Simona Zábržová is the founder of the online program Soulmio, which aims to provide comprehensive online mental health care for corporate employees. As Simona says, she herself went through burnout twice. That's why we asked Simona a few questions about burnout, as well as tips on how to prevent burnout.
According to experts, one in five Czechs suffer from burnout syndrome. At the same time, there is quite a bit of talk about him. Do you feel that this is a taboo subject?
Over the last three years, I perceive that this topic has been given more space in the media, and it is also being discussed among employees in companies.
But a lot of people confuse short-term depression with burnout, and so the word burnout syndrome is, in my opinion, unnecessarily overused.
How does burnout syndrome manifest itself?
I will explain it best on the difference between stress and burnout syndrome.
STRESS
My emotions are strong, work charges and discharges me at the same time, sometimes I am hyperactive, then again in decline, feelings of a lot of energy and little energy alternate in me, I sometimes bang, but in two days I do not know about it. My life is characterized by motivation. Although it exhausts me, I am motivated by success, finances, meaningfulness, good feeling, etc.
BURNOUT SYNDROME
My emotions are numb, work does not fulfill me and often does not interest me, I do not enjoy success, I do not feel the meaningfulness of my actions, I feel empty, lonely and without the meaning of life, I feel hopelessness to change something, loss of hope in bright tomorrows, loss of joy in life. I'm not motivable. I have no energy.
Burnout is not the same thing as stress.
Can we say which group of people (what job positions, what types of people, what natures) is most at risk of burnout?
It can burn out at any time. However, professions where people give a lot and receive little back are more susceptible, e.g. veterinarians, nurses, doctors, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other helping professions.
Further, the middle managementswhere there is pressure from below and above, or workerswho are inadvertently on home office and must deal with self-management, organization of work, communication, solving problems in the family during working hours.
Burnout is not related to age or gender. Indeed, anyone can burn out. Time is full of uncertainties, and it is the burnout that records.
You went through burnout yourself. Did you realize that you were going through this condition or were you first alerted by those around you that something was not as it used to be?
I was repeatedly warned by my surroundings that I looked “stale and so called mela from the last”. But I didn't want to hear it at the time and I didn't realise the gravity of the situation.
When a person realizes that he suffers from burnout, how can he begin to deal with the situation that has arisen?
First, I recommend stopping completely. For a few days, take some time off, take a breath, go out into nature and disconnect from the world of social networks and the like so that he has space to be with himself.
As soon as possible, it is advisable to attend therapies, talk to a specialist and, if necessary, put on medication. I recommend not to postpone therapy, because the psychological state can deteriorate quite quickly.
Burnout syndrome does not occur from day to day.
Do you have any recommendations on how to prevent burnout?
Cultivate a healthy relationship with myself, so that I can better artificially set the boundaries of my work, rest and the demands of the surroundings. Listen to the physical and psychological manifestations of the body. Rest, play sports, meditate, spend less time on social networks and dedicate yourself to what is meaningful and nourishing.
On the contrary, do not invest energy where nothing is returned to me. Controlling energy expenditure and income is one of the things we often do not pay attention to. This is crucial for our balance.
What role does a psychologist/psychotherapist play in preventing burnout? How do you work with people with burnout at Soulmio?
In general, rest and psychotherapy are best for burnout syndrome. I recommend that a person with symptoms of burnout seek professional therapeutic help.
Everyone experiences burnout with different intensity, different attitudes towards the situation and has their own individual combination of symptoms, so it's nice to have someone to talk to, let yourself be browned and directed further.
At Soulmio, we focus on the cause of burnout. The cause often comes from the pressure we put on ourselves. So we reinforce people's self-worth, teach them to rest more, talk about how they feel and work with their responsibility to live.
