guest post by Sarah Van Meter, LCSW
Language is constantly evolving and changing. Sometimes words change meaning or will even become interchangeable with others. In recent years, I have noticed that many of my clients are using the terms stress and burnout interchangeably. For some people these concepts are the same thing; however, they are very different. I think it is super important to know the difference, so you can answer the question, “Is it stress or burnout?” so that you can effectively address what you’re experiencing.
Stress
Stress is a state of being hyper-aware, feeling worried or pressured due to a difficult situation in our lives. The situation is typically short term, usually with a deadline, and will be resolved at the end of the time frame. It is important to remember that stress is usually something that is “short term” or has an “end date.”
An example of stress is studying for final exams. Finals are a time-limited event that naturally involves stress, but that stress will resolve itself once the exam passes. During the time approaching finals, one might feel worried, pressured to study (or pressured to avoid studying if the stress is too much), or overly aware of the date. No matter how you feel about finals, the exams will pass. Then you can return to your typical level of function.
When you feel stressed, it will often present itself in your body. Stress creates physical reactions. This physical reaction is different for every person. Some people might notice their eye twitching or struggling to fall asleep. For others, an old injury might flare up. If you have a mental or medical condition, you may have an outbreak of symptoms.
When I worked in the domestic violence field, my immune system would react. Usually, within a few days of becoming stressed I would develop a cold. The time of year did not matter. If I was stressed, I was going to be sick within the week.
Sometimes people can become used to being stressed. This is especially true if you work in a high-stress job or live in a high-stress situation. In this scenario, stress repeats itself often with few breaks in between the high-stress moments. If you are used to stress, it may not be until you have a physical reaction that you realize how stressed you are. I was often stressed by my job in domestic violence. It wasn’t until I got sick that I paused to explore how much stress played into my getting sick.
When you are stressed, there are many stress management tools that can be used to manage your stress level. Research shows that petting your cat or dog will decrease stress levels, along with watching fish swim. Reading and playing video games have been proven to decrease stress hormones. Taking a break from technology, getting out into nature, watching a favorite movie, or getting support from friends and family all have been proven to aid with stress management.
I describe stress management to my clients as regularly doing anything that gives you a feeling of an internal sigh of relief. Anything that makes you feel relaxed or warm and fuzzy is most likely to decrease your stress levels. This will vary from person to person or even situation to situation. When I am mildly stressed, having friends over helps me greatly. However, if my stress level is significant, then I need time alone. Usually, I take time to read, go for a walk, or work in my garden. There are many articles or suggestions if you google stress management.
Burnout
I’ve had people say to me, “Isn’t burnout just being super stressed?” Not exactly. A key difference in stress versus burnout is time. Burnout is when you have been stressed for a prolonged period with no end in sight. Stress is short-term with an end. Unlike stress coming and going, burnout is a result of excessive stress being a continuous part of your daily life. No matter what you attempt to do, the events that are creating stress for you do not resolve.
Another big difference between stress and burnout is how the effects manifest in you. Burnout usually shows itself through a decline in your mental well-being. A person who is burned out may feel detached, isolated, irritable, depressed, and disengaged. The few times that I have experienced burnout, I tend to become mean and irritable, which is so different that my usual silly, goofy, joking around persona. When I start to feel burnout, I become snappy, irritable, and cold to those closest to me. (As I have sometimes said, when I am at burnout I tend to think and sound a lot like comedian Jeff Dunham’s puppet Walter, for those who know him.)
When does stress become burnout? While it’s different for everyone, burnout typically shows up when you have so often gone over your limit that your functioning has become impaired.
Are you also wondering who burnout affects most? Recent surveys indicate that women and workers under the age of 30 are currently suffering the most burnout. Why is this? Women are thought to experience more burnout then men due to gender inequities. Also, workers under 30 have experienced the perfect storm of recession-plagued economic uncertainties, high inflation, ever-changing work environments through the pandemic and post-pandemic periods, and a pressure to be high-achieving.
Because burnout impacts your mental and emotional well-being, it can be a struggle to come back from it. A simple walk around my neighborhood will not decrease the level of burnout that I am feeling. In fact, it might be extraordinarily hard for people to engage in stress management or self-care skills due to feelings of disengagement or detachment.
The best way to address burnout is to work to prevent it. Daily or regular self-care/stress management is the best way to avoid burnout altogether. Even ten minutes a day to care for yourself can help keep burnout at bay. If you are already being impacted by burnout, building healthy sleep, eating, and exercise habits can help. Setting clear boundaries in the places that are creating stress can also help. (“No” is a complete sentence!) Delegating tasks where possible can help create a healthy balance where stress is concerned. This is especially important when considering stress and burnout in the workplace. When burnout is significant, you may need to see a professional for either medication management or therapy services.
Related Reading: To Radically Accept or not to Accept, That is the Question
In our current society, daily stressors are on the rise. Whether stress comes from finances, work, family, or social pressures, stress increasingly impacts all of us. It is truly important that each of us manages our stress effectively so that it does not build into burnout. As we often say in social services, “You cannot care for others if you don’t care for yourself.”
If you need help managing stress or are feeling burned out and don’t know how to resolve it, please reach out to us in our Northern Illinois locations in Glen Ellyn, Chicago (Jefferson Park), Sycamore, or Yorkville. Our therapists can see clients either in-person or via telehealth.
Sarah VanMeter, LCSW, works with all ages and specializes in working with at-risk youth, youth in foster care, and those with complex trauma. Sarah utilizes Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She has completed training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Health Coaching, and Fostering and Adoptive Concerns. Sarah also has advanced training in working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
