Overwhelm is described as a feeling of being in “over our heads” or “stressed out”, which is about how we make sense of, and operate in the world. Typically, the way we handle our ever-growing personal or professional workloads is to work harder at it, rather than to step back and examine what makes us do this, and find a new way of operating.
Burnout is described as a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged feelings of being overwhelmed. Though it’s most often commonly thought of as being caused by problems at work, it also appears in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, and personal and romantic relationships. Burnout leaves you drained, sometimes depressed, apathetic and even angry. According to an article in CNBC more than 50% of working women suffer from burnout claiming that they struggle with a lack of equality in the workplace and also spend more than 3 times the number of hours working in the home compared to men.
One stress Researcher, Dr Heidi Hanna, says that there are neurological differences that play a part in how men and women manage stress also - women may be more likely to “tend and befriend,” while men are more prone to “fight or flight” patterns. Stress can also manifest in an unfulfilling or toxic relationship, or by comparing ourselves to other women who “appear to have it all”, which can happen to women who spend a lot of time on social media. Many of the stressors in your life will not altogether disappear, so its important to have tools to help you manage the things that are in your control.
In the upcoming podcasts and blogs we'll introduce you to some beneficial self-awareness exercises to help you get started by examining the things that are causing you to feel overwhelmed and how to manage them hopefully before they lead to burnout.
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