Exhausted: Burnout and Mindfulness

I was working full-time in an inpatient psychiatric facility, finishing up a master’s degree, and doing a part-time counseling internship. I was always exhausted (physically and mentally). I could never remember if I had eaten that day or not and I felt trapped.

I was 26 and completely burnt out.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress (Psychology Today). Burnout at work creeps in when we:

• Work at jobs where we don’t feel supported

• Work long hours (even on days off/after hours)

• Have poor work-life balance

• Feel out of control or powerless at work

• Work towards goals we don’t agree with

And burnout is real, ya’ll. Deloitte conducted a survey where 77% of the folks reported experiencing burnout at their current jobs. 64% said that they frequently felt stressed or frustrated at their current job. Further, statistics show that many Americans are more stressed now than we have been in the past two years (APA).