symptoms like frustration, mood swings, feelings of overwhelm or lack of control, anxiety, depression, low energy, headaches, body aches and pains, muscle tension, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and frequent colds and infections
- Reduce or even stop worrying
Amazing, isn’t it, how some sustained focus on self-care can rejuvenate your well-being?
So, make sure to click here now to get my From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice. It’s FREE!
Are You Ready To Lose Your Irritability?
Though you may wonder if you’ll ever stop being irritated with everyone and everything that comes along, I promise these self-care practices can help you feel calm and cheerful. Just make the commitment to yourself to learn and apply them regularly.
Then you won’t be wondering who you’ll be shrieking at for no apparent reason.
You won’t be jeopardizing your most cherished relationships. Instead, your loved ones will welcome back the happy, energetic woman they know and love.
And as an added bonus, you can sign up for my free From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge to kickstart your way back to happy as you shed your irritability.
Each day during these 7 days, we’ll look at what’s really going on beneath the signs of burnout. I’ll give you simple strategies for how to turn things around so you can get on the path towards balance and enjoying your life (again).
If you’re ready to break out of the burnout cycle and desire to be…
- Relaxed and confident, knowing you’re tending to the most important priorities
- Energized, clear and focused
- Calm, easy-going and peaceful
- Sleeping like a baby and waking up rested
- Engaged, inspired and passionate about your life
Join me by clicking here to sign up for my next From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge. It’s Free!
Burnout, Self-Care
Does your life feel like it’s flat-lined?
Does it seem like everything you used to be enthusiastic about is now as joyful as a dead fish?
Are you wondering what’s going on?
And more importantly, how can you rediscover your zest for life and start to feel like yourself again?
8 Signs Of Apathy
First, let’s take a look at 8 common signs of apathy. Knowledge is power, and I want you to regain yours.
Here they are:
- Your productivity is way down
- You’re disinterested in your activities
- You’ve lost your passion and motivation
- You feel indifferent to your goals
- You’re uninterested in self-care
- You feel flat and lifeless
- You can’t muster up the energy to emotionally respond to either positive or negative events
- You no longer feel excitement, sadness, or anger
You see how some of these signs overlap with each other? Apathy symptoms tend to cluster around a general lack of emotion and energy about, well, anything. It’s a general feeling of “meh”.
Apathy can also be a sign of burnout – which has been recognized as an official medical diagnosis by the World Health Organization. In other words, it can be serious.
If you’re really in the throes of apathy, you can find it difficult to succeed at work, keep healthy relationships, and maintain good physical and emotional health. And if you’ve experienced sudden or inexplicable apathy, this could be a sign of an underlying mental or physical health problem.
6 Ways To Break Free From Apathy And Enjoy Your Life (Again)
Now that I’ve given you some common signs of apathy, let’s take a look at six ways you can shake it off and start to feel like yourself again.
#1 Switch up your routine. Make small changes to your usual routine. Shake things up a bit. Go in a little earlier to work. Say hi to a new person. Your goal is to get out of a rut you may be in.
#2 Create an uplifting mood. Is there somewhere you feel particularly good, maybe in nature or a certain room in your home? Spend extra time there, soaking up the positive environment.
#3 Find the positive aspects in your life. Perhaps it’s your child’s smile, or the scent of rain when you sit on your porch during a storm. Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. For five minutes, write down anything that’s positive in your life. Keep writing; don’t stop until the time’s up.
#4 Reframe your thoughts. When you find yourself mired in negative thoughts and beliefs reframe them into more positive statements. For example, you may be down on yourself because of your apathy, and feel like it will last forever. Try “I’m feeling out of sorts right now, but it’s temporary. It will pass.”
#5 Remind yourself of past joys. You haven’t always been apathetic. What do you recall that you felt joyful about in the past? Write it down. Remind yourself of the circumstances and range of your feelings.
#6 Get my complimentary “From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice.” This practice has been shown to:
- Increase mindfulness, well-being, self-confidence, and personal power
- Increase your ability to concentrate
- Cultivate a greater resilience to stress, a positive mindset, and a sense of hopefulness and calm
- Decrease stress and stress-related symptoms like frustration, mood swings, feelings of overwhelm or lack of control, anxiety, depression, low energy, headaches, body aches and pains, muscle tension, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and frequent colds and infections
- Reduce or even stop worrying
I created this daily self-care practice because I’ve experienced apathy as part of burnout. I know the toll it can take, and I’m here to support you.
So, make sure to click here now to get my From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice. It’s FREE!
Set Yourself Free From Apathy’s Grip
Being mired in apathy feels like your life has flat-lined.
So let’s jump start your enthusiasm.
Let’s get your passion sparked.
I want you to wake up in the morning feeling eager to enjoy your life again. Full of smiles and happiness.
It is possible. Start by applying the 6 techniques above. Then, for an added boost, sign up for my free From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge to really get your juices flowing!
Each day during these 7 days I’m going to challenge you to take 15 minutes for yourself – with me – to look at what’s really going on beneath the signs of burnout. I’ll give you simple strategies for how to turn things around so you can get on the path towards balance and enjoying your life (again).
If you’re ready to break out of the burnout cycle and desire to be…
- Relaxed and confident, knowing you’re tending to the most important priorities
- Energized, clear and focused
- Calm, easy-going and peaceful
- Sleeping like a baby and waking up rested
- Engaged, inspired and passionate about your life
Join me by clicking here to sign up for my next From Burnout to Balance 7-Day Self-Love Challenge. It’s Free!
