Burnout is something we’ve all heard of, but how do you actually get there? What does it take to end up on that road? Burnout is the psychological term used to describe the combination of stress and exhaustion, typically in relation to your career, but it can apply to any area of life. It’s the feeling that you’re at the end of your rope and you can’t go on. But how do you get to that point?
The Stages of Burnout
To understand burnout, let’s look at the three stages that lead to it:
Alarm Reaction (Stage One): This is your body’s initial response to stress. It’s the fight-or-flight reaction described by Walter Cannon and later researched by Hans Selye. Your heart rate increases, your muscles tense, and your breathing rate quickens. These changes are meant to prepare you for an emergency. For example, think about the feeling you get when you almost have a car accident—your body reacts automatically, preparing you for a potential threat. In this stage, digestion, tissue repair, and immune systems temporarily shut down, prioritizing immediate survival. You may experience this reaction in both positive and negative situations—like a looming deadline or an exciting life event like a wedding or a baby on the way.
Resistance (Stage Two): This is the stage where you start to deny the stress you’re under or convince yourself that you’ve got it under control. However, your body is using up its resources to manage stress, with no time for recovery. You might feel like you’re adapting to the stress, but in reality, you're just pushing through without adequate rest. This stage is marked by the loss of patience or sudden frustration—like when unexpected traffic sends you over the edge. Your brain may think it’s managing the stress, but inside, your reserves are dwindling. This is the critical stage to manage stress, take care of yourself, and seek support before it gets worse.
Exhaustion (Stage Three): At this point, you’re deep in burnout. Your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for preparing you for stress) and parasympathetic nervous system (which helps you recover) are both firing at high levels, trying to balance the stress while also trying to restore you. However, when both systems are overworked and trying to do too much at once, your organs and muscles start to malfunction. This stage marks the physical and emotional breakdown of burnout. Your body has been under stress for too long, and now it’s showing in all areas.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
The first step to preventing burnout is recognizing when you’re on the road to it. It’s much easier to recover if you catch it in the earlier stages—stage one or stage two—than if you wait until stage three. At stage three, recovery is possible, but it requires much more work and time.
Recovering from Burnout
It’s important to remember that burnout is not permanent. With the right strategies and support, recovery is possible. But the first step is recognizing the signs and taking action before it’s too late. Don’t wait until you’re at rock bottom.
If you want to stay stressed, just stay on the road to burnout and let it take its course. But if you want to break the cycle, take steps today to manage your stress before it reaches the point of no return.
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