Do you have a persistent weight on your shoulders that won’t go away? Or do you feel constantly sleep deprived, regardless of how much sleep you get? If this is the situation with you, there’s a good chance that you’re stressed. And since stress may contribute to burnout, it is important to learn what you’re dealing with.
According to the World Health Organization, stress is ‘’any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain and it is your body’s response to anything that requires you to respond or take an action’’.
In this article we will learn more about the causes of stress and find out whether stress may contribute to burnout.
Most common causes of stress
Stress is an emotion characterized by an unpleasant subjective experience. A state of stress is the result of the body’s response to a variety of stimuli and usually has a negative effect on health and performance. Stress is your body’s way of reacting to a perceived threat. In this day and age the most common way of experiencing stress is during work.
And not to say that working is the leading cause of stress for everybody, however work related stress is one to cause burnout most commonly. When you start struggling to cope with your daily work tasks, taking on projects and being overall productive, that is time to evaluate your stress levels.
Causes of stress can be anything from:
- Pressure,
- Burnout,
- Big life changes,
- Responsibility,
- Experiencing hate or discrimination,
- Feeling overwhelmed,
- Going through uncertainty,
- Taking on more than you can handle etc.
There are, of course, many other personal reasons to get stressed but we covered the ones that are more job related.
In more scientific terms, stress is built up in our body when stress hormones are released. Stress manifests differently for different people, just as we all have different reactions to physical conditions, emotions, or even the weather.
When confronted with a dangerous situation, hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine, also known as the “stress hormones,” are released. Our physical receptors send a signal to our brain, which then uses the nervous system to prepare the body for a fight, flight, or freeze.
There are even different types of stress including acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress.
Risking burnout from long term stress
Mental or emotional stress can lead to sadness and depression, anxiety, developing bad habits that lead to addiction, and a general decline in quality of life. The fact is, while we can’t always control our circumstances, we can always choose how we respond, which can be the first step towards stress management.
Understanding the “what” and “why” of stress can be a good place to start when trying to cope with it. Coping with stress can be intimidating, especially when it becomes pervasive but looking for help is always a good option. Whether you go seek professional help or try it on your own, the hardest thing is to start. It’s only uphill from there.
Stress can surely lead to burnout if it is not managed properly. Burnout is a psychological state characterized by emotional exhaustion, a lack of enthusiasm and motivation, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. The best way to avoid burnout is the same – to manage stress levels.
One way to do this is by visiting the Simple Girl blog about burnout. Reading about other people’s experiences and tips can be very helpful at the beginning of your journey.
May you find the right way of coping with stress!